Bandspace is EEAC’s 360° music and artist-development program, giving young musicians the opportunity to form bands, develop their sound and identity, perform live, create and sell merchandise, and write and record original music.

BANDSPACE IN ACTION

• Three consecutive 1st Place wins at the Southampton Youth Bureau Battle of the Bands — 2024, 2025 & 2026
• 3rd Place finishes at Battle of the Bands — 2025 & 2026
• 1st Place winners at Hamptons Got Talent and North Fork’s Got Talent
• Performances at The Suffolk, Alive on 25, Ziggy’s Music Room and Agawam Park
• Real-world experience in live performance, songwriting, recording, artist identity and merchandise
• Students design and produce their own band merchandise, learning firsthand about the creative and business sides of music
• Access to EEAC’s recording studio and collaborations with EEAC’s print shop
• Led by Chris Jones, a mentor with Berklee College of Music and Hamptons Got Talent.

Bandspace grew out of EEAC’s former youth performance program, EEA Rocks, previously directed by renowned bassist Bakithi Kumalo. When Chris Jones took over in 2023, he began expanding the program beyond rehearsing and performing, creating Bandspace as an accessible entry point where young musicians could meet, play together and form bands. Today, the entire program is Bandspace. From first rehearsal to live performance, songwriting and recording to photography, merchandise and creative identity, everything now lives under one name and one 360° approach—giving musicians the tools, mentorship and real-world experience to build a band and make it their own.

Chris Jones is a composer, musician, sound designer and EEAC Faculty-in-Residence whose work spans live performance, recording, television and the arts. His music has appeared on programs including American Idol and The Voice, and he has performed at venues ranging from CBGB and the Knitting Factory to Kaufman Music Center, Tilles Center and The Roxy. A mentor with Berklee College of Music and Hamptons Got Talent, Jones brings decades of professional and creative experience to Bandspace, helping young musicians develop not only as performers, but as collaborative, independent artists.