CONTENTS
THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021 • THE BULLETIN
talent
GO! MAGAZINE • PAGE 3
The Bulletin and Scalehouse, a collaborative for the arts, have joined together to raise
donations to help Central Oregon’s creative artists — musicians, visual artists, performers
and creative workers — by offering grants and a platform to bring attention to local
amazing talent. This is a crowdfunding effort with a first-round fundraising goal of $40,000.
To make a tax-deductible donation or apply for a grant, go to bendbulletin.com/talent
Patterson’s music is meant to heal
BY DAVID JASPER
The Bulletin
T
he COVID-19 pandemic profoundly al-
tered life for a lot of people, among them
singer-songwriter Michalis Patterson.
Patterson, 24, is this week’s Central Oregon
Creative Artists Relief Effort, a grant program
from The Bulletin and Scalehouse Collaborative
for the Arts, which aims to provide some
financial relief for creatives whose work has
been thwarted by the pandemic.
There’s a worldliness about Patterson, 24, that
can be heard in his music. Perhaps he’s an old
soul. Or maybe it’s because he has performed
around the world, in locales such as Sicily, New
Zealand and the United Kingdom, playing ven-
ues from cafes to mental health clinics. Part of
Patterson’s mission being to dispense his mu-
sic as medicine, a balm to help people suffering
from depression, suicidal thoughts or other cri-
ses. Prior to the start of the pandemic, he’d even
earned a place on the NBC music competition
“The Voice,” though COVID-19 changed that
plan, too.
Upon his return to Central Oregon last year,
he spent a stretch of time working construc-
tion and other jobs to make ends meet. Prior
to moving back to Bend, Patterson had been
working for Monqui Presents, a Portland-based
music production company that, until this sea-
son, had booked the acts for Les Schwab Am-
phitheater.
Growing up in Sisters, he was involved in the
Americana Project, a music and arts program
from Sisters School District and Sisters Folk Fes-
tival.
“I was pretty privileged to grow up in the
Americana program,” he said last week. “It was
CO CARE s
almost growing up in a private school there. I
mean, there was a lot of funding for the arts and
stuff like that.”
Upon graduating, he had earned a scholar-
ship to go to nursing school, but as Keb’ Mo’
once told him, “If you hate what you do, you
hate your life.”
“And I chose to be a musician, and I toured
and I bought a ticket to New Zealand, toured all
around the North Island, and then from there I
was hooked,” he said. “I was touring all around,
and I realized I had a pretty unique key to be
able to do that. I didn’t need money or anything
like that. I didn’t need $20,000 in the bank. I just
needed a guitar, and that enabled me to fund
residencies in Europe or the Middle East and all
kinds of stuff, and be able to help people from
that platform.”
Patterson is ready for the return of live music,
in his current concert production work at Les
Schwab Amphitheater and his own burgeoning
career. Upcoming shows include a June 24 set at
Depot Deli in Sisters, July 2 at Eqwine Wine Bar
in Redmond and July 3 at Elk Lake Resort. He’s
writing and recording an in-progress album and
working production for Les Schwab Amphithe-
ater as it readies for the season ahead.
David Jasper: 541-383-0349, djasper@bendbulletin.com
Julie Lynn Photography/Submitted photo
Singer-songwriter Michalis Patterson came up through the Sisters School District and
Sisters Folk Festival’s arts education program the Americana Project.
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