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(04/15/18 5:24pm)
by Eben Griger
The Xenharmonic New Music Showcase 2018 features composers from all around Indiana, as well as from Denver, Colorado and Boston, Massachusetts. BSU graduate student Stephen Weigel will be performing as well, and was able to answer a few questions for us.
Xenharmonics refers to any music that does not stick to the 12-tone system that most people know. The music is mostly performed in traditionally non-European music. However, simply departing from the traditionally contemporary western tuning systems is not the only feature of modern xenharmonic music.
"It’s actually the deliberate usage of a plurality of tuning systems that is not... Electronics and technological advances have enabled people to play in any tuning system they like." said Weigel. “I find that tunings illicit different moods.”
And mood is a big focus for xenharmonic music. Traditionally, most 12-tone music is either major or minor, which tends to sound happy or sad respectively. Because xenharmonic music doesn’t follow the same system, composers create pieces that bring about different feelings from listeners.
“Why would you have only major and minor when you could have everything?” Weigel said. “That’s why I use xenharmonics."
The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 15 in Sursa Hall.
(04/14/18 9:00am)
Jeremy Rogers
Ball State’s Spectrum will be putting on their semi-annual free drag show open to the public on Saturday April 14 at 7:00 p.m. in the Ball Gymnasium.
The proceeds generated by audience donations will be going towards the Trans Women of Color Collective.
According to their website, “At Trans Women of Color Collective, our work centers healing and restorative justice by elevating the narratives, lived experiences, and leadership of our community members in the trenches and at the forefront of creating healing spaces, building socio-economic growth, development, and power, but most importantly, leading with love.”
Students interested in learning more about the organization do so through Benny Link or by looking up BSU Spectrum on social media.
(03/29/18 4:28pm)
By: Phil Akin
Stay Outside, a local band consisting of vocalist Aaron Becker, guitarist Garrett Johnston, bassist Sean West, and drummer Noah Mitchener, released a remixed EP called O,FN II. The EP takes the songs “Braveheart,” “Void," and “Wanderer” from their previous EP, Okay, For Now and revamps them in a softer, more mellow tone while adding an appropriate “II” to the end of each title. It’s important to know going forward that this is a remix, this isn’t what the band normally sounds like. While these new songs aren’t a stretch for the band, it isn’t what you’d usually hear from them.
(03/27/18 7:57pm)
by Eben Griger
We’ve all got those old electronics laying around. That old flip phone, the laptop that failed, the old CRT computer monitor. It’s that (information) age-old problem. Old electronics aren’t exactly trash, nobody tosses their old MP3 player in the garbage, but you can’t really throw it in a recycling bin either. Until now, that is.
The Ball State Technology Center, located in Bracken library, is now taking your old technology and recycling it for you, free of charge. Byte spoke to BSU Director of Unified Technology Support Laura Petty about the program.
“Ball State is always looking for ways to be environmentally responsible, and so providing a way for folks to recycle or dispose of their technology items properly was a big thing for us,” Petty said. “It just seemed like a good service for the university community.”
So let’s break down some things about this service. First, what they’ll take. All of the standard items are there, laptops: desktop computers, mobile phones and tablets. Also accepted though, are monitors, printers and network equipment like modems and wireless routers. The only thing they don’t take is TVs.
All the Technology Center asks you do is wipe the device of any personal data. If you’re not sure how to do that, the Technology Center has you covered there too. TechTime, free to all enrolled students, will walk you through how to wipe all your data. After it’s wiped, bring it to the Technology Center in Bracken, fill out a quick form, and you’re good to go.
And if you’re worried about anything you’ve forgotten to wipe, have no fear because no one gets that data anyways. Instead of being resold or repurposed, all donated technology has their hard drives and other memory devices taken out and smashed, ensuring that any personal data can’t be recovered.
“We want to make sure that we’re being good stewards of university resources, make sure were taking all appropriate security measures to protect data and by destroying those drives, wiping them and everything, then we can be assured that everything is safe.”
