We Are All Human
"One note. One song. One set at a time."
That’s one of the great things about music, you can sing a song to 85,000 people and they’ll sing it back for 85,000 different reasons. ~Dave Grohl
Perhaps a similar argument could be made for visual arts…or any art form for that matter. Art, at its core, is an invitation to a unique experience.
In that experience is the inspiration, the artist’s interpretation and execution of that inspiration, and the audience…the audience that brings their own understanding and interpretation of the encounter.
That’s the 85,000 different reasons.
Music seems to have a unique magical quality…a fully human quality that in the moment, can unify us…transport and insulate us from a world that often amplifies our differences.
We Are All Human
A few years ago I found myself in a space where perceived differences were causing an underlying tension among staff and students. Many students felt marginalized and disconnected from their peers and teachers.
A colleague at the time (Caroline Hays) and I were part of a conversation group on how we might address this situation in a positive and healthy way. What bubbled up in our brainstorming was…a mural. What if we created a mural that invited conversation. Not a mural to shame…not a mural to prescribe…not a mural to mandate…a mural to invite.
We wrote a grant to bring in local artist Israel Solomon to make the idea come to life.
Voices of all students and staff were brought into the conversation…what would you like to see? What should the mural express?
This vision manifested itself as a nine foot by twenty five foot mural with bright, vibrant colors and simple message… WE ARE ALL HUMAN. We should all be seen, heard, and valued.
Israel Solomon wasn’t just an artist…he was also the “score’s” conductor. Students and staff alike were active participants painting the notes in the mural that resulted in the visual song expressing our shared humanity.
We are all human has been a mantra that has driven my work.
That mantra’s musical expression is rooted in U2’s song “One.” The song's whole ethos is that helping each other isn't an obligation, it's a privilege — we don't have to, we get to…
If you have visited Indy Local Live’s website you may have noticed that the footer for the website is a photo of a pair of sneakers that have We Are All Human embroidered on the back. Those are custom vans I created from a photo of the mural.
Inclusion of this image as the footer wasn’t exactly 100% intentional…I wish I could claim that, but it was more like 3 parts necessity, and one part intentional.
As I had perseverated for months on whether to launch Indy Local Live or not…it all came down to one long weekend in February. Internal dialogue…bro, either do it or don’t.
I did it.
And with the structure pretty much put in place, I started collecting all of the aesthetic assets I had at my disposal to make the site come to life.
Some great shots from the HI-FI. Some fun shots of my musician friends doing their thing…it was beginning to look like an actual website. Then…the footer. Almost as an afterthought, but not quite…include We Are All Human.
Publish.
What was almost incidental has become absolutely foundational for Indy Local Live…
The artists, bands, venue proprietors, fans…all the people I have met in this journey are from different walks of life…have different lived experiences.
One thing though…one thing…that makes 85,000 differences the same is the music. When the lights go up and the first note is struck…these local artists are building something human…one note…one song…one set at a time…
I am inspired by the players in the Indianapolis music scene who give of themselves to doggedly build this community…making this simple ethos come to life night in and night out…
We Are All Human…