COLLABORATION 2025: KEEP LOOKING UP!
Joe Peters and Michael Kelsey Present: Collaboration 2025: Keep Looking Up!
When: Friday, September 12th at 7:30pm
Where: Delphi Opera House in Delphi, Indiana
Mark your calendars and get your tickets for the Collaboration 2025 concert featuring Joe Peters, Michael Kelsey, and many special guests!
You can buy tickets to see Collaboration 2025 on September 12th on the Delphi Opera House's website. In anticipation of this exciting event, you can scroll down to learn more about the incredible group of writers, musicians and other collaborators who make this event possible.
This ambitious event is only possible thanks to these special guests, many of them members of SAMI, who will be joining Peters and Kelsey on an eclectic set list of original songs. You can savor all these songs and more on the album version via Bandcamp (COLLABORATION 2025: Keep Looking Up).
Joe Peters
Joe Peters came to the life of a performing songwriter and recording artist by a very convoluted path. Joe pursued three degrees, including a Ph.D. in natural resources management, and his subsequent environmental work took him to South America, Southeast Asia and Africa. However, he left his academic teaching and research career behind in 2005, turning to full-time songwriting, recording and performing, returning to his native Indiana after a thirty-year absence. Joe has released 18 CDs of original, contemporary folk-rock songs, and continues to perform in both the Midwest and California.
Michael Kelsey
Michael Kelsey is a national award-winning guitarist who brings a free-flowing improvisational style to the guitar that involves every inch of his instrument.
Meet The Collaborators
John Lacy
John has been playing guitar and writing songs for over 25 years, sharing his love of music around intimate campfires, open mic nights, and performances with fellow musicians. John was once one half of the Lafayette-based duo Rust Buckets before settling in Indianapolis, and is also a long time member of SAMI. Today, he calls Indianapolis home with his wife, Liz, and their two dogs, Juneau and Lucy. When he’s not making music, John works as an Automation Engineer/Project Engineer in the Indianapolis area. For this concert, he will be performing "Shadowman" by Frederick Michaels.
Vickie Maris
Vickie Maris is an Indiana-based singer songwriter with musical roots going back to her upbringing in West Lafayette and Purdue University. She is an accomplished lyricist, accordionist, rhythm guitarist and vocalist. Her highly-acclaimed 2022 debut solo album, Another Universe, brought her opportunities to tour with her band at fairs and festivals throughout the region. Maris' project, produced by award-winning touring guitarist, Michael Kelsey, has been featured on several significant Spotify playlists, bringing international plays for several of her songs including Mourning Dove, "Fine Wine", "Is It Tomorrow" and "Extra Steps". She has recorded her recent singles with Grammy-nominated producer Matt Coles, at Compass Records in Nashville. He collaborated with Kelsey, who added guitars and recorded Maris' vocals in Indianapolis. Her next song to release that represents this combined effort is "Crescent Moon".
Nelu Lazar
NELU LAZAR (Neh-loo Lahzr) is a Romanian-American singer-songwriter, producer, co-founder of acoustic & rock bands, prosodic book writer, aspiring actor - time permitting. Nelu’s vocal interpretation is mesmerizing and his audience is always enthralled when he plays acoustic guitar - and some cobza (cob-zah) - versions of traditional fiddling, world romani, alternative folk, folk-rock, grunge, punk, and rock genres, including his original songs from his albums and folk and rock operas he released so far - and some surprises for each unique audience and each distinctive show. Nelu Lazar is also the author of the book and rock opera The Seasons' Journey soon to be published as a music album, as well as the author of the poems book and the folk opera "of times from afar, of times from ages" that he published in Romanian in 2023 and will be produced in English very soon.
Cheryl Fletcher
Cheryl Fletcher is a singer/ songwriter from Lafayette, Indiana, and a member of the Songwriters Association of Mid North Indiana. A few years ago, Cheryl recorded her project, “It’s About Time” with Michael Kelsey and the generous support of her longtime friend, Joe Peters. In the summer of 2023, Cheryl recorded vocals on the song “Kitty Hawk” that appears on the album, Collaboration, envisioned and created by Joe Peters. Cheryl joined the large ensemble of collaborators in a live performance of that same album at the Delphi Opera House in August of that year. Never able to say “no” to a good collaboration, Cheryl happily joins in again for the epic night of music Collaboration 2025
You can find Cheryl playing guitar and singing on any given Sunday in the worship band, “Lee Anna and the Resolvers” at Brady Lane Church in Lafayette, IN and occasionally out in the community at a Farmers Market or Community event.
Scott Milks
Hi, my name is Scott Milks. I am a singer-songwriter from Lafayette, Indiana and I've been recording most of my life. I have 17 albums, countless hours in the studio, and I also occasionally perform live, now and then. I am a member of the Songwriters Association of Mid-North Indiana, or SAMI. I have 270 songs listed on ASCAP! I have been married for 27 years and I have 2 grown kids, and in my limited spare time you can find me each fall on the sidelines as the Head Coach of the Lafayette Central Catholic Men’s Soccer team! Go Knights :)