REC Philly, a long-standing space for independent creatives and entrepreneurs to cowork and create in, is closing its Center City headquarters on Dec. 20.
In an email sent to REC Philly members on Monday, the organization announced the shuttering of its Fashion District 10,000-square-foot space, located at Ninth and Market Streets, due to “unforeseen circumstances.”
“We know this news may come as a surprise, and we do apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused. We’ll stay in touch with any updates, but until then, stay creative,” the email stated.
Patrons walk past an advertisement on June 19, 2021 outside the Fashion District.
All active REC Philly members will have access to the space through the closing date, the email stated. After that, all memberships and app access will end and some refund options will be available.
“This decision was made due to circumstances beyond our control related to the long-term sustainability of the space,” the email states. “It was not made lightly, and our team explored every possible option before reaching this point.”
William Toms, left, and David Silver pose for a portrait inside the REC Philly space at Ninth and Market Streets, on July 25, 2019.
The announcement comes six years after cofounders Will Toms and Dave Silver opened the facility. The venture, originally named the Broad Street Music Lounge, started in Silver’s North Philly basement. That’s where the duo — who met as high schoolers at Warminster’s William Tennent High School — held concerts and community events for friends before launching REC in 2014.
They opened a 600-square-foot warehouse, located at Ninth and Dauphin Streets, a year later. And in 2019, they cut the ribbon on the Fashion District location, which housed a recording studio, performance stage, and coworking areas.
REC, an acronym for “resources for every creator,” also offered workshops, educational programs, grants, and networking events.
Guests gather as WNBA player and North Philadelphia native Kahleah Copper participates in a Q-and-A at REC Philly on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024 in Philadelphia.
While the Center City hub will close its doors at the end of the year, REC Philly will not be completely shutting down operations, just the space.
“REC is not shutting down completely at this time. The space needs to close in order for the business to properly transition,“ the email to members states. Those transitional plans are yet to be announced.
Neither Toms nor Silver responded to media inquiries in time for publication.
Once again, Philadelphia music fans can look forward to a Drugcember to remember.
Next month, Philly rock band The War On Drugs will renew a tradition that has been on hiatus since 2022. It will perform a trio of fundraising shows to benefit the Fund for the School District of Philadelphia, the nonprofit that raises money and coordinates investments into Philadelphia Schools.
The Adam Granduciel-led seven piece band, that won a best rock album Grammy for A Deeper Understanding in 2018, will play three nights at Johnny Brenda’s in Fishtown, from Dec. 18-20.
The 250 capacity club — which the band first played on the venue’s opening weekend in 2006 — is several magnitudes smaller that the amphitheater, arena, and festival stages the Drugs typically plays in venues around the world.
Drugcember to Remember debuted in 2018 and became an annual Philly three-show tradition through 2022, with the exception of the COVID shutdown year of 2020.
But it hadn’t taken place since 2022, and seemed in danger of being gone for good, with Granduciel now living on Los Angeles and bassist and original members Dave Hartley in North Carolina.
Granduciel said in a statement that the return to the treasured tradition is a way to reaffirm its Philadelphia identity.
The flyer for The War on Drugs’ 2025 ‘A Drugcember to Remember’ benefit shows at Johnny Brenda’s on Dec. 18-20.
“This has been a year end highlight for me since we started doing it in 2018,” said the guitarist and songwriter who stepped out as a producer in 2025 on Craig Finn’s Always Been and Sam Fender’s People Watching. “Three rock shows at our old local hangout benefiting the Philadelphia School System. This band wouldn’t exist if not for the vibrant Philadelphia music community that has supported us from the beginning and we are very grateful for it.”
The War On Drugs’ most recent studio album, I Don’t Live Here Anymore, came out in 2021. Last year, they released the in-concert recording Live Drugs Again.
Its most recent Philadelphia performance was in the summer of 2024, sharing a bill with the National at the Mann Center in Fairmount Park. Besides the Drugcember shows, the only two dates on the band’s schedule are at festivals in Spain and Portugal in July 2026.
