Music

Coming from a small town east of Indianapolis, Adam Fonacier is a music producer and audio engineer. After school, the allure of a vibrant music ecosystem drew Adam to his current home in Indianapolis. Working as a freelance  producer and engineer for venues and artists in the city has deepened his love for the arts communities around him. His involvement with Musical Family Tree, Classical Music Indy, and the Indy Music Cooperative has provided connections to a growing network of artists and entrepreneurs who share his passion for the local music scene.

Josiah Ray McCruiston is a creative director, a regional actor, teaching artist, and youth pastor/director who believes in the power of the creative spirit. His influence and creative works allow him to transform any space he enters with his infectious energy and spirit. He has performed across the nation, has worked in museum theatre (Indiana Historical Society, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, & Connor Prairie ), and has worked in arts education for over 10 years.

Hailing from Indianapolis, “Wavy” Blayne (Blayne McCrary) is a mid-career artist focused on mixed-media and music production. His love for the arts is simply the thing that drives his passion. Pulling influence from Japanese culture and street art, he creates a unique Afrofuturism style that he calls, “Wavy”. Learning through practical experiences of trial and error, and studying the works of Akira Toriyama and Jim Lee , Blayne has worked as a freelance artist since 2010.

Pope Gaskine, an Indianapolis native, is a professional artist specializing in acrylic and oil canvas artist. Gaskine is also an Indiana Member of the Eighteen Art Collective and is a published Professional Esthesia Artist.

Kenney Garmon was born and raised in the streets of Gary, Indiana. Graduating from Emerson Visual & Performing Arts School opened the door to many possibilities. Kenney has been performing, producing, and creating since he came out of his mother’s womb. He has produced commercials for Coke & Pepsi products, H& H Greg, McDonald’s, radio commercials, and local products.

Every production that he offers gives a candid glimpse into the mind and creativity of each great project.

Kenney won best supporting actor at the Indiana Film Festival for his role as Agent Peek in the movie Evidence of Life. He also became the on-air host for the ESPN Show NCAA on Campus. Kenney is now taking his experiences and doing major productions in music to the world.

Kenney doesn’t want to give away the recipe but after you have bitten into his lyrics, soft melodies, vocal arrangements and groove, he promises you will have had a 5 star course meal.

Psylo Soundz is an audio engineer and DJ from the north side of Chicago. Being born into a musically inclined family, Psylo was exposed to music long before they came out of the womb. As the daughter of a renowned Chicago DJ, Psylo has taken advantage of the musical knowledge that seems innately a part of their being. From raw and authentic Chicago house music, to the grunginess of groups like The Clash and The Flying Lizards, Psylo’s knowledge of music is apparent in their ever-changing selection.

DJ T-REXX is an Indianapolis based DJ. When he first started DJing, it was only a hobby for him because he loves music. As the years passed, he found himself DJing for not only the love of it, but to also share his skills and vibes with everyone in the city.

Ikenna Stovall is a Nigerian engineer turned creative with hopes of fighting for inclusion within the fashion industry through ways of media production and creative strategy. He aims to provide longevity for new and upcoming creatives.

Ikenna has been featured in Essence Magazine and Pattern Magazine for his influential style. He is big on fashion and beauty and has worked closely with Dr Martens, ASOS, Misbhv, SwearLondon, Koi Footwear, Beautycounter and more.

Deep Note is an Indianapolis music producer. He has been producing music since the early ’90’s. He promises to provide superior quality in music production and customer service. Deep Note’s ultimate goal is to inspire greatness.

Taylor Hall is an LA-based artist, activist, and public speaker. Born and raised in Indianapolis, IN, Hall is a 2021 Ball State University Communications Graduate. During her time at Ball State, Hall served as the president of Men and Women of Color, interned for the U.S. House of Representatives, and became an emerging leader both on her campus and in the Indianapolis community during the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement. Hall was a key leader and organizer for one of the largest protests in 30 years in Indianapolis; with over 10,000 people at the State Capitol in June of 2020. She has organized over twenty protests across the U.S. and has assisted in registering thousands of voters. During the movement, Hall released her debut single “I Can’t Breathe” as a message of standing for love not hate.

Diante Thomas (aka-Myartyoureyes) brings a unique approach to photography & art. Self-taught in art-photographer/videographer & now as a producer of music has twelve years of experience behind the lens.

Contemporary American artist Mike Graves has been producing art and music in Indianapolis for the last 29 years. Mike uses a wide range of media and subject matter to create pieces with diversity in style and composition. A closer look at his works portrays an intense image-maker, illustrator, and painter showing the real to the surreal.