For any questions on the new program, contact the Technology HelpDesk at (765) 285-1817, Monday-Thursay 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
(03/23/18 7:55pm)
by Matthew Yapp
Ball State is known for its telecommunication program and the amazing artists it has turned out. With greats like Jim Davis and David Letterman behind us, it’s encouraging to see Cardinals still managing to produce well received content. One such student is Connor Keaney.
Connor Keaney is a 20-year-old sophomore studying video production here at Ball State. We were given the opportunity to sit down and ask Connor some question about his experience as a film maker and the process of creating his newest documentary The Red Road. The documentary depicts the struggles of Native American youth dealing with high suicide rates, self-harm and a legacy of drug use. The Red Road is currently a semi-finalist for Los Angeles CineFest.
In the past, Connor has also written for The Television Academy. He is currently and editor for SoapBox, an art magazine here at Ball State. In the future Connor intends to continue film making and is already in the process of creating his next documentary.
(03/14/18 5:36pm)
by Jeremy Rogers
This morning at 9:45 a.m., members of the Muncie community gathered on Ball State's University Green to remember and honor the lives of the 17 people killed in Parkland Florida one month ago today. Participants came clad in orange, carrying signs and ready to make their voices heard.
The protest was organized with the help of the Ball State Democrats, Alpha Chi Omega sister Darla Thomas and Parkland alumna Lexi Angel. Students formed a human chain that stretched from the Scramble Light all the way to the Shafer Tower. Each of the victims had their picture and name printed on empty chairs, and at the end of the demonstration, the balloons affixed to the chairs were released.
In case you were in class, we made sure to livestream the whole event. If you missed it, head over to Byte's Facebook page to watch the whole thing. If you want to know what moved the women behind the march to take action, see our video interview with Darla and Lexi.
(03/13/18 9:21pm)
by Jeremy Rogers
For many planning to participate in tomorrow’s protest honoring the lives of the 17 people killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, it will be a demonstration of political outrage, but for others gun violence is more personal. We got to sit down with two important women who are organizing the demonstration and hear about their reasons for speaking out.
Darla Thomas, the Alpha Chi Omega sorority sister who organized the event, has personal experience with mental illness in her family. Thomas grew up with an older brother who she said would be considered mentally ill. While her brother does not have a history of gun violence, Darla attributes this to the absence of guns in her family’s house.
Darla is working with Ball State freshman Lexi Angel who graduated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High last year. In a public Facebook post on February 15, Lexi shared,
“I'm at a loss of words. The fear and defeat I felt today while waiting to hear back from the teachers who changed my life and the students that will remain my friends forever was the most traumatic experience. This will stay in my heart forever. To think the first man I saw every morning and always put the biggest smile on my face, Coach Feis, shielded students today is mind boggling. He was has always been a hero to me. My heart is just shattered”
When we talked with her, she shared her experience learning about the attack on her school.
(03/12/18 9:00pm)
by Baylie Clevenger
Indiana is not exactly known for music production. While people like Michael Jackson and Matchbox Twenty’s Kyle Cook were born here, Indiana is no music giant. However, there are still artists everywhere working hard and producing work. Indiana is home to many incredible local artists.
Former Vandal is a musical duo out of Fort Wayne, comprised of Quinn Wentz (vocals) and Christian Delzoppo (drums). Currently, on Spotify they have more than 57,000 monthly listeners. They also have popular songs like “Well Off” which has reached more than 700,000 streams, “War” which has reached more than 500,000 streams and “Good Kid” which has reached more than 188,000.
<a href="http://formervandal.bandcamp.com/track/war">WAR by Former Vandal</a>
<a href="http://formervandal.bandcamp.com/track/please-mama">PLEASE MAMA by Former Vandal</a>
They recently spoke with Byte about who they are as artists and what being an artist in Indiana is like.
