Petaluma teen open mic night fosters creativity

At first glance, the bustling atmosphere of Aqus Café at the Foundry Wharf may appear reflect every other popular coffee shop in the area.

Men and women from the office complex relax with a cup of coffee and a newspaper on their break. Mothers’ groups meet in the morning after dropping their kids off at school, and in the afternoon, students can be seen hunched over textbooks and laptops, drinking lattes or talking to their friends.

On the back wall beside the kitchen is a huge chalkboard and on any given day, visitors can catch a glimpse of the eclectic schedule that makes Aqus one of the best community centers in town. From language groups to live music, the cafe’s nightlife is one that appeals to people from all different backgrounds and interests.

After taking a closer look, cafe goers will notice something more atypical for the live performance scene: a teen open mic night, which takes place on the first Wednesday of each month from 7-9 p.m.

For the past year, it has been a student-run, student-based open mic that’s a nod to the community’s support for music at the elementary, middle, and high school level.

David Brouillette, the president of the Petaluma High School Music Boosters, was inspired to create the event for teens at Aqus in an attempt to expand the definition of “community” to include younger performers, he said.

“I had the idea for an open mic for teens instead of adults to give them a chance to get out there and perform in front of an audience,” he said. “Kids usually don’t have a lot of opportunities for an open mic and (adults) tend to take over the place. This is a chance for them to try something new or different than what they’re doing in school.”

Along with his role as the president of the Music Boosters, David is in charge of booking gigs for the cafe and often collaborates with cafe founder and owner John Crowley on ideas for community activities.

Crowley recognized the importance of a teen presence in the community, and worked with David to make the open mic night a reality.

“Providing teens with their first public performance is a huge thing for anyone. Having a space where family, friends and relatives can experience a great concert is a big part of community building,” Crowley said.

After securing a spot on the cafe’s notoriously packed schedule, David turned to the co-presidents of the music department at Petaluma High School. His son, band president and senior Jesse Brouillette and choir captain Violet Deardorff assist in organizing the event and setting up the stage each month. A core group of about eight musicians attend regularly, but the event’s receptive atmosphere could encourage more performers to come in the future.

“A lot of people who are now performing regularly didn’t at first. They would come to the open mic and watch, and then realize that everyone is really inviting and no one is going to judge you based on how talented you are,” Jesse said.

While some musicians choose to perform with the same instrument they use in high school band, others see it as a place to develop their skill on another instrument, or in a different style than what is usually played in school. Senior Gio Mendez attends Casa Grande High School and has used open mic nights to hone his jazz skills.

“I always love making music with new musicians and I am more of a jazz musician so it sounded like a great event to attend,” Mendez said. “It’s also a great learning experience for me because I get to play with musicians that are better than me and I can pick up a thing or two from these guys.”

Which is, at the end of the day, the main goal of Aqus Cafe: to foster and build relationships within the community. While this event has been predominantly filled with musicians, both father and son agree that the mic is open to other mediums of performance. Whether a student is interested in pursuing music as a career or simply wants an outlet to develop a skill, the open mic night draws teens into a community that offers opportunities to give back and to grow from one another.

“It would be cool to have some kids from all different schools to do a couple songs together,” David said. “It does a lot for bringing schools together, bringing kids together, and promoting music.”