This is Lawrence – Mile of Music

(Check out the video below!)

Mile 2 would not have been possible without the dedicated involvement of so many community partners like Lawrence University, which served as the festival’s east-end anchor on College Avenue for the second year.

From university venues, to the Music Education Team and numerous student and alumni performers, Lawrence’s contributions to Mile of Music were integral to its success.

“This is one of the only music festivals in the nation where music education is a central part of the mission.”

– Brian Pertl, Dean of the Lawrence Conservatory of Music

Photo by Brian Pertl

The Music Education Team, led by Music Education Curator Leila Ramagopal Pertl, has played an important role in the festival since its inception. With a mission to “unleash the inner musician” in everyone and to prove that Music-Making is a Birthright, Leila Pertl led the team of twelve Lawrence students, alumni, faculty and local music educators to provide over 30 activities and workshops for festival-goers of all ages and experiences to make music, join together in song, and engage with Mile 2 artists in workshops and discussions.

Lawrence also opened its doors to host music in four venues: the Lawrence Memorial Chapel, Stansbury Theater, Harper Hall and the Viking Room–the campus bar. The Chapel again served as a lead band venue, hosting shows such as “More Out Than Outlaw!” with performers Cory Chisel, Langhorne Slim, Ruby Amanfu, and other leading Americana artists, as well as the festival’s coda, the Song Before We Go.

Photo by www.grahamimages.net

Having a nationally-renowned Conservatory of Music, the university provided the festival with many talented student and alumni performers ranging from the graduating classes of 2007 to 2016, including The Involuntary String Band, Fatbook, Bright Kind, Kiddy/Wompus and Holy Sheboygan!.

Involuntary String Band: Martha McDonnell ’14, Davey Harrison ’13, Nick Allen ’14, Ilan Blanck ’16

Fatbook: Harjinder Singh ’11, Evan Jacobson ’08, Reed Flygt ’08

Holy Sheboygan!: Julia Blair ’11, Cameron Carrus ’13, Ben DeCorsey ’10, Jeff Edenberg ’10

Two key festival organizers of Mile 2 were also Lawrence alumni: Nathan Litt (‘08) and Thomas Lee (‘14). With generous funding from the Great Lakes Career Ready Internship Grant, awarded by the university’s career center, Lee began his work as a festival intern with Mile of Music in January of 2014. Watch Litt and Lee speak about Mile 2 and Lawrence’s partnership with the festival in the video below, which wonderfully captures the sights and sounds of Mile 2.

We are extremely grateful to have Lawrence University as one of our partners, and we look forward to strengthening our collaboration for many more “Miles” to come!