(02/23/18 7:40pm)
by Sarah James
On February 15, a group of seven students from Ball State University went to New York City to interview David Letterman. The students have been working on a project about Ball State’s centennial year and have been producing the project since the summer of 2017. The project consists of a full-length documentary that covers the history of Ball State University, a shorter documentary focused on current university affairs, and five short promotional videos. The production team has interviewed professors, students, historians, Muncie locals, and alumni in order to tell the story of Ball State’s 100 years.
The students reached out to prominent BSU alumnus, David Letterman, for the opportunity to interview him. “We got in contact with him through the President’s office,” Director John Osterhoudt told Byte reporters, “and then we heard back literally like two weeks ago and he was like, ‘Yeah, come to New York.’” The students drove to Letterman’s publicist's office in Manhattan to conduct the interview.
One of the Directors of Photography, Amy Frye, called the project, “...really rewarding. I learned a lot about the equipment Ball State has and about my craft a lot, by the amount of shooting we actually did.” Frye was a part of the seven students chosen to go to New York to interview Letterman. “Interviewing David Letterman was a really fun experience,” Frye says, “because he’s a very normal man. You know, he’s like someone’s grandpa.” Osterhoudt called Letterman, “... a really nice guy, and it was cool to see that from someone so famous, because you don’t exactly know what to expect.”
The crew shared a special moment with Lettermen during the interview process, with Osterhoudt holding a full 15-minute conversation with the former host of The Late Show off camera about current events and politics.
Both Osterhoudt and Frye have been a part of the Centennial Project since the beginning of production, and are excited to see it come to fruition. The project encompasses both the history and hopes of Ball State University. According to Frye, “The whole project takes us from our past and where we came from, the good parts and the not-so-good parts, and then is taking us all the way to the future.”
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The project is slated to premiere in the Fall of 2018.
(02/19/18 3:49pm)
by Jeremy Rogers
Ball State students are performing one of Shakespeare’s lesser known plays, Pericles: Prince of Tyre, in Strother Studio Theatre. Under the direction of Ball State theatre professor Karen Kessler, dozens of students have worked to put on an impressive production. The show stars Jacob Barnes, an acting major in his senior year, playing the eponymous ancient prince.
(02/10/18 10:11pm)
by Eben Griger
An Indianapolis tech entrepreneur warned that Indiana’s refusal to protect its LGBTQ+ population through legislation helps solidify the state’s public image as “the land of bigots” in an open letter Tuesday.
Josh Driver, CEO of tech start-up Selfless.ly and the man behind Open for Service, released “an open letter to the state of Indiana,” in response to the state’s failure to pass a hate crime bill in the form of Senate Bill 418. Indiana remains one of five states without such a bill, which increases the penalties for crimes influenced by the victim’s race, ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation.
In the letter, Driver addresses Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which turns three this year, calling it “disastrous,” but also recognizing the RFRA as “the wakeup call technology companies needed to find their voice.” According to Driver, the legacy of the RFRA along with the lack of a hate crime bill may drive people and companies away from Indiana, Amazon in particular.
Indianapolis is one of the final choices for Amazon’s HQ2, which the New York Times says could boost the economy by $50 billion. While the the impact of the RFRA seems to be dissipating, Driver says the state’s lack of “common sense legislation” may become an issue for state growth.
“Personally, as the founder of a tech startup, I want to know that Indiana has my back. You can give me tax credits and incentives all day long, but I’m looking for authentic support. I need to know that the tech talent I need to grow my business is welcomed here.”
Andrew Hurst, a trans Ball State student, echoed much of the same sentiment.
“I have a lot of trouble with it, living here and trying to be proud of where I live,” Hurst said. “Loving the people here and also knowing that there are many people who don’t want to acknowledge my rights or my safeties.”
Driver ends his open letter with “Hoosier hospitality is still alive and well. It just needs to come out of the closet.” Hurst has the same idea when it comes to the times changing in the Hoosier state, but also has some reservations.
“While I’m very disappointed in Indiana, I also think that this too will pass,” Hurst said. “The problem is the amount of damage that will be done while we wait for that."