A Drugcember To Remember will raise funds through ticket sales and also the sale of exclusive items though Philadelphia businesses, including Elixr Coffee, Sacred Vice Brewing, Room Shop, Uncle Ron’s Candles, and Kinetic Skateboarding/Nocturnal Skate Shop.
Ticket for the Johnny Brenda’s shows go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday Nov. 21 at thewarondrugs.net/tour.
“We will sing, dance, and celebrate in the way Pierre would have wanted us to,” said Chuck Damico, WMMR’s program director.
The concert will take place at the Fillmore on Dec. 17. Tickets will cost $50 and go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster on the Fillmore’s website. A portion of the proceeds will go to MANNA, the Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance.
The show will feature bands and musicians near and dear to the former WMMR host’s heart, including The Hooters, Brent Smith and Zach Meyers of Shinedown, Lizzy Hale and Joe Hottinger of Halestorm, and Ed Roland of Collective Soul.
A poster for a concert honoring former WMMR host Pierre Robert, who died unexpectedly last month.
Robert, 70, was found dead in his Gladwyne home on Oct. 29 after failing to show up for his midday show. The cause of Robert’s death was not disclosed and officials don’t plan to release additional information. Caroline Beasley, the CEO of WMMR’s parent company, Beasley Media Group, said foul play was not suspected.
“Everything seemed to be natural,” Preston Elliot said on air following Robert’s death. “It just appears he passed overnight.”
Robert was a musical institution in Philadelphia, where he spent 44 years on the air sharing his deep love of classic rock and expressing a humanity that touched musicians and listeners across the county.
“He was truly irreplaceable and his passing will leave a big hole especially in the local music community,” Hooters singer and cofounder Rob Hyman said. “Pierre was that ‘good citizen’ who will be missed by all.”
Pierre Robert’s annual Thanksgiving Day show will continue this year, hosted by his former producers.
With Thanksgiving approaching, WMMR plans to keep Robert’s annual Turkey Day show alive with a midday show anchored by Ryan Shuttleworth and featuring a collection of the rock host’s former producers — Kevin Gunn, Michael Anthony Thompson, Nick McIlwain, Jason Fehon, and Chris “Pancake” Ashcraft.
And yes, that means a heaping spoonful of Arlo Guthrie’s “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree,” the folk singer’s 18-minute opus. Expect to hear three versions of the song, including the even-longer 25th anniversary edition, which will be played at noon.
WASHINGTON — National Public Radio will receive approximately $36 million in grant money to operate the nation’s public radio interconnection system under the terms of a court settlement with the federal government’s steward of funding for public broadcasting stations.
The settlement, announced late Monday, partially resolves a legal dispute in which NPR accused the Corporation for Public Broadcasting of bowing to pressure from President Donald Trump to cut off its funding.
On March 25, Trump said at a news conference that he would “love to” defund NPR and PBS because he believes they are biased in favor of Democrats.
NPR accused the CPB of violating its First Amendment free speech rights when it moved to cut off its access to grant money appropriated by Congress. NPR also claims Trump, a Republican, wants to punish it for the content of its journalism.
On April 2, the CPB’s board initially approved a three-year, roughly $36 million extension of a grant for NPR to operate the “interconnection” satellite system for public radio. NPR has been operating and managing the Public Radio Satellite System since 1985.
But corporation officials reversed course and announced that the federal funds would go to a entity called Public Media Infrastructure. NPR claimed the CPB was under mounting pressure from the Trump administration when the agency redirected the money to PMI, a media coalition that didn’t exist and wasn’t statutorily authorized to receive the funds.
CPB attorneys denied that the agency retaliated against NPR to appease Trump. They had argued that NPR’s claims are factually and legally meritless.
On May 1, Trump issued an executive order that called for federal agencies to stop funding for NPR and PBS. The settlement doesn’t end a lawsuit in which NPR seeks to block any implementation or enforcement of Trump’s executive order. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss is scheduled to preside over another hearing for the case on Dec. 4.
