All Ages

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The Friends For A_Dog Foundation, The Burlington Music Dojo and Higher Ground, proudly present, Learning to Fly **Live**, our fifth annual student spotlight showcase! All proceeds from the event will benefit “Learning to Fly”, a scholarship program bringing music lessons to Vermont youth each year.

Join us at Higher Ground on Sunday November 8 th , for a night supporting local music, youth, and community and performances from our scholarship winners & LTF music program graduates!

Introducing our 2026 LTF Student-Spotlight Performers:

Piper Hall

Piper Hall is a singer, songwriter born and raised in rural East Hardwick, Vermont. Her alt pop style has undertones of Americana and Country, while her songwriting reflects her experiences growing up in a rural small town. For the past 4 years, she has been performing at coffee shops, restaurants, farmers markets, and other intimate performance venues. She recorded her first single, “U Happy?”, in Nashville with producer Keegan Ferrell, a contestant on NBC’s The Voice. And has since gone on to work with Josh Gold at the Basement Studio in Boston, where she’s busy working on new music all the time! In May of 2025, she was awarded a scholarship from Learning to Fly to further study guitar with teacher Gina Glenbowski at the Burlington Music Dojo. And most recently, Piper won best solo act at Sonic Future’s Battle of the Bands and is excited to perform a set at Higher Ground in Burlington in May of 2026.

Check her out on Instagram @piperhallmusic for the latest updates on new releases coming soon! And you can stream her music on all streaming platforms.

Avalon Murray feat. Evelin Murray

Avalon (16) and Evelin Murray (14) are sisters from Colchester, VT.

Avalon is a junior in high school. She has been playing percussion since her music teacher put a drum in her hands in 3rd grade. During middle school, Avalon performed in Band and Jazz Band. As she’s progressed and explored her options in high school, she’s performed in the Concert Band, Pep Band, Pit Orchestra, Variety Night, District III Band, and this year she’s taken on a new challenge in her school’s Wind Ensemble. Aside from those music accomplishments, Avalon has also been performing in chorus since 5th grade, and now, as a junior in high school, she’s added many different levels of chorus to her repertoire to include Concert Choir, Chorale, Chamber Choir, District III Chorus, All State, and, new this year, Madrigal Festival. One of her secret talents, though, is that she loves to beatbox. Evelin is a freshman & has also been performing in chorus since 5th grade. While she may still be working on her musical resume, so far in her career she’s been involved with her middle school’s Chorus, Concert Choir, and District III Chorus. As a freshman, she’s exploring all the arts available to her. This includes the Freshman Chorus and the high school’s Fall Musical, Jasper in Deadland. While she’s not singing on stage or dabbling in theater, you can find her in the dance studio. Evelin has been doing ballet at Vermont Ballet Theater School since age ten. Now a ballet VII and in Senior Company, she has had the pleasure of performing in The Nutcracker at The Flynn, going on six years. Both girls have been performing together their entire lives and enjoy opportunities to share their talents with those around them!

About Learning to Fly:

The Learning to Fly program was launched in 2020 by the Friends for A_Dog Foundation and The Burlington Music Dojo, to help bring music lessons to underserved youth in Vermont. Awarded a grant from Phish’s Mockingbird and Waterwheel Foundations from over a thousand applicants nationwide, the program has been an amazing success. Now in its 5th year, the program has awarded TWENTY-FIVE total scholarships, offering a year of tuition-free lessons at The Burlington Music Dojo. The Program has seen amazing local and national support from sponsors like; Higher Ground, Soundtoys, Hartke and Samson.

You can support the program directly by donating to the FFA_D Foundation or visiting The Burlington Music Dojo website and by attending purchasing tickets for this special event!!

About the Friends for A_Dog Foundation:

Founded in honor of the late, famed Burlington turntablist and skateboarder, Andy “A_Dog” Williams, the non-profit Foundation has been a pillar of community support and outreach in the Burlington area and beyond for over a decade through its numerous youth programs and annual “A_Dog Day” celebration. You can learn more and donate here:

https://www.friendsforadog.org

About The Burlington Music Dojo:

Founded in 2013 and located in the heart of the South End Arts District, the Dojo offers music lessons of all types with a host of wonderful independent instructors, as well as shared creative space for rehearsals and recording. You can learn more here:

https://www.burlingtonmusicdojo.com