As a kid I was pretty heavily involved in a theatre group called All-of-us Express Children’s Theatre. I met a lot of my greatest friends there, as well as just some amazing creative people. It had a huge part in making me who I am today, and I believe that to be true of many of their alumni, some of whom have gone on to do fabulous things. Recently I’ve been looking back on one kid in particular. He always seemed like a bit of a sourpuss, and spoke extremely rapidly. When auditioning for a play, he would cold read just as rapidly as he spoke. Many of us got a kick out of him. Now that kid is all grown up. Insanely smart, it would behoove you not to get into an argument with him about almost anything, and he still looks like a bit of a sour puss.

All that being said, he is doing marvelously creative things on the Lansing music scene as Big Walt. He performs frequently in the area and is slowly releasing his work as he can afford to produce it on the Big Walt website. I can easily admit that I listen as his singles are released, and I’m excited to see where he goes. He needs all the support he can get, and I hope you’ll follow him on facebook, where you can find out about his upcoming shows, collaborations, and releases.

Since I generally photograph babies, weddings, and the occasional high school senior, I was pleased to be offered the chance to photograph Big Walt for promotional purposes. He was very easygoing about the session and asked only that we not do anything “cliche like railroad tracks”. Still wanting something a little edgier, I chose a parking garage in downtown Lansing that was mostly abandoned for the day (they were re-caulking the joints, and eventually asked us to leave for fear we’d track wet caulk everywhere). We had fun catching up and talking about old times, and I think we got some fun images out of it too, which he will hopefully be able to use in his endeavors. Keep a look out for Big Walt at a show near you, and don’t forget to support your local artists and musicians!