The Indie Glow-Up! Vol 9: Community Does!
Shit, you gotta glow one day! It just takes some time.
Quick Thoughts ðŸ’
Words are infectious. Phrases spread like wildfires, and Covid-19 in 2020? (Too soon? It’s been three years, fam…) One word that seems to be on the lips of everyone in art/music right now is COMMUNITY. In its purest form, community is a source of comfort, a shelter in a storm, a hiding place for the soul. It brings us joy and belonging and pushes us to be better. Communities are there to make you more focused, to help you read more, write more, work out more, and raise your kids better. Regardless of why you seek community, one thing I know for sure is that a good community DOES.
It’s not idle. It’s not jealous or envious. It is good.
I don’t want the word community to become like the word love. An overworked and underpaid word that is tossed around like a baked potatoe out of the stove.
When I think of community, I think of people like my good friend and curation partner, Miller Pyke; founder and curator of ApartmentParty. An amazing once-a-month celebration of diversity in art and expression. Miller is the definition of what building a community looks like. When my fiancé and I were sick, she walked about a mile and a half in the briskness of NYC winter to bring us supplies without us needing to ask. During my music festival, she showed up 3-4 of the nights without me asking just to help. That’s community. It doesn’t need anything in return; it’s just there! I would do the same for her at the drop of a hat because we are a community that DOES.
I can’t tell you what community has to be, but I can say I hope it’s real for you. I hope it’s not just something those curating events say. I hope it’s not a cracked foundation to build hallow platforms on.
COMMUNITY should mean something.
My fiancé and I are so bless to have so many good people in our Community. My friends Sarah & Miguel, my manager Sammy J, my best friend Brandon and his wife Kayla, my fellow artists and friends, ex-co-workers and bosses, new co-workers, and the list goes on. These people make me better and push me to evolve. And that’s what it should do. That’s where community lives and breathes. The betterment of people, and the circumstance in which they live, work and eventually thrive.
I would not survive without mine.
So, if you made it this far, remember: Community is not idle. It DOES.
Thank You!
I just want to say thank you to every single person that made their way to the festival this year. It was one of the most genuine times with other artists I have had since curating the festival.
If you volunteered, bought a ticket or merchandise, or just shared a post and encourage others to come, I want you to know that it was only a success because of you!
Next year is our 10 year reunion, and we are going to make this a celebration for the ages! We hope you are there!
Wanna jam with dope Musicians, and do some good in the process? Join us at Pirate Studios Bushwick on Thursday, December 7th from 7pm - 11 pm for our first monthly Jam session!
And because we are in the holiday spirit, we will be collecting can foods, toys, monetary donations, and coats for the less fortunate!
All genres and musicians are welcome, and it’s donation based!
See you there!
Listen to The Indie Glow-Up Playlist
Need some new music in your life? Check out ESMAF’s Indie Glow-Up Playlist: a monthly playlist that highlights 15+ phenomenal artists on the glow-up from all walks of music!
This month’s playlist includes artists like Reneé Rapp, Zoe Ko, CVMILLE, Ernest Brockenberry, Steve Everett, Annalise Azadian, and TheARTI$t!!!!
Click the button below to listen now!