The Visit Dallas program “Dallas Sound Amplified” is part busking initiative and part professional development for up-and-coming artists.

DALLAS — As Spring arrives in Downtown Dallas, music will soon be in the air. 

For the second year, the Dallas Sounds Amplified program will place up-and-coming artists as buskers on corners in the city with high foot traffic — areas including not just downtown, but also Deep Ellum and Bishop Arts. 

The goal is to uplift young artists by giving them the opportunity to perform and connect them with professional development opportunities and paid corporate gigs. It also brings life to the city’s streets and helps advance the musical reputation of Dallas, organizers said.

“To me it is really about getting the word out that we are a music city much like Nashville or Austin,” said Director of the Dallas Music Office and Head of Cultural Tourism at Visit Dallas Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart. “Music ecosystem-wise, we can definitely compete. It’s just that no one knows.” 

The number of musicians — and their audience — is bigger than ever this year. With the FIFA World Cup bringing tens of thousands more international visitors to the Metroplex, Kirkenaer-Hart has nearly doubled the number of musicians in this year’s program to 31.

“To be totally honest, I marveled at the level of talent we had for the auditions,” she said. 

Those auditions last month at the Kessler Theater in Bishop Arts saw artists perform genres ranging from rock ’n’ roll to R&B, and from pop to blues. 

“I just want to network and be the best performer that I can be and I think this program specifically is amazing for that,” said Malachi Vasquez, who auditioned and was selected for the program. “I think if I do end up landing this opportunity it will be life-changing.” 

Kirkenaer-Hart also works to connect the selected artists with industry professionals for networking opportunities and lessons on “making it” as an artist. 

“We get them through the door maybe a little quicker,” she said. “They then graduate from the program and they have the confidence to speak to these industry professionals and go out and advocate for themselves.”

It’s a leg up the artists appreciate. 

“There’s a business side to music and then there’s that talent — and not everyone has that business side down,” said Rylin Rivas, who was also selected to play in the program. “This is one of the places that, if they see the talent, they’ll get you out there.” 

The artists in the program will begin busking in the coming weeks — and Visit Dallas plans to have a showcase of the entire lineup in May.Â