The Gate

The Gate provides a safe place for young people to listen to and perform the music that they love. The concert venue features music of local amateur bands and artists as well as nationally-known professional bands and artists. As the largest safe, alcohol- and drug-free venue for youth-oriented concerts in Bakersfield, The Gate concert site gives hundreds of kids a place of enjoyment without the negative trappings that so often surround the music scene.

The Gate extends to emerging composers, performers, and audio technicians professionally-equipped settings in which to cultivate and refine their craft. The programs offer unique learning opportunities for young people to develop the skills needed for success in the music world and success in life. Experienced musicians volunteer as mentors to train and guide the youth through the multifaceted aspects of the music business while also fostering learning of invaluable life skills such as teamwork, resolution of creative differences, and communication. As mentors build friendships with the young people through their shared interests in the arts, they not only provide expert training, but influence them to make positive choices of character, values, and behavior. These caring relationships have profoundly and positively impacted countless young people and have dramatically turned lives around.