Stealing Oceans, Mutual Groove, and the ConnerStrong foundation are teaming up with Jammin’ Java to provide a night of music, inspiration, and a coming-together to raise awareness of mental health and suicide.
w/ Special Guest Ben Hardesty of The Last Bison
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Brian Thompson better known by his stage name Stealing Oceans is a Nashville-based hip-hop fusion artist striving to inspire others with his message to Stay Youthful, Be Grateful, and Always Love.
For three consecutive years, Stealing Oceans has been nominated for “Best Live Act” at the Nashville Industry Music Awards. On stage, Thompson is accompanied by a band made up of his 5 closest friends. Their live performance brings unmatched energy, audience participation, and even backflips to the stage, where it is clear the band shines as an encouraging influence for fans.
Stealing Oceans recently signed a management deal with Starstruck Entertainment. His debut single, “Blueprint”, released in October 2017, and forthcoming single, “Follow the Lights”, highlight the trail-blazer sentiment of EP, Let The Kids Play slated to be released in 2018.
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Mutual Groove is a drummer and bassist duo comprised of DMart (David Martin, drums) and PGravy (Pat Graves, bass). Their intent is to be a multi-faceted rhythm section by not only creating and recording their own music, but also being the rhythm section for anyone who needs an experienced drummer and bassist, whether on recording, or live on stage. With The Funk Brothers of Motown as their main inspiration, Mutual Groove aim to be the rhythm section you think of when drums and bass come to mind.
David and Pat started playing music together ten years ago as the rhythm section for the three-piece rock band, Wings of Apollo. From the beginning, they had a natural way of connecting through the art of playing music, and have since provided drums and bass for over seventy five musicians. Around Nashville, Martin and Graves are known for their high energy performances and ability to lock in as a single unit.
Mutual Groove believes that the power of music brings people together in a way that nothing else can. It grants the ability to create communities almost instantly, whether it be between the players themselves, or the people that are listening to them. They warmly embrace the gift of being able to create music, and only wish to share the experience with as many of you as possible.
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Ben Hardesty (The Last Bison) have stampeded down from the mountaintop and landed in the wild lands; they inhabit world rhythms, ambient oases and crystalline stone-cathedrals that echo out into the night. After 2014 sessions polishing their more pastoral arrangements into larger visions for the LP VA and EP Dorado, Last Bison have gone through a lineup change and pushed even further into a grander sonic landscape that they’ve felt their arrangements always deserved. The sound is not so much a departure from the previous vision of stark and lush chamber folk, but a broader stroke from the same intimate brush that originally drew fans to the music and members. Now, Last Bison are ready to express the passion they’ve poured into their project since inception in more fully formed maturity and share their hearts anew, for the first time, once again.
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ConnerStrong Foundation
On October 1, 2016, our family’s faith was shaken and our world turned upside down when we received news that our son Conner had died by suicide. If you’ve never lost a loved one to suicide, you cannot imagine the pain and the intensity of the emotional roller coaster that comes with it. It’s crippling…it’s agonizing…it’s terrifying…it’s the worst possible thing that one could ever go through.
Conner was 17 years old. He was insanely handsome, was a fantastic athlete, and a good student. Conner was a son, a brother, a grandson, a nephew, a cousin and a friend. Conner was sweet, generous, loving, kind, smart (and smart-assed!), witty and hilarious. Conner was a piece of the puzzle that makes up our great big family, and without his piece we are no longer whole. It’s true, the rest of us are strong and are holding our pieces together so firmly as not to fall apart, but we were much stronger when his piece was in place.
Since that moment, our extensive family, friends, community and even those we have never met, came to us. They offered love, support, words of comfort and an assurance we were not alone.
While we have lost our child, we have chosen to not have his death be in vain. We know that we are not the first ones to suffer such a loss. We also know that this type of loss is becoming all to frequent. Taking Conner’s memory and turning our loss into something positive, this is the ConnerStrong way.
There are organizations that are focused on suicide prevention and awareness, especially in our teens and young adults. We also recognize that there are organizations that help families and communities pick up the pieces after such a loss. Our family and others would not be able to move forward in life without them.
We cannot change the world by ourselves, but just like the butterfly effect, a small flutter of a butterfly’s wings can make a difference in the world.
Conner is our butterfly.
Please visit our other pages to find out who we are helping and how we are doing it. We hope you will join us in this effort.