The settlement says NPR and CPB agree that the executive order is unconstitutional and that CPB won’t enforce it unless a court orders it to do so.
NPR, meanwhile, agreed to drop its request for a court order blocking CPB from disbursing funds to PMI under a separate grant agreement.
Katherine Maher, NPR’s president and CEO, said the settlement is “a victory for editorial independence and a step toward upholding the First Amendment rights of NPR and the public media system.”
Patricia Harrison, the corporation’s CEO, said CPB is pleased that the litigation is over “and that our investment in the future through PMI marks an exciting new era for public media.”
On Aug. 1, CPB announced it would take steps toward closing itself down after being defunded by Congress.
This week in Philly music kicks off in Fishtown with six-time Grammy nominee Leon Thomas, continues in Atlantic City with a Brandy and Monica throwback pop double bill, and continues in North Philly with rising R&B singer and Justin Bieber producer Dijon.
Austin, Texas, hard rock band Die Spitz play the First Unitarian Church on Wednesday.
Wednesday, Nov. 19
Die Spitz
The music gets started on Wednesday with the four women of Austin, Texas. hard rock foursome Die Spitz, who recorded their unrelenting new album Something to Consume at Studio 4 in Conshohocken with producer Will Yip. Boone, N.C., queer punk duo Babe Haven opens. (8 p.m., First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., r5productions.com)
Leon Thomas
There weren’t a lot of surprises among the big names with the most nominations when the Grammys were announced this month. Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga topped the list, but Leon Thomas, who got six nods along with Bad Bunny and Sabrina Carpenter, was the surprise underdog.
The crooner and producer, who got his start as a Broadway child actor and star of Nickelodeon’s Victorious, is up for album of the year for Mutt, as well as best new artist and R&B performance for his viral NPR Tiny Desk version of the album’s title song — in which he compares himself unfavorably to a dog. His “Mutts Don’t Heel” tour comes to the Fillmore on Wednesday. (8 p.m., the Fillmore, 29 E. Allen St., livenation.com)
Also: There’s live music at Old City vinyl listening room 48 Record Bar. James Everhart of Cosmic Guilt teams with New York songwriter Keenan O’Meara on Wednesday; Hannah Taylor sings and Jake Zubkoff plays keys on Sunday.
Hannah Cohen plays Johnny Brenda’s on Thursday. Her new album is “Earthstar Mountain.”
Thursday, Nov. 20
Hannah Cohen
Hannah Cohen’s Earthstar Mountain is a dreamy, pastoral album that also delivers a sweet kick. She recorded it with producer partner Sam Evian at their studio in a barn in upstate New York. With Sufjan Stevens and Clairo guesting, it’s a 2025 standout releaser. (Salami Rose Joe Louis opens. 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 Frankford Ave., johnnybrendas.com)
The New Mastersounds
British funkateers the New Mastersounds are saying goodbye — at least for a while. The band whose tight Hammond organ-heavy soul-jazz sound bears the influences of Philly keyboard greats Jimmy Smith and Jimmy McGriff, plays its “Ta-Ta for Now” tour on Thursday. (8 p.m., Ardmore Music Hall, 23 E. Lancaster Ave., Ardmore, tixr.com)
Now, Gallo has a new album that takes him in a more personal direction, called Checkmate, his second on the Kill Rock Stars label. It’s filled with subtly evocative folk-flavored, even jazzy, music that detours from the bruising garage rock he’s become known for. Gallo plays Free at Noon at Ardmore Music Hall. (Noon, Ardmore Music Hall, eventbrite.com)
Brandy and Monica performing in Indianapolis in October on “The Boy Is Mine Tour,” which comes to Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall on Saturday.
