The Uptown Music Collective will close its 25th anniversary performance season with “Tapestry: The Music of Carole King and Friends” at 7:30 p.m. April 24-25 at the Journey Bank Community Arts Center, a press release said. The two-night performance will celebrate Carole King and the circle of songwriters who helped define one of the most influential eras in modern music.

The show features songs that have become part of the fabric of popular music, from Carole King classics like “It’s Too Late,” “So Far Away,” and “You’ve Got a Friend,” to works by her contemporaries. Audiences will hear “Fire and Rain” and “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)” by James Taylor; “Big Yellow Taxi” and “A Case of You” by Joni Mitchell; “Kodachrome” and “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard” by Paul Simon; and “Sister Golden Hair” by America, along with “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon and “Me and Bobby McGee,” as performed by Janis Joplin, capturing the depth and range of a generation.

Emerging in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the singer-songwriter movement marked a shift toward honesty, introspection, and direct emotional connection. Artists like Carole King, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, and Carly Simon moved away from large-scale production toward music rooted in personal experience, storytelling, and melody. That approach continues to shape artists today.

For the students of the Uptown Music Collective, this music presents a different kind of challenge. These songs do not hide behind production or volume. They demand nuance, restraint, and emotional honesty. As with all Collective productions, students take part in both performance and production, developing the discipline and musicianship that define the UMC’s approach to music education.

As Dave Brumbaugh, founder and executive director of the Uptown Music Collective, explained, “It’s easy to think music lives in the chords and melodies and only asks for an accurate performance. But the truth is, great songs require something more. They need the heart, the soul, and the skilled hands of the performer to bring them to life. That’s what our students are working to find in this show. It’s what we focus on every day in our lessons and rehearsals.”

This performance also marks a final moment on the Collective stage for this year’s graduating seniors, many of whom have spent years developing their craft within the program. For these students, “Tapestry” is more than another show. It is a culminating experience, a chance to bring together everything they have learned and to step forward one last time as leaders, performers, and young artists ready to move on to the next chapter of their musical lives.

The students have been diligently preparing for this event for more than two months. Along with the music, there will be a professional-grade light and sound show, organized by the students themselves, who work alongside the professionals at the Journey Bank Community Arts Center. As with all Uptown Music Collective performances, the students are not only the performers but also the directors of the show. A group of younger students, or “Tech Monkeys,” will serve as stage technicians and spotlight operators. The cast for the show is drawn from the Uptown Music Collective’s much-heralded Special Performance Group 1.

The show is directed by Uptown Music Collective seniors Rian Gephart and Matthew Bellino. The show’s leadership committee consists of UMC students Elle Donlin, Lila Butters, Jake Butters, Ella Hertwig, Jocelyn Moser, Cash Street, Caiden Scarfo, Hailey Campbell, Christian Williams, Mackenzie Hakes and Nick Willoughby.

With these performances being the last of the UMC’s official performance season at the Journey Bank CAC, the end of the Saturday night performance will feature the Collective’s “senior night” ceremony, which honors and recognizes those graduating seniors who will move on to college and away from the UMC in the fall. This year’s seniors include Matthew Bellino, Rian Gephart, Mackenzie Hakes, Jack Marks, Jocelyn Moser, Caiden Scarfo, Ryan Vanlone, and Nicholas Willoughby.

“As my time at the Collective has gone on, I always thought that the time would never end,” Gephart said. “That is sadly not the reality, and it is unbelievable that this is my last ever show! However, I am so beyond excited for this show. I have always listened to these artists and can’t wait to bring them to the stage. This show is not like our average ‘rock star’ performance, and I believe that is what makes it so special. It is gonna be a groovy night, and I am so happy to be not only a part of this show but also to direct it. Matt and I have been putting in some hard work to make this the best we can and go out with a bang for our senior show. It is also so special because of the senior recognition as a final send off.”

“I am honored to have the opportunity to be one of the directors for the last show of the year, especially since it is my senior year,” Bellino added. “These are some of my favorite songs, and it feels like a very good way to end my time here at the Collective. I’m very excited for this show because it showcases all the members in the group in some way, and I’m very proud to have worked with them and see how far they have all come.”

For more information, visit uptownmusic.org/tapestry or caclive.com/umc.