Mad Soul Music Festival brings Central Florida community together through music and advocacy
Music and activism came together at Loch Haven Park on Saturday for the Mad Soul music festival.
The festival, organized by Florida Congressman Maxwell Frost, brought together bands and organizations from across Central Florida and the United States to raise awareness for issues, like registering to vote.
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Other organizations represented at the festival were supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, common sense gun legislation, black health commission and many more.
After a local high school choir sung a rousing rendition from “Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda joined them on stage with a message of hope.
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“There are times like right where we can come together because of music and we can come together in hope, and when I see you sing I have hope, when I see all of you out here singing along – I have hope that we can make a better world – because democracy is on the line and we really need you to vote,” said Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Nearly 1,000 music fans came out to show their support for the bands, enjoy food from local food trucks and get involved in their community.
Something Rep Frost, a drummer himself, told WFTV power of music is force that can bring the community together.
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“Mad Soul is a combination of advocacy, music, politics and the work we are involved in. The festival is about music bringing us together, and once they’re here we are going to activate people, get the engaged and to vote,” said festival organizer Congressman Maxwell Frost.
The festival also featured speakers from across the country including New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Brandon Wolf, Florida State Rep Anna Eskami and Montana State Representative Zooey Zephyr, who encouraged kids to find their passion in life.
“Find your passion – lower case P – find your passions, chase them… are they not hurting people? Probably a good passion. And chase them like they are the more beautiful important thing in the world because what you find is that you will build a life you can be proud of. Build a passion and if you do that you find yourself in a community with so many different people,” said Montana State Rep Zooey Zephyr.
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