Bar Italia
This month’s edition of David Pianka’s Making Time dance party has an intriguing live band headliner in Bar Italia, the London-based trio named after an iconic Soho coffee bar. The band’s new album, Some Like It Hot, wears the influence of Brit-pop band Pulp on its sleeve. New York rock band Voyeur also plays, along with sets by Dave P., Mario Cotto, Shai FM, and K Wata. (9 p.m., Warehouse on Watts, 923 N. Watts St., wowphilly.com)
Stinking Lizaveta
Longstanding West Philly doom metal trio Stinking Lizaveta‘s name was inspired by a character in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov. The band released its 1996 album Hopelessness and Shame — recorded by the late Steve Albini — on vinyl for the first time this March. On Friday, they headline Johnny Brenda’s with Deathbird Earth and Channls. (8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 Frankford Ave., johnnybrendas.com)
Tom Morello
Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello plays the Music Box at the Borgata in Atlantic City. It will be an agit-pop act of resistance in a hotel casino within earshot of chiming slot machines. Morello’s repertoire is made up of roiling Rage songs, Woody Guthrie, MC5, and John Lennon and Yoko Ono covers, plus originals in his rabble-rousing folk singer mode as the Nightwatchman. He’ll have a full band behind him, plus the help of San Diego hip-hop group the Neighborhood Kids as his special guests. (9 p.m., Music Box at the Borgata, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, ticketmaster.com)
Saturday, Nov. 22
Mo Lowda & the Humble
Philly quarter Mo Lowda & the Humble closes out a five-month North American tour for its new album, Tailing the Ghost, with a hometown show. (8 p.m., Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St., utphilly.com)
Brandy and Monica
Back in 1988, Brandy and Monica played out a feud over a dude in the worldwide hit “The Boy Is Mine,” which was cowritten and coproduced by South Jersey’s Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins. Twenty-seven years later, the pop-R&B singers are on a concert tour together that also features Destiny’s Child’s Kelly Rowland, Muni Long, and 2025 American Idol winner Jamal Roberts. The tour is presented by the Black Promoters Collective. (8 p.m., Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, 2301 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, boardwalkhall.com)
Grammy-nominated singer and producer Dijon plays the Met Philly on Sunday.
Sunday, Nov. 23
Dijon
Dijon released his debut Absolutely in 2021 and has quickly made his mark. He regularly works with Mk.gee, the guitarist and songwriter with whom he shares a twitchy, low-fi sensibility. He’s also teamed with Bon Iver and Justin Bieber and is up for producer of the year and album of the year at the Grammys. Sometimes, he sounds like Prince.
His new album Baby! is a joyous, shape-shifting adventure. Two measures of how hip he is at the moment: He’s among the musicians with roles in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, and on Dec. 6 will be musical guest on Saturday Night Live. He plays the Met Philly on Sunday. (8 p.m., Met Philly, 858 N. Broad St., ticketmaster.com)
Amy LaVere and Will Sexton
Memphis wife-and-husband duo Amy LaVere and Will Sexton are Americana artists who specialize in a brand of smoky Southern noir, perhaps best exemplified by LaVere’s “Killing Him,” about trying to rid oneself of a bad boyfriend only to find that he comes back to haunt you. (8 p.m., 118 North, 118 N. Wayne Ave., Wayne, tixr.com)
Those watching the Eagles’ winning matchup against the Detroit Lions on Sunday may have caught a glimpse of something absolutely “thrillifying.”
As the NBC Sunday Night Football broadcast headed to a commercial break, hosts pointed out a flyover view of Philadelphia’s iconic Boathouse Row. Only this time, the boathouses along the Schuylkill were lit up in pink and green.
Announcers said the special color treatment was brought to viewers by Wicked: For Good, the anticipated musical-to-film finale starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande (plus West Philly’s own Colman Domingo as the Cowardly Lion).
On social media, viewers were surprised and delighted by the marketing play.
“What do you mean ‘Wicked: For Good’ sponsored by Boathouse Row?” one X user wrote. “Boathouse Row being lit up in Wicked colors is HUGE for my brand,” said another.
It marks the latest effort in the film’s megamarketing campaign, which has ranged from Wicked dolls, to deodorant, to laundry detergent, to make up kits, to Swiffers, to cereal, and everything in between. Truly, no stone has been left un-greenified. And now that approach appears to extend to extremely hyperlocal stops, like Boathouse Row.
