South students attended a concert at the Cedar Cultural Center this past Wednesday, the ninet

eenth. The band, called Movits! came all the way from Lulea, Sweden to play in the local venue’s annual Global Roots Festival.

Although the lyrics were almost entirely in Swedish, students still seemed to enjoy Movits!; unique fusion of swing and rap. The four piece group is made up of a lead singer, saxophonist, trombone player, and a dj. The group jumped around as they played because, as saxophone player Joakim Nilsson said, “the music is really hard to stand still to.”

The trip was sponsored by Project Success, an organization that works with middle and high schools in the Twin Cities. As is outlined in their mission statement, Project Success “motivates and inspires middle and high school students to dream about their futures and helps them take steps to get there.” Representatives from the organization are familiar faces around South, doing monthly in-class visits.

Another function of the program is to partner with local performing arts program in order to select and set up events, like this concert, for students. As part of the “inspire” aspect of their goal, Project Success looks for bands that “will tell their story and how they came to be performers,” said Paige Ware, the Theater Partnership Associate.

Movits! accommodated this, drawing laughs from students as they described growing up in Sweden. Each member also described their path to becoming a musician and the time they have put into their careers. Their experiences of playing around the world and an appearance on the Colbert Report provided plenty to motivate students.

Project Success recommends students keep an eye on their mail and check with their in-class representatives for upcoming opportunities like this one. Free tickets are often offered for events at local venues, from the Guthrie to the Mixed Blood Theater.