As co-founder and a core element of BRIDGE Collective, an Indianapolis Arts Collective representing a wide range of cutting-edge contemporary artists and their work, Mike brings over 20 years of successful experience in curating both traditional and non-traditional gallery spaces. Possessing a wide range of knowledge and ability in regards to organizing art projects from conception to completion, he is an essential asset to the Indianapolis visual arts scene.

As a skilled deejay and original beats producer, Mike is available to provide entertainment for corporate events, house parties, and beyond. Spinning, reggae, dub, hip-hop, funk, jazz, soul, and original music; Mike adds his personal musical styling and stellar selection repertoire to any event.

Sock Joplin (Joshua Thompson) is a pianist, social musicologist, teaching artist and producer. Known onstage as Sock Joplin, he is increasingly recognized on a national scale for his expertise on classical composers of African descent and the inherent cultural connectivity in the broader aesthetic of Black Arts movements. As the 2020 Beckman Emerging Artist Fellow of the Arts Council of Indianapolis, he successfully completed his residency at the Africana Studies Center for Music and Society at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, followed by a performing/teaching residency at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. As the first Musicologist in Residence with Classical Music Indy, Thompson was recently appointed as the Creative Partner in Residence with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra for the 2023-24 season.

In 2004, Joshua obtained a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana. He deftly merged his music and advocacy paths through performances, appearances and worked closely with an expanding range of national cultural arts organizations, social agencies, and universities to facilitate access to educational resources. The Arts Council of Indianapolis, the Indiana Arts Commission, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Marian University, Butler University, the University of Puget Sound, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Winds, Classical Music Indy, Arts for Lawrence, Arts for Learning, Morning Brown, Inc., Indy Jazz Fest have all worked with Mr. Thompson in this capacity.

Joshua has worked with legendary bassist John Clayton, Smithsonian Research Fellow Dr. William C. Banfield, touring pianist Ric’key Pageot, Pulitzer Prize winner Anthony Davis, renowned clarinetist Anthony McGill, and international operatic soprano Angela Brown.

In October 2019, he was a featured presenter for the popular TED Talk series. His award-winning podcast series Melanated Moments in Classical Music with co-host Angela Brown, is currently in its fourth season of production and won 2020 Best Music Podcast from the Black Podcasting Awards and was recently featured in the British publication, Alternative Classical, and the Miami Times.

Lorea Turner is an actress, singer, and musician. She started taking music seriously at the age of 15 when she took her talents to the app Vine, where she gained over 100,000 followers in a short couple of months. Her first full cover was with friend Leroy Sanchez and they covered “Beauty and the Beast” which currently has 31 million views on YouTube. Later, Entertainment Weekly reviewed the song, and it was praised. She was also featured on Glamour Magazine where Demi Lovato reacted to Lorea’s cover of hers.

Lorea dropped her first single, “Secrets” in April of 2021.

She performed at H.E.R.’s Lights On Festival in September of 2021. She also sang at “Circle of Lights” in November and had a completely sold-out Christmas concert at the Indianapolis Arts Garden.

Towards the end of 2022, Lorea starred in Kirk Franklin’s “The Night Before Christmas” Lifetime original movie.

A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step. Hajji is a hip-hop artist from Gary, Indiana, but now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. As far as Hajji can remember, music has been calling.

Hajji joined a band and instantly knew that the music clicked. After a history of playing drums at church for about seven years, Hajji found himself in the studio more. The studio, being an atmosphere full of music and passion, is a feeling Hajji can never get over. Hajji believes that expressing himself and helping others with their lives through music is his destiny.

Jasmine White is the singer/songwriter of Maryjanesland Entertainment. She has spent 10+ years in the industry writing, producing, and performing. Her style is Contemporary R&B, and her sound is sultry and soulful.

Sekhem Salma is an artist of many trades. She creates trippy art on canvas with acrylic. She can be commissioned for one of a kind pieces. She debuted her work at the Indianapolis Central Library for The All Star Meet The Artist Gala February 2024.  She is also a budding rap artist and writer as well. She has spent most of her life writing poetry and songs for herself, and is now wanting to share that with the world.

Teresa Reynolds is an Indianapolis-based singer, actor, and artist. She launched her music career in NYC, where she released two self-written albums, traveled the world singing with Gloria Gaynor of “I Will Survive” fame, and performed all over the city. Teresa rejoined the Indianapolis arts community in 2018, and has since performed her unique blend of pop, R&B, jazz and electronica at The Jazz Kitchen, with Art and Soul at the Indianapolis Artsgarden, at Fort Ben’s Cultural Campus with Arts for Lawrence, as part of the NCAA Tournament’s SWISH festival, at Concerts on the Canal, with the Indianapolis Propylaeum, and at local restaurants. Her music is available on all music platforms.