McKenzie Gelo performing at Manifestavibe, a music festival which took place in Sunbury, OH.
By McKenzie C. Gelo (BA, 2023)
In August of 2021, I enrolled in Arts Entrepreneurship 3690, a class taught by Dr. Rachel Skaggs. I have always had a strong interest in this field of the arts, as I am always thinking about ways to give a platform to local artists in Columbus. Early in the class, Dr. Skaggs announced that the final project would include using our own skills and strengths to earn $100. At the time, my interests were based in music administration so there was no doubt in my mind that I would do something pertaining to that. In many ways, I was lucky because shortly after the announcement I was introduced to Stryker Spratt and Avery Rak. They were looking for someone to help organize and create a music festival at their property in Sunbury, Ohio.
We had less than eight weeks to bring the entire festival together. Naming it “Manifestavibe” and working against time, we brought out eight local bands and artists from all over Ohio on October 23, 2021 including Cosmic Graffiti, Hannah Bauer, Sparky and The Hills, Cellar Dwellar, The Infinite Improbability Drive, The Fifth House, and Forever Unknown. We also were able to secure insurance, design a logo, create a social media presence, hire a local food truck, build a fully working stage, produce t-shirts, and most importantly sell tickets so we could give back to our artists that made this music festival possible.
In the end, each band walked away with what Dr. Skaggs had initially challenged us to earn. This experience was extremely eye-opening, as I learned how to manage my time efficiently and lead a group of people from creation to production. I had to organize and devise tasks accordingly, using my connections and understanding of how a company is managed to achieve my success. I am extremely grateful and proud of what my team and myself have accomplished and though we were unable to have the music festival this year, we hope to bring a sequel next year!
