AUSTIN, Texas -- A teenage victim of the Austin serial bombings was laid to rest Saturday.
While family and friends grieved the loss of Draylen Mason, a group of young musicians remembered him a different way.
Just a few weeks ago the young musicians of the band Vibing Souls were living their lives carefree, making music they loved.
"We’re just a bunch of youth that love music that get together and we get to perform at places like the Urban Fest," band member Leslie McCrary said.
But when the Austin Bombings took one of their own, they knew that their annual performance at the Urban Music Festival would take on a new meaning.
"It’s rocky because it’s like I just saw this dude yesterday. It’s also celebratory because we’re celebrating a good person, we’re celebrating an amazing person, a talented person and we just want to uplift him and make him proud,” one member said.
The young artists of Vibing Soul, a band that featured bombing victim Draylen Mason on bass guitar, put on this show just hours after saying their final goodbyes. Soul Tree Collective Coordinator Charles "Mista Swift" Phillips said he admires the children for their strength.
"They’ve endured a lot today because right before we came here, we were at his funeral," Phillips said. "These are probably some of the strongest kids I’ve ever met."
That strength prompted Vibing Souls to dedicate their performance to their former bass guitarist. Their goal was to bring Mason’s playful spirit to the Urban Music Festival audience through their music.
"He was so fun he always made jokes," McCrary said. "He made it a lighter atmosphere."
"Draylen was the kind of cat that he affected everybody that he was around," Phillips said. "He was truly a one of a kind individual that was put on this earth to make it a better place."
The young musicians of Vibing Soul would argue that even at the young age of 17, Draylon Mason did just that. If you want to learn more about Vibing Soul and The Soul Tree Collective, visit their website at www.SoulTreeCollective.org.