The project "Somos Sur: Music for Civic Engagement" was created as a youth-driven initiative aimed at empowering and engaging young people living in the southern periphery of Madrid through music, specifically focusing on youth who face challenging circumstances or vulnerability. It emerged from the recognition that traditional civic engagement methods often fail to resonate with young individuals, leaving them feeling excluded and disconnected from civic life. Our previous experience organizing rap battles showed music’s powerful capacity to draw young people together, amplify their voices, and encourage active civic participation. Our overarching aim was to use music as a transformative tool, empowering youth to become actively engaged citizens while fostering personal growth, social inclusion, and civic responsibility within their communities. Specific Objectives: Skill development and creative expression: We aimed to provide young participants aged 15 to 30 with practical music-related skills such as songwriting, singing, instrument playing, and music production. These skills were designed not only to enhance their creative expression but also to build their confidence and facilitate personal development. Civic engagement and social impact: A central objective was to inspire and enable youth to participate actively in civic life, using music as a platform to discuss and tackle societal challenges such as social justice, gender equality, and local community issues. By fostering this civic-minded artistic expression, participants could better understand their roles and potential impact within society. Building a supportive youth music community: We intended to create a vibrant, interconnected community of young people, local artists, music industry professionals, and civic stakeholders. This would provide opportunities for networking, collaboration, and career development, encouraging sustainable engagement beyond the project's lifetime. The project's rationale was informed by in-depth research, including surveys and interviews conducted with local youth, educators, youth workers, psychologists, and community stakeholders. This preliminary research highlighted a significant gap in traditional civic spaces, which often do not adequately represent young people's realities or interests. Specifically, we identified music—particularly rap and hip-hop—as a powerful alternative form of civic expression capable of bridging these gaps. Additionally, our project aligned closely with the EU Youth Strategy (2019–2027) and specific European Youth Goals, particularly: Goal 1 (Connecting EU with Youth): Strengthening the sense of belonging among youth through shared cultural and civic experiences. Goal 3 (Inclusive Societies): Ensuring inclusive participation of diverse youth populations, especially those from disadvantaged or migrant backgrounds. Goal 9 (Space and Participation for All): Offering accessible, youth-friendly spaces for non-formal learning, civic participation, and personal growth. Furthermore, the initiative was rooted in promoting social justice, gender equity, and inclusion as fundamental human rights. Through participatory, youth-led approaches, the project aimed to break down barriers and stereotypes, creating an inclusive environment for all participants, especially marginalized youth.