It also appears to be Boathouse Row’s first foray into paid movie promotions.
So how did this all pan out? And does it mean Wicked has paid the Fairmount Park Conservatory and Boathouse Row a boatload of sponsorship dollars?
Here’s what we know.
How do the Boathouse Row lights work?
The Boathouse Row lights debuted in 1979 and quickly became a beloved feature along the stretch of 19th-century historic homes. The strip is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 2005, the homes transitioned to LED lights, according to the Fairmount Park Conservancy, which manages Boathouse Row. In 2023, the homes temporarily went dark as part of a $2 million refurbishing project. They were re-lit in March 2024.
According to the conservancy’s website, 6,400 individual LED lights are installed along 10 of the historic boathouses. The light configurations, which were installed by Philly-based firm The Lighting Practice can make 16 million color combinations.
Can anyone make a Boathouse Row light change request?
Surprisingly, yes.
After the homes’ lighting upgrades, Boathouse Row announced that seemingly anyone could become a “Boathouse Row Lighting Partner,” and make a special request in exchange for payment to the Fairmount Park Conservancy.
Of course, the conservancy gets first right of refusal, and there are some exceptions. According to its website, political events and observances, campaigns that conflict with City of Philadelphia laws, religious figures or organizations, and campaigns or events deemed “inappropriate” will not be considered.
You can also check on Boathouse Row’s website to see what color the lights are each day.
How much does a special lighting request cost?
It depends on the level of razzle-dazzle and its duration.
According to Boathouse Row’s website, prices range from $750 to $2,500 per day, depending on the display’s complexity. Fees go directly to the Boathouse Row’s ongoing maintenance. The limit for a display is one week.
How much did Wicked pay Boathouse Row to go green and pink?
It’s unclear exactly how much the Wicked display costs. The lighting scheme aired during Sunday’s broadcast. In reality, that B-roll was filmed in advance on Friday evening, a spokesperson with the Fairmount Park Conservancy said. It lasted about 20 minutes.
The conservancy declined to disclose the exact amount NBC paid. Wicked is a Universal film, which is under the NBC and Comcast umbrella. NBC also broadcasts Sunday Night Football.
Have other movies or marketing campaigns worked with Boathouse Row before?
It looks like this is the first movie campaign.
“We don’t think it’s ever been done before,” conservancy spokesperson Cari Feiler Bender said.
But there are no other mentions of entertainment-related tributes. (This week’s Wicked tribute did not make the row’s Instagram feed, which posts light color updates.)
Boathouse Row has traditionally lit up in color schemes to celebrate local teams or to observe special causes like breast cancer, Alzheimer’s awareness, and Pride months.
The spokesperson added that Boathouse Row would welcome future marketing partnerships to “help keep the lights on.”
“Home for the Holidays,” on Dec. 2, will feature holiday classics like Sleigh Ride, “The Christmas Song,” and “O Holy Night,” as well as classical works, such as David Ludwig’s Hanukkah Cantata.
The performance will be recorded by WHYY for radio and TV broadcast and streaming later in the month.
The event is another in a series dubbed Pipe Up! programmed in the space vacated by Macy’s in March. Philadelphia philanthropist Frederick R. Haas donated $1 million to help keep the Grand Court and Greek Hall open and accessible to the public with concerts, films, and other activities in the span of a few months before building owner TF Cornerstone begins renovations on the building early next year.
Separately, responsibility for the holiday Light Show and Dickens Village have passed from Macy’s to a partnership of the Philadelphia Visitor Center and TF Cornerstone. Both Christmastime attractions open this year on Friday, Nov. 28, and are expected to be placed on pause for 2026 and 2027 during construction.
The Dec. 2 concert will be led by conductor Geoffrey McDonald, and features the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra and Chorus. Soprano Leah Hawkins will perform, as will the opera company’s general director and president, countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo. Philly-based creative design agency 10th Floor Productions will craft and project art onto the Grand Court as the music is performed.
In addition, the former Macy’s space will host a Christmas Market starting on Black Friday, as well as pop-up food service offering snacks, craft beers, and holiday fare.
