Popping on here for another lengthy announcement: Earlier this year, I was selected by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs to be a recipient of the Independent Artists Program grant!! This funding has enabled me to work with a whole posse of collaborators this year, from band members and session players, to arrangers and engineers... all dear friends who have been vital to this larger project I’ve been crafting. (More on this in the new year...) Although that project isn’t quite finished, I wanted to come on here specifically to encourage my friends and peers to apply for the IAP grant this year, as it’s just opened up again. It’s a tight-ish turnaround (DUE JANUARY 15th) but it’s a relatively straightforward application. I leaned heavily on friends and mentors to help me hone my proposal, namely @losxcastillo of @stagehandschi who was a massively helping hand, as well as dear friends @thebookofeliw and @hkaygon who helped proofread and lend their thoughts. In that same vein, I’d like to extend my assistance to anyone applying this year. I’ve made my paperwork from last year shareable, and will happily talk through the application process with anyone interested! There’s no reason not to apply if you have a project that could benefit from additional funding in 2025. This is a truly remarkable program that puts money into the hands of Chicago artists every year, and it’s been hugely empowering for me and my growth as an artist in this city. I hope my local pals will all consider applying, and please feel free hit me up if you want to chat about it!! Link to the application is in my bio. 
Photos by @devonthomasss as always.💘