The Cipher Mixes In

It’s SXSW season again here in Austin, which means three things:

1. Too many things to see and do, not enough time to see and do it all
2. Forget about parking anywhere NEAR downtown.
3. Babysitters of the city will be overbooked as parents battle for just one night to enjoy the sounds of the season.

This year is no different, but there is one exception: The Cipher will be making their SXSW debut!

The only official youth-geared event of the SXSW Interactive Festival, The Cipher will perform hip hop-inspired spoken word and poetry at Café Mundi.

Being invited to an event of this stature may not mean much to veteran performers, but for the young Cipher artists, it is a life-changing experience. The teens are not published poets, seasoned singers, or rappers with five CDs under their belts. In fact, producers, filmmakers, and industry movers probably won’t be going anywhere near the neighborhoods the Cipher youths are from.

If you don’t already know by now, SXSW is a music, film, and interactive conference and festival event that brings in over 7,000 people to Austin every March. Everyone will be listening; it’s an opportunity to be heard. Luckily, The Cipher members have a lot to say.

“To be included in an event like this is really breaking down the walls,” said Shannon Sandrea, Program Director.

Hosted by Ypulse, a media platform for youth media and marketing professionals, the all-ages mixer will showcase how hip hop fuels The Cipher. Hip hop is their way of life, not just a market forecast for the next quarter. It has bonded the youths, it has educated them, and it has reached them in a way no other “trend” can.

Of all the unique activities going on around town during March madness, this is one event where the performers will gain more from it than the audience will. Also performing is Austin’s own teen band, Blues Mafia.

The show is open to the public, which means, forget the babysitter – just bring the kids! And experience this year’s SXSW season together.