More Pipe Up! events are being planned and are expected to be announced soon, a spokesperson said.
“Home for the Holidays,” Dec. 2, 8 p.m., Wanamaker Building, 13th and Market Sts. Pick Your Price tickets starting at $11 go on sale on Thursday at operaphila.org. The concert will be broadcast Dec. 23, 8 p.m. on WHYY TV12, WHYY radio (90.9 FM), and via whyy.org.
Marathon weekend is finally here and while the races are unquestionably the main event, runners and spectators alike look forward to seeing fun signs along the route.
However, there are some exceptions. “There are two signs people hate,” said Gary Brown Jr., founder and co-leader of the local running group Chasing Trail Philadelphia, “‘You're almost there’, especially when you're at, like, you know, Mile 13, and then ‘Worst parade ever’.”
As a city, let’s not add to Gary’s list. Use our sign generator to get some ideas.
What kind of sign are you going for?
What type of sign do you want to make?
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If you have other ideas or see a particularly creative sign, drop us a line at interactives@inquirer.com.
Marathon weekend can look chaotic — thousands of runners, crowds along the Parkway, and traffic everywhere — but it can also be one of the most fun, kid-friendly days in Philadelphia.
Between the Nemours Children’s Run, the Health and Fitness Expo, easy cheering spots, and plenty of stroller-friendly food stops, there’s a lot for families to enjoy without getting overwhelmed.
Here’s how to navigate the Philadelphia Marathon with kids in tow.
📍 Eakins Oval (22nd St. & Benjamin Franklin Parkway)
Kids run age-specific, short-distance dashes along the Parkway and get an event T-shirt, a finisher medal, and special goodies.
Nothing is timed, so the emphasis is fun. Children may only run in their age group, and each child is limited to one race. A parent or guardian must be present, but adults can’t run with the kids.
Come early. Before the races, kids can enjoy:
sports zone (football, baseball, basketball, soccer)
Runners on Walnut Street in Center City during the 2024 Philadelphia Marathon Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024.
Best viewing spots with kids
The marathon route stretches across Center City, Fairmount, and Manayunk. These spots are easiest for families:
Chestnut Street at Mile 1: High-energy, big crowds, and runners come through early — good for short attention spans. There’s room on side streets for stroller parking.
34th Street / University City (around Mile 5 and Mile 13): Wide sidewalks, walkable from the Parkway, and you can catch runners twice here if you hustle.
Manayunk’s Main Street (Miles 19–21): The loudest, most festive part of the race — think music, costumes, cowbells. Great for older kids; may feel crowded for toddlers.
Kelly Drive (Miles 22–24): Quieter stretch with room to spread out. Better for small kids and families who want to avoid packed sidewalks.
Cheering tip for kids: Have them call out runners’ names from their bibs — runners light up when a kid yells their name.
Getting Around: Transit, biking, and parking for families
Getting to the start/finish near the Art Museum is doable — especially with public transit.
SEPTA (big perk for parents)
Children 11 and under ride free with a fare-paying adult. Buses that usually stop near the Parkway (7, 32, 33, 38, 43, 48, 49) may be detoured. Check SEPTA’s System Status before you head out.
Regional Rail is helpful if you’re heading to Manayunk to cheer between Miles 19 and 21.
Driving & parking
Road closures are extensive, so expect detours and delays. If you plan to drive with kids, park early.
Amanda Carter and her children, Quinn, 3, and Cameron, 5, pose for a photo at 16th and Arch Streets at the start of the 2024 Philadelphia Marathon Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. The kids had masks with dad Ron Carter’s face. They’re from New York City and this is Ron’s first marathon. Amanda who had done three, says “’m usually the one running.”
Kid-friendly sign ideas
If your kid needs inspiration, try:
You’re super fast! Like superhero fast!
Don’t stop! You’re almost at the snacks!
Run like you’re chasing the ice cream truck!
Go Birds! (And go YOU!)
My arms are tired from holding this sign!
My mom trained for months — I made this sign in five minutes!