Driver's open letter has shown the importance of state legislators. To find out who your Indiana state legislators, go here to learn more.
Source(s): Venture Beat, New York Times
Image(s): Huffington Post
(01/31/18 1:41am)
by Sarah James
Singers from across the Midwest gathered in Pruis Hall the night of January 27th for one of the 2018 ICCA Midwest Quarterfinal competitions. This is the second consecutive year that Ball State has hosted the event for the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella. Ten groups competed at the event for a chance to move on to the Midwest Semifinal, and five of those groups were from Ball State. BSU has two men’s groups (Note to Self and Unexpected Resolution), two women’s groups (Ladies’ Choice and The Parallels), and one co-ed group (Sedoctave). All five of these groups are a part of the Association of Collegiate A Cappella, the umbrella organization for the a cappella community at Ball State University.
It was a good night for Ball State a cappella. Note to Self placed third with 317 points, Unexpected Resolution placed second with 333 points, and Sedoctave came out on top with 427 points. One of Sedoctave’s Music Directors, Ball State Musical Theatre Major Micheal Hassel, also won Outstanding Arrangement for his original take on Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean a Thing.”
This was the first song I have arranged, so I was not expecting to win best arrangement,” Hassel said.
“It Don’t Mean a Thing” was one of the first songs Sedoctave learned this year going through multiple iterations thanks to Hassel’s work. “This song was something the entire group was excited about,” Hassel said, “so I spent a lot of time working on it. It was really an honor."
2018 marks the second year in a row that Sedoctave has won the Quarterfinal event. When asked about how it felt to win, Hassel said, “I felt very surprised and honored to win Quarterfinals back to back. It was a heartfelt and emotional performance.”
Both Unexpected Resolution and Sedoctave will be moving on to the Midwest Semifinal taking place in St. Louis, Missouri on March 10th.
Images: Facebook
(12/05/17 8:00am)
by Jeremy Rogers
Cardinal Metrics is hosting a social mixer this evening in the hopes that students from all walks of life and all majors will come to learn about how they can get involved with using emerging technology.
The event will be held in the Holden Strategic Communications Center in the Arts and Journalism building from 7:00 – 8:30 pm. Participants will be able to explore the emergent technology of eye-tracking through an iSpy game. Afterwards, students will get to visualize their results and make an in-depth evaluation of how they did.
Eye tracking technology uses a series of sensors that find a viewer's eyes and measures changes in pupil dilation, direction, and blink frequency among other factors to see where on a screen the viewer looks and for how long. Stringing together data points, designers then have access to data about what elements of design attract attention and which elements need to be highlighted more.
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="388"] Image from Flickr[/caption]
Eye tracking is used by many web designers to maximize the effectiveness of their page layouts. Applications of this can range from a restaurant optimizing its menu design so customers' eyes are drawn to the best food to news outlets gauging how effective their advertisements are placed on a given page. New uses for the technology are being conceived every day. Eye tracking is being used to help determine the mental work load of doing certain activities and to evaluate the performance and expertise of doctors.
Eye tracking is just the beginning of learning about what Cardinal Metrics does. Cardinal Metrics is a student-run media organization that analyses data to find solutions for a number of varied clients. In addition to gaining real world experience by working with clients, members of the group are also able to receive professional certifications that can make them more attractive to employers after graduation.
The end of the semester is quickly arriving, so there's no better time to learn about Cardinal Metrics and what they do for Ball State's student media groups.
Sources: Look Tracker, Eye Tracker
Images: Facebook, Flickr
(10/30/17 3:23pm)
Matt and Kaleigh go behind the scenes at Indy Scream Park in this special event coverage from Byte BSU! Discover how Indy Scream Park stands out from other horror attractions not only in Indiana, but all around the country!
https://www.indyscreampark.com/ A big thanks to Indy Scream Park for letting us come out and interview their staff members!
