Blvcksheep Record Label stages Battle Creek's version of NPR's Tiny Desk

BATTLE CREEK — In the throes of the coronavirus pandemic, Brandon Fitzpatrick and his bandmates were simply looking for a way to keep their music alive.

All the local festivals that Minor Element typically played — Leilapalooza and Battle Creek Cereal Festival included — were canceled in 2020, forcing Fitzpatrick and other members of the all-instrumental jazz fusion band to go back to the drawing board.

Gathering inside First Congregational Church in Battle Creek, a longtime rehearsal space for the band, the musicians opted to put on a virtual concert, performing a 30-minute set list with live video and audio recordings.

"We really kickstarted the possibility of being able to do this for multiple artists after that was recorded," Fitzpatrick said.  "When we were looking at the finished product and we saw what we were actually capable of producing, that was the moment where we were like, 'This is so available.' ... It can become something sustainable, something we can put on as a true program for West Michigan artists."

With the help of his longtime friends and fellow co-founders of Blvcksheep Record Label Vania Word and James McGee, Fitzpatrick has done exactly that, launching the Rehearsal Room series inside First Congregational Church.

MORE: How the COVID-19 pandemic is reshaping Battle Creek's music scene

The live concert series takes inspiration from — and in many ways resembles the format of — NPR's "Tiny Desk" concerts, with Blvcksheep transforming the church's choir room into an intimate performance space.

The record label employs a team of producers, photographers, videographers and set designers to help bring each show to life. The live audio and video recordings are then posted to social media following the performance.

"I think it was just an idea that we all kind of felt," said Word, who serves as label manager and producer of the Rehearsal Room series. "We literally sit in my living room and watch Tiny Desks for hours. It’s something that we’ve been enthralled by and excited by for years."

Local rapper Jaz Bolar will take the stage for the fourth installment of the series at 6 p.m. Feb. 18. Admission is $5.

"We want our community involved," Word said. "We want the opportunity not only to create this platform for our community to see these amazing artists, but we also want to be able to be a source of employment for artists."

A vehicle for artist development

The roots of Blvcksheep Record Label can be traced back to the hallways of Battle Creek Central High School.

Word and McGee played in the school's marching band for four years and Fitzpatrick, a musician since the age of 4, could always be found playing the piano in the music room whenever he had spare time.

This passion for music brought the three together but it wasn't long after graduating in 2012 that they found themselves at a musical crossroads.

Believing in their talent and willing to do whatever it took to "connect the dots" in the industry, the trio launched Blvcksheep Record Label soon after.

"We built Blvcksheep out of necessity," Word said. "We needed each other and there was no one else at the time focusing on what we were focusing on."

What began as a collective of musicians jamming together and helping each other write music has transformed into a vehicle for artist development, with Blvcksheep managing a roster of several artists and providing a spotlight for local performers through the Rehearsal Room.

"We have become those leaders that we needed when we were younger," Word said. "When we were graduating high school, we didn’t have an 'us' to talk to, we didn't have someone like me or someone like James or someone like Brandon who’s had a decade of experience throwing events, producing music, mixing music, writing music, in the industry, learning how to book gigs and things like that."

Showing what the city has to offer

The Rehearsal Room series also aims to set an example for how artists should be treated.

The audio and video components of each performance are handled by at least 10-12 people throughout the production process, and Blvcksheep ensures every single person involved — even the artist that's performing — gets compensated for their time.

"Realistically, there are so many artists that are taken advantage of on a daily basis," Word said. "We’ve been through that, for years. We’ve been underpaid, overworked, (all) for exposure. ... There comes a time where that just doesn’t work anymore.

"We’re not going to ask you to come out, perform and not compensate you."

Grant funding from the Binda Foundation is helping to cover the cost of the concert series' inaugural season, but more sponsors will be needed to ensure the platform continues.

Fitzpatrick believes the series is a crucial component to reviving the culture of art and music that is often being diminished in modern society. Seeing is believing, he said, acknowledging these performances have the potential to inspire future generations

"(The Rehearsal Room allows you to) get that firsthand exposure to that art form up close and personal and that might inspire somebody to be a musician, to be an artist, to be a vocalist, to be a rapper, to be a guitarist, who knows? But they need to see it up close and personal and know that it’s attainable," Fitzpatrick said.

"It’s about time for people to see that this city has way more to offer than what is at first glance and we need to highlight these things," he continued. "Some of these cats that are coming through are some of the best musicians and artists in the state and it’s really, really pivotal that we take a really good listen to it and are respecting the art that's coming from here in order to build on from those branches."

For more information about the Rehearsal Room, or to donate, email vword@blvcksheepmusic.com or visit blvcksheepmusic.com.

Contact reporter Greyson Steele at gsteele@battlecreekenquirer.com

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Blvcksheep Record Label keeps growing "something sustainable" with concert series