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Event
Lost Voices Fundraiser w/ Dave Boutette and Kristi Lynn Davis, Annie and Rod Capps and Drew Nelson with host Mike Ball
Right now there are more than 100,000 young American boys and girls in what is called Residential Placement. These kids have been convicted of crimes, some of them violent. In their vocabulary, they are not in any sort of placement. They are Locked Up.
Lost Voices is a group of Michigan folk and blues musicians who have joined forces to reach out to kids like this. Founded in 2007 by author, award-winning humorist and folk musician Mike Ball, they are on a mission to bring creativity, self respect and personal growth to incarcerated and at-risk youth.
It all started in 2005, when I went to speak at Career Day in a maximum security juvenile detention facility, said Ball. I had no idea what to expect. Im not a social worker I write jokes and sing songs for a living. Just going into this place was a kind of surreal experience, with remotely operated security doors and cameras everywhere.
Then I saw the kids walking down the hall, wearing yellow t-shirts and khaki pants. Each one had a sort of locator device riveted around his wrist like a bulky faceless wrist watch. They were arranged by height and walking, silently, with their arms folded across their chests. A Staff person armed with a giant radio clipped to his belt walked with them like a drill sergeant. The sight was unnerving.
But what was really striking about this scene was that they were also children, not so different from my own son, or from the kids in my teen creative writing groups.
Joining host Mike Ball for the concert are some of Michigans top performers including Dave Boutette and Kristi Lynn Davis, Annie and Rod Capps and Drew Nelson.
The special intimacy that only comes from sharing firelight is where Dave Boutette finds his home. Songs of highway hijinks and wildcat oil drillers in the Michigan woods are as likely to be heard as old favorites that have been in your head and heart for years. For Boutette, its the sharing of songs that holds all the magic. Come on over, join the circle, sing a tune, or stir the coals. Youre welcome to hang until first light. Just be careful not to wake the folks in the tents.
Dave. Dock. Jumping. Joy.Whether banging out a set of saloon songs at a Michigan watering hole, or settling back for an evening of singing at a fire ring afterward, Dave Boutette will hold listeners as long as they keep the lights on or until the rain starts. Stories, advice, observations, or raffles are as apt to appear during a performance as are his songs. Blending many schools of American roots and popular music including folk, blues, swing, and old time country, his songs testify to the power of true love, rebirth, snow plows, and migrating fish. If you get the chance, stand next to Dave. Besides feeling taller than you actually are, you may start to see some things in an entirely new light.
Kristi is no stranger to the stageits been her home away from home for over forty years, mainly as a professional entertainer. Most notably, she logged in about 1,200 performances and 240,000 kicks as a Radio City Rockette. Now she gets her kicks as a motivational speaker, enchanting and encouraging audiences by combining the brilliance of Broadway and high-kicking hijinks with actionable, life-changing content. The Rockettes taught her much more than how to kick high and be spectacular, however. As a member of the worlds most famous precision dance troupe, she gleaned valuable lessons about the rewards of excellence, employee engagement, peak performance under pressure, and teamwork. She enthusiastically shares her showbiz secrets to success through her signature stories in action. She shows. She doesnt just tell. And to exceptional effect.
Songs about broken things and poignant little ponderings are delivered with a rootsy vibe, a touch of twang and a soulful groove. Annie and Rod are on a musical journey that began in 1982, culminating into a symbiotic sound that reflects their deep and intuitive understanding of each other. Annies disarming, earthy voice and solid command of her guitar are punctuated by Rods effortless, accompaniment and beautiful solo work. Together they weave unforgettable melodies that are at once intricate and sparse musically completing each others sentences.
Michigan-born Navy veteran Drew Nelson is a storytelling songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. A fly fisherman and world traveler, he writes as a witness to the lives and journeys of those he has met along the way, mixing Americana and roots-rock with traditional folk styles.
Drew has toured across North America and Europe, performing solo and opening for popular rock artists like Melissa Etheridgeand Edwin McCain as well as esteemed folk singers like Josh White Jr. and John Gorka.
Mike Ball is an award-winning humorist, musician, and author of What Ive Learned So Far who lives and writes on the shores of Whitmore Lake, Michigan, sharing a roof with his wife Nancy and a psychotic Siamese cat. Mike started his music career in Hawaii at the age of 7 with a ukulele and a squeaky voice. By the late 1960s he was fronting several garage bands, writing songs like Hey, You Dropped That Rake on My Amp! Growing tired of having friends and money, Mike switched gears to folk music and never looked back. In addition to cranking out books and his nationally syndicated humor column, Mike is the founder of Lost Voices, a Michigan non-profit group that takes therapeutic roots music writing and performing programs to incarcerated and at-risk youth. The band Dr. Mike and the Sea Monkeys are named after a recurring character in the column, an advice columnist whose credentials as a counselor come from an online college of bar tending.
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LocationTrinity House Theatre (View)
38840 West Six Mile
Livonia, MI 48152
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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