(10/26/17 10:12pm)
by Nolan Leahy
Bunkerville: A Post-Apocalyptic Musical is exactly as it sounds. No, it isn’t a spinoff from Bethesda’s Fallout franchise, but it has the same type of setting.
The musical’s story follows Steve, a narcissistic journalist that leaves an underground city 200 years after a nuclear holocaust.
Carson Crow is the assistant director for the musical and a theatre student here at Ball State. In the past, he was an assistant director for performances such as Boeing-Boeing, Everything will be Different: A Brief History of Helen of Troy, and Hairspray. He also directed a smaller scale musical John and Jenn in the Cave Studio Theatre.
Crow said Bunkerville was chosen to be in the Ball State production season two years ago. Multiple workshops and script rewrites took place throughout the previous two years and that “there still might be before it opens.”
Crow said that helping create this performance is an enjoyable challenge, and that the students he works with have “been on top of it.”
He said the director –-Matt Reeder—wanted to bring out more of the comedic nature of the production. Through the development, students designed all of the technical aspects including sound, lighting, “wacky” props, costumes, and the hair and makeup.
“The lighting is so intense because you start in a bunker, and then we travel to the surface. So, contrasting the two worlds of that has been really exciting for the lighting designer,” Crow said.
The only way Crow could describe the hair and makeup was with a chuckle.
“When you see the show, you’ll understand,” Crow said. “I’m just thrilled to be working with Matt and literally everyone on that production. They’ve been great.”
Bunkerville: A Post-Apocalyptic Musical premiered over the weekend and continues on until Oct. 28. The musical times are at 7:30 p.m. from Oct. 25 to Oct. 28 in addition to a 2:30 p.m. performance on Oct. 28. Tickets can be bought here.
Image Gallery
Click the image below to see more from the show!
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Photography by Nolan Leahy
(10/21/17 9:00am)
by Sarah James
In the midst of all the films being showcased at Heartland Film Festival this year, there are a few that hit a little closer to home than others - literally. Heartland has an entire category titled the Indiana Spotlight category, in which independent films shot partially or entirely in Indiana can be entered. In fact one of these films, The Storyteller, was filmed entirely in the Fishers area, and with its heartfelt story and Indiana charm, this movie may invoke a tear or two.
Simply put, The Storyteller is about rediscovering the importance of family. The film centers around Maggie (Samantha Colburn), who is dealing with her bedridden grandmother, Rosemary (Constance Towers), the loss of her husband and a broken relationship with her adopted daughter, Jen (Cassidy Mack). In the midst of everything, a young girl named Abby (Brooklyn Rae Silzer) stumbles into this family that’s falling apart, and through her spirit and impeccable perception, she helps bring the family together. The film weaves original music with parallels to Peter Pan to create a locally crafted feel-good movie.
Brooklyn Rae Silzer steals this show. The Storyteller marks her feature film debut, and she does not disappoint in the slightest. It’s no wonder all the characters in this film start to fall in love with her; her energy is infectious, and it’s hard not to smile while she’s on screen. Cassidy Mack and James Snyder (who plays music teacher and love interest John Griffin) also do a fantastic job, especially with the music. Music plays a large role in this film and is one of the things that brings all of these characters together. Co-producer Nancy Crump wrote the two original songs in the film, which were actually performed by the cast. Mack and Snyder’s voices blend beautifully and breathe life into the original music.
This film also acts as an amazing conversation starter for two tough-to-talk-about topics: the mental health struggles of the elderly and the difficulties often faced by those in our foster care system. And both of these issues are driven by the personal experiences of the filmmakers. The director’s mother suffered from a form of dementia that causes hallucinations, which was a direct inspiration for the character of Rosemary, who believes Abby is her older sister that never grew up. The character of Jen and her experiences with the foster care system is also enhanced by actress Cassidy Mack and her real life experience in foster care. These moments felt by the cast and crew grounded this story in reality, which is a stark contrast to the fairy tale elements of the movie.
