April Doner
I'm an ABCD practitioner, storyteller / roving illustrator and coach / consultant based in Indianapolis, IN. I was drawn to community and knowing peoples' gifts from a very young age, but found the words that matched my passion in college in 2005 when my favorite Sociology professor handed me the "big green book" (McKnight & Kretzmann's original ABCD book.) I practice ABCD in my own neighborhood and most recently have been leading a national project coaching capturing learnings from museums and libraries who are engaging with their communities using an ABCD framework. I have a wonderful 3 year old daughter and also enjoy exploring how ABCD helps parents, children and families thrive through my own experiments in cultivating neighborly mutuality in my own life.

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Open Mics: Connecting & Growing Local Talent

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By: April Doner
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Hi Friends! Here is an article I recently published in a local online newspaper I write for. To me it shows how economic and creative development happens naturally when people are connecting and sharing their gifts in a welcoming space, as well as the power of community and social networks to transmit information. I had a lot of fun writing this article!

The first part is below, then please click on link for full article. Also if you like it, please be sure to click "Like" on the linked page! (it pays to follow the link by the way, there's a beautiful video of one of the singers featured)

OPEN MICS: Growing and Connecting Local Talent

Last Tuesday, I was enjoying a date with a lovely person at Busch Gardens during the day, when I got a text from my friend Alisdair Lee inviting me to come see him play a few new songs at Growler's Pub's Open Mic Night around 10 p.m.

It had been a long day, including a 90-minute wait for a roller coaster as the sky poured and rumbled in true Florida summer style --- but in the spirit of supporting a friend and fellow artist, we went.
I ended up getting much more than I bargained for: Besides soaking up some incredible performances, I gained a great new insight into this phenomenon that has always held a magnetic pull for me ... and I hatched a new Sarasota adventure plan!

I learned that open mics play a unique and powerful role in the creative development of our local music/performance scene and economy. To go deeper into this, I've decided to launch a "Roving Open Mic Sarasota Tour," with monthly report-backs via This Week in Sarasota on the following questions:

  • What, in essence, are these things called "open mics?"
  • When and where are they happening in Sarasota, and what is the "flavor" of each one?
  • What value do they hold for musicians, music-lovers, the venues that host them ... and the rest of us?
* * *

The Growler's open mic was a great evening. I watched my friend perform some new material with his unique style of nuanced, well-crafted lyrics and surprising chords. I chatted with friends and drank probably too much delicious craft beer (love me some Oatmeal Stout!). Friend and talented poet Zachariah Skylab read two of his compositions, including "When I Sang Godfire."

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