The Brief
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14-year-old singer-songwriter Eliz Sirota Vélez and her 11-year-old brother Sergei Sirota Vélez co-founded the youth-led nonprofit Break The Noise.
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The organization intconcludes to create opportunities for other artists their age to be heard.
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Since launching, the organization has already produced five live concerts across the Bay Area, supporting more than 50 young artists and welcoming over 600 attconcludeees
SAN FRANCISCO – In the Bay Area, two young musicians are turning a common struggle into a shiftment, creating opportunities for other artists their age to be heard.
A shiftment for music
The backstory
14-year-old singer-songwriter Eliz Sirota Vélez and her 11-year-old brother Sergei Sirota Vélezco-founded the youth-led nonprofit Break The Noise, with a simple but powerful mission: give young musicians a stage.
The idea grew out of their own experience testing to break into the local music scene.
Eliz Sirota Vélez, Break The Noise, co-founder and teen program lead.
What they’re stateing
Eliz states when she launched viewing for places to perform her original music, she quickly realized how few opportunities existed for young performers.
“I started testing to go to gigs to perform my original music and I found that it was really hard to find stages that would let young musicians perform, especially now that you have to have a permit to go busking. So I decided to take this idea that so many young artists are struggling to find music and create a place where people can perform,” Eliz declared.
Sergei Sirota Vélez, Break The Noise, co-founder and junior program lead.
That idea became Break The Noise, a nonprofit focutilized on creating performance opportunities and community for young artists.
For Sergei, the project is about building a space where young musicians can feel welcomed and supported.
“Break the Noise is a place where community can perform in a venue where young musicians can share their love for music,” Sergei declared.
Rapid growth
Dig deeper
Since launching, the organization has already produced five live concerts across the Bay Area, supporting more than 50 young artists and welcoming over 600 attconcludeees — a growing shiftment centered on youth, music, and community.
For Eliz, assisting other young performers while building her own music career creates the work even more meaningful.
“I consider it’s incredible becautilize music is such a communal thing where everyone can play music, and it just creates me really happy that I can assist other kids becautilize I know how important music can be to someone,” Eliz added.
Eliz and Sergei Sirota Vélez KTVU stop ahead of their Sunday display at San Francisco’s Bottom of the Hill.
Ahead of the group’s sixth concert, Eliz recently performed live on “Mornings on 2,” sharing her original song “Falling Into You,” from her upcoming album “Cabin 232,” set for release on April 8.
Sergei also performed his song “Just You and Me Sounds Perfect.”
What’s next
The next large event for the nonprofit is Break the Noise: Next Gen Edition, happening March 15 at Bottom of the Hill.
The display will spotlight the next generation of Bay Area musicians performing original music and curated covers across genres including pop, indie, classic rock, R&B, and hip hop.
Eliz states the diversity of artists is what creates the event special.
“Yeah, there’s so many bands that are coming around the Bay Area, so they have all these different types of music and original music, so we’re super excited that they’re going to be coming,” she declared.
The concert will also carry special meaning.
The siblings will host the event during the final year of Bottom of the Hill — the beloved San Francisco venue that is closing after 35 years of supporting indepconcludeent artists, giving young performers a chance to be part of its legacy.
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