Overall, this film is full of heart, and anyone can find a moment or character that they can relate their own lives to. For people who grew up in Indiana, keep an eye out for some local favorites (Handel’s Ice Cream and Greek’s Pizza make an appearance). The Storyteller is also on Hallmark’s video-on-demand service, so if you don’t have a chance to check it out at Heartland Film Festival this weekend, you have another opportunity to see this wondrous story come to life.
You can follow the film on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and their website.
Featured image from Facebook
(10/18/17 5:41pm)
Who doesn’t love haunted houses? They’re an integral part of the American Halloween tradition. The actors, spooky sets, dull lighting and scary sounds hold a special place in the hearts of horror fans and for good reason. According to the Smithsonian, this tradition has brought joyful fright to the masses as early as the 19th century, though not exactly with the time commitment and polish of today’s haunted attractions. Interest in these types of attractions began to boom after Walt Disney opened Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion in 1969, making haunted attractions a staple of American Halloween tradition. After it became mainstream for patrons to pay to experience the frightful and spooky, Halloween horror attractions and haunted houses started popping up all over the country.
(10/17/17 2:41pm)
by Byte Staff
Who doesn’t love haunted houses? They’re an integral part of the American Halloween tradition. The actors, spooky sets, dull lighting and scary sounds hold a special place in the hearts of horror fans and for good reason. According to the Smithsonian, this tradition has brought joyful fright to the masses as early as the 19th century, though not exactly with the time commitment and polish of today’s haunted attractions. Interest in these types of attractions began to boom after Walt Disney opened Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion in 1969, making haunted attractions a staple of American Halloween tradition. After it became mainstream for patrons to pay to experience the frightful and spooky, Halloween horror attractions and haunted houses started popping up all over the country.
With this brief background in mind, let’s take a look at a more elaborate, modern example of these horror attractions. Located in Anderson, Indiana is the famous horror attraction, Indy Scream Park.
Originally founded in 2010, Indy Scream Park has become known as Indiana’s Premier Halloween event. When asked about how they go about recruiting scare actors, Indy Scream Park’s Marketing Director, Jon Pianki told us “We start initially in Anderson and then branch out from there, trying to employ as many people as possible. I think we bring in around three to four hundred actors each year. Each night takes around 150 actors to fully staff all the attractions. We just try to constantly reinvest in the park to keep it going.”
So obviously a lot of love and hard work goes into crafting Indy Scream Park. But here's the real question: is it scary? Well let’s take a closer look at the actual attractions. Indy Scream Park features five attractions:
(10/07/17 9:00am)
by Ben Sapet
Most social issue films follow a similar, well-trodden formula. When a narrative is centered around an issue there are certain “musts” involved: it must demonstrate the damage of the issue, create empathy for those effected by the issue and ultimately justify the relevance of the issue. In fulfilling these (and many other) check boxes, social issue films become formulaic almost out of a sense of duty to the subject matter.
How, then, does one create a mold-breaking social issue film? Indiana filmmaker Andrew Davis’s feature length debut, Indiana, has plotted what may be that mold-breaking approach to the social issue film. Rather than centering the film on an issue, as is customary for a social issue film, Davis centers his film around the realities of Midwestern culture and its tendency to be exclusionary despite its reputation for wholesomeness and humility.
Film pitch for Davis's 'Indiana'
Between a band struggling with the dominant white, Christian demographic of their college, an alcoholic widower estranged from his daughters and a white supremacist mechanic, the characters Davis has outlined seem to be on tenuous ground in a transitioning culture. Perhaps, Davis’s approach of placing Indiana and the Midwest under a microscope will transcend the individual social issues of “family, faith, doubt, health, race, and the pursuit of music” addressed in the film to build something even more compelling: a localized, cultural issue film.
Indiana is currently a participant in the Hometown Heroes Crowdfunding Rally, a competition presented by crowdfunding and streaming platform Seed&Spark and the Duplass brothers who “champion[s] the next generation of filmmakers making movies with their local community and resources.” Ten films that achieve full funding and establish a following will go on to receive further funding and potentially have the Duplass brothers become executive producers on the film.