Or have them tap through our Sign Generator for more options.
The gyros platter from Moustaki.
Where to eat with kids along the route
Whether you need a quick warm-up or a post-race reward, we rounded up 10 family-friendly places along (or just off) the course — from dumplings and giant slices to pancakes, burgers, and big dining rooms made for strollers.
“Jefferson How We Adore Thee” will be released to the university community at its annual gala Tuesday. The university held a contest during its bicentennial last year, and Barden’s piece was selected from dozens of entries, the school said.
Elizabeth Avril Barden, a customer-experience specialist at Jefferson Health Plans and recent summa cum laude graduate of Thomas Jefferson University, has written the school’s first alma mater song in its 201-year history. “Jefferson How We Adore Thee” will be released to the university community at a gala on Tuesday.
“Elizabeth really captured the essence of the Jefferson community,” said Jefferson President Susan C. Aldridge “Learning, collaborating and innovating are all part of our collective DNA and I couldn’t be happier that we finally have an alma mater which captures who we are as a university as we venture into our third century.”
Jefferson has had a handful of songs that students have written over the years and a processional theme that launched in 1974, but never an official alma mater song, said F. Michael Angelo, Jefferson archivist.
One reason could be that at its founding in 1824, Jefferson was a medical college and over the years evolved into a university. But it was always medically focused until the school merged with the former Philadelphia University, best known for its design, engineering, and health science programs, in 2017.
“Philadelphia University, as far as we can tell through their archives, never had an alma mater song, either,” Angelo said.
Barden, 32, who received her bachelor’s degree in Health Services Management from Jefferson this year, said a colleague encouraged her to enter the contest. She has written about 30 songs, she said, so it wasn’t an off-the-grid venture.
It took her just 25 minutes to write the lyrics and music for the one minute, 55-second piece, she said.
“If you’re creative, you just flow,” she said. “You flow like water because it’s already in you, and you don’t have to overthink what’s already in you.”
And with the help of producer Keegan Myers, who played the music while Barden sang, the chorus goes:
It’s the Jefferson strong and true, where innovation leads us through. Together we achieve our best, as we prepare for what’s next.
“In every step I was taking at the university, it was preparing me for the next level of life,” she said.
Barden has been singing in front of people since age 2 and wroteher first song at 7, she said. Her parents, both Christian pastors originally from Haiti, encouraged her musical talent as she grew up in Brooklyn surrounded by gospel music, she said.
“Me and my six siblings, we were essentially the choir,” she said.
In high school, she won a song-writing contest and got to meet Grammy-winning R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan, who, she said, encouraged her to keep writing. She had written her high school’s alma mater song, too. And when she was a student at Delaware County Community College, she sang the national anthem at two ceremonies.
“Any school I go to, I want to leave a piece of me there,” she said. “Music to me is connection. That’s how I connect to people.”
For winning the Jefferson contest, she received a $200 gift card to the school bookstore, lunch with Aldridge, and a Jefferson mug.
“But the greatest gift was my name being attached to this alma mater song,” she said.
Barden said her aim in writing the song was to give Jefferson a gift.
“Jefferson gave me a lot,” she said, including a scholarship. “There were moments where I needed to talk to professors because life was happening. They were always kind and patient with me.”
Barden attended community college in New York after high school, but left when she got pregnant. When she moved to Philadelphia in 2016, she enrolled at Job Corps and then moved on to the Delaware County college. She continued on to Jefferson, while raising her four children, now ages 2 to 13.
In 2023, she began working there, too. Her job entails focusing on the patient experience and helping patients navigate the system.
“For the most part, I’m kind of like a clean-up person,” Barden said.
She’s currently enrolled in a dual program at Bryn Mawr College and Jefferson to obtain her master’s degrees in social service and public health. She plans to become a licensed clinical social worker and to incorporate music therapy into her work.
As part of her studies, she’s doing research on how music therapy can help those suffering from post-traumatic stress.
“I do believe that the incorporation of music,” she said, “has the ability to communicate with anyone … and help them learn how to cope.”
