LAS CRUCES, N.M. –– Commutes to Phoenix, El Paso and Albuquerque are common for Las Crucians to see their favorite musical artists, but Valley Sessions is working to change that by boosting the local music scene.
Ryan M. Robson, a New Mexico State University film department alumnus, started Valley Sessions in 2022. It is a business to make music videos but has since evolved to include a yearly music festival, an event Robson said happened accidentally.
“Whenever we shoot the music video, or a live session, with one of our musicians that are a part of the Valley Sessions lineup for the year, I always ask them to come back to Las Cruces,” Robson said.
At their latest festival at The Hood, 10 out of the 11 featured artists said yes to coming back, including Jezreel Lasala from the El Paso group called the “PIE Sisters.”
“Some people need to understand, coming out and supporting means a lot more than they realize,” Lasala said. “Even if it’s coming and supporting for free, that still matters.”
Beyond bringing new artists to Las Cruces, Valley Sessions aims to create opportunities for aspiring filmmakers, businesses and locals.
“I think the project as a whole has always been a gift to Las Cruces,” Robson said.
Robson hopes the community continues to support so the music festival can become a big, annual event for the city.
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