This is rather bittersweet…my last monthly recap for PATTERN. As I have all summer, I am sitting down with you to reflect on the work I’ve done; the takeaways I’ve pocketed; and the connection with you, dear reader, I hope I’ve strengthened.
Unlike past recaps, I write this one from my favorite place on earth: campus. I am sitting on the patio of the student union, sipping on my iced coffee, reading over my class syllabi, welcoming the sun and slight breeze on my skin.
My attention strays to the hundreds of students biking, skating, walking by laughing, catching up with one another after a summer apart, trying to subtly look at the campus map pulled up on their phone (I was that freshman once, too). A lot of them have their headphones on, listening to whatever song that will come to remind them of this time in their lives. Tyler plays in my own.
I love this time of year. The reunions. The possibility. The ends and the beginnings. As I face this particular end at PATTERN, I am sad to leave the city I’ve come to love, but I am also so, so excited for it because I know it is in good (and creative, ambitious, musically-talented) hands:
- Consuelo Lockhart, Executive Director and Founder of the Latinas Welding Guild
- the team over at The Songbook Academy
- Remington Hill, Indy-based performing artist and lyricist
These are the hands that are growing the creative economy and establishing a reputable music scene right here in Indy. Seeing them build and sculpt the music presence in this city has been a joy–one which is sure to touch the hearts and ears of anyone who listens.
This August, we have been focusing on the Strategy of Music in Indianapolis, which promotes the city’s diverse and growing music industry as a rightful pillar of the economy. More than the concerts at Lucas Oil and Gainbridge, Indy’s music industry is also: nearly 10,000 jobs, collaborations between businesses and artists, and thousands of seasonal visitors for annual competitions and conferences. Just to name a few.
Suffice it to say, there is much untapped potential here in Indy. Which isn’t to say we haven’t already carved out a space in the music industry. The talent is here and always has been. But these conversations with local artists have shown me, firsthand, that Indy’s musicians and creatives are elevating their voices now more than ever.
This August, PATTERN’s Think Tank hosted Indy-based rapper, Drayco McCoy, whose voice, career, and creative ambition are as exemplary as his love for Indy. I was unable to be in attendance, but I was sorry to miss a wonderful evening:
- Chelsie Walsman, Photography Intern: My biggest takeaway was that if you’re not uncomfortable, you can’t grow.
- Nicole Hay, Graphic Design Intern: I really liked what he said about different environments serving you in new ways. Indy is a very different place than L.A. but each has its own merits to the creative scene.
- Natty Glenn, Videography Intern: This Think Tank is probably my favorite so far. It was inspiring to hear Drayco talk about his rapping career and how he worked hard to get it off the ground. It was also really cool to listen about the money aspect of his business and how he is experimenting with new things, like launching a clothing brand.
As I wrap up this month’s theme, and my time here at PATTERN, I am faced with the vast (and thrilling) openness of What’s next?. Another semester in West Lafayette–of late nights with the worst well liquor and the best friends for company, 11:59pm deadline flirtations, pasta and movie nights, cloud nines and let-downs, changing seasons and new romances, the growing pains and triumphs we are promised with age.
This month’s theme is so fitting because music does what little else is able to do: it captures all of it. It’s a shoulder to lean on, a mirror, a hot shower, a diary, a fresh cup of coffee, a blank canvas, an old friend, a warm embrace, a reminder. It’s universal and moving but also fun and uncomplicated (if you let it be). You feel the rhythm if you want to ignore the words. And when you’re ready, when you need to feel understood, the lyrics are there patiently waiting for you.
Shakespeare said it best: “If music be the food of love, play on.” How a lyric captures a feeling you thought you were alone in feeling. How the perfect chord or accompaniment packs the punch even more. How, together, they remind you that you are never alone in any of it–the uncertainty, the heartache, the loss, the joy.
Audio hugs are some of my favorite things in the whole world. And I am so glad that August’s theme gave me, PATTERN, and Indy’s musicians the chance to shower you with a million of ‘em. To show you, dear reader, how important music is not only to the economy but to everything that makes us human.
Play on, always,
Kate x