Indiana’s crowdfunding campaign has received traction so far and is near the Hometown Heroes Rally top ten. Regardless of the contest results, it will be interesting to see this ambitious piece of local filmmaking develop and unfold.
Sources: Seed&Spark, YouTube
Images: Seed&Spark
(10/03/17 9:36pm)
by Jeremy Rogers
When thinking about how music festivals - even smaller ones - help the communities where they are held, many people would assume that tourism would be the biggest player. People coming into a community to hear music usually go around to the area shops and restaurants, thereby helping prop up the local economy. Beyond the food trucks, local eateries, boutique shops, and artist displays, what about when music festivals do something more for the communities they are hosted in?
Enter Fountain Square Music Festival. It began as a small operation started by a few passionate residents in the Fountain Square area. The annual event aims to showcase the brilliant aesthetic of the Fountain Square area and the artists living there. While music is the festival’s driving force, it also aims to promote Fountain Square’s local businesses and energy to attendees.
"Although live music remains the driving spirit of FSMF, the visual energy emanating from the neighborhood during the festival will thrill not only fans of live music, but also to enthusiasts of modern experience, technology, and culinary arts. FSMF presents a highly-engaging, eclectic music and visual world that vividly showcases the vibrant creative culture of Fountain Square and its artists."
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Image from Fountain Square Music Festival[/caption]
But once the music stops playing and the Nucleus Stage is empty, where does the money go? One would think that a portion of the money would go toward planning next year’s festival, and that would be right. However, a portion of the money will also go to the non-profit behind the festival: Southeast Neighborhood Development Inc.
SEND is a non-profit group that officially formed in 1991 to help the southeast neighborhood of Indianapolis after the urban area was greatly impacted by the building of Interstate 65. This highway cut through the once vibrant community, destroying hundreds of homes and businesses in the process. In addition to helping renovate dilapidated and abandoned houses, leasing out residences at a reasonable cost for residents, and helping local businesses through development services, one of the most visible ways that SEND have endeavored to help their community is through the Fountain Square Music Festival.
In addition to the Fountain Square Music Festival, SEND has invested over $35 million into the near southeast neighborhoods of Indianapolis. They also frequently work on neighborhood beautification projects with other non-profit groups in the Indianapolis area such as the Hoosier Environmental Council, South Indy Quality of Life Plan, and Reconnecting to our Waterways.
Though a portion of the proceeds will be going to SEND, here is what the price of admission gives you access to as an attendee. Some Ball State students share other reasons why they are going to Fountain Square Music Festival.
Brandon Gick, a senior Telecommunications Sales & Promotions major from Lafayette, is a campus advocate and Fan Army member at Ball State. He's helped spread the word and get students excited about FSMF on and around campus. When discussing the festival he said:
“Ball State students should take interest in FSMF because this is going to be a music festival like no other. FSMF will allow students to explore Indianapolis' growing music scene and immerse themselves in an intimate experiential lighting show on the festival's main stage. It's an event filled with great art, restaurants and local music to enjoy right here in our state's capital."
Still not convinced to attend yourself? Claire Catton, a junior Psychology major from Carmel, is dating a member of one of the local bands playing the festival called Dream Chief, an electro pop duo from Indianapolis who works closely with festival organizers Absorb and MOKB Presents.
"Ball State students should be encouraged and excited to attend FSMF. Not only can they explore the heart of Indianapolis at the festival, but it will broaden their horizons to a variety of music. This festival is unique because it consists of hometown Indiana artists, national acts like Phantogram and artists who are just starting to bloom."
For a listing of bands playing at the festival, be sure to check out our article on who to look out for at the event! You can also follow Fountain Square Music Festival on Twitter and Facebook.
Sources: SEND, FSMF, Wish TV, Byte
Image(s): Fountain Square Music Festival