2nd Annual Benefit at Cervantes is Nov. 24th
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The Autumn Equinox offers us the opportunity to release stagnant energies, reflect on growth and set intentions. For me, Fall has always been a time where health and physical activity become a huge focus, almost effortlessly - my power season! It's also a time to express gratitude for the harvest, whatever the particular fruits of our labor may be. So, it's a perfect moment to thank all of you for your ongoing support and share a few milestones!
These are some of the main highlights I wanted to share. But, more than anything, I want to reiterate my immense gratitude. Not only for your donations and purchases, which so clearly keep us growing. But for the kind words and heartfelt remembrances of my son you continue to share with me personally. You keep me going, literally. It's my hope that we are not only working to take care of each other, but in the process, are making Charlie proud.
With love & gratitude,
Beth
Building a sanctuary on a breathtaking piece of land to be used for healing, creativity, and rejuvenation by the music community that Charles was integral to, is an essential part of Crown The Foundation’s mission. Thanks to your incredible support, we are pleased to announce that we have begun moving towards this goal much sooner than anticipated. With an initial investment of $15,000 set aside specifically for this purpose, what started as a dream now seems a lot clearer.
Charles thrived in nature and his music both derived from and reflected his connection to it. Paradoxically, his relatively rapid rise as an artist, and the performance demands that came along with it, meant that he had far less time to spend in the wild and peaceful spaces that truly inspired him. Building a place to honor his legacy that can serve the community in beneficial ways is what we hope to accomplish. This seed fund is the first small step.
Check in for updates, reach out with your thoughts or contribute.
With Love & Gratitude,
Beth Ingalls
Co-Founder/Executive Director
by Brooke Nelson
CharlestheFirst was a beacon of light in the bass music community that can never be replaced, and CrowntheFoundation is determined to continue his legacy. If you’re unfamiliar with this new non-profit foundation, there’s no time like now to get to know its mission. Founded by the people closest to Charles’ heart, his family, friends, and collaborators joined together with a mission to nurture health, creativity, and resilience within the community. It’s safe to say that with these beautiful souls around to carry the torch, Charles’ presence will always live within this community.
The mural looms just outside of the Mission Ballroom in RiNo: a striking portrait of a young man wearing a beanie atop a tangle of wavy, brown hair. He’s superimposed upon a backdrop of mountains and flowers, and his eyes glean brightly while he flashes a toothy smile. In any given week, tens of thousands of concert-goers pass by the image; they pass beneath the gaze of CharlestheFirst.
Although Charles Ingalls may have called California’s Truckee home, the musician forged a lasting legacy in Denver. Going by the stage name CharlestheFirst, Ingalls specialized in bass music, and his signature electronic sound—low, throbbing frequencies interplayed with rich, ethereal melodies—could be heard during his frequent visits to perform at local venues big and small, from Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom to Red Rocks Amphitheatre. In December 2021, Ingalls died during a tour stop in Nashville, Tennessee, from what a coroner determined to be an accidental overdose. Thousands amassed for the 25-year-old’s memorial concert at RiNo’s Mission Ballroom the following month—which was when the mural of him by artist Brittney Sundquist was unveiled.
Now, Ingalls’s family has launched CrownTheFoundation, a nonprofit that intends to build a nature retreat for musicians, complete with lodging, a room for healing practices, and a fully-equipped studio. “Once established,” the foundation’s website states, “the location will become a place for artists to take time off from the road, serve as a setting for a wide variety of workshops accessible to artists and members of the community, and ideally as a venue for small scale gatherings and events.”
Already, thousands of people have followed the foundation’s Instagram page since it launched on November 25—Ingalls’s birthday. And in a statement written by Ingalls’s mother and brothers, they say, “It’s hard to quantify the number of his fans who have reached out to say that his music saved their lives—not only during the pandemic, but before and after. It’s painfully ironic that the music he created had the power to heal and soothe so many, but that he had so much difficulty finding what he needed to heal himself.”
Serving as one of the foundation’s board members, Hunter Braymer—who also performs under the stage name Potions and co-founded a music and art collective along with Ingalls and Supertask called Lab Group—says that he feels similarly about the power of his late friend’s music. In an email to 5280, Braymer wrote, “In many ways, it is reductive to just see CharlestheFirst as a bass music artist or a dance music artist. Charles never tried to emulate what was popular or obvious. Instead, he would flip his inspirations on their head and sonically translate them into a world of his own making. His musical influences spanned far and wide. I am just as big of a fan and admirer of his music as everyone else. I will always listen to him and carry his influence with me.”Here in Denver, which some claim is the “Bass Capital of the World,” yet another telling tribute is the number of Colorado musicians and industry veterans who count CharlestheFirst among their most important influences. Here are what some of them have to say:
CloZee
DJ and producer, founder of Odyzey Music
I learn from his music all the time just by listening to it. He had such a unique way of creating his bass and drum sounds: They’re so bubbly and rounded. And his sound design work was both beautiful and powerful. We collaborated in 2016 [on a remix, and later on “The Mist,” a single], and I’m grateful to have toured with him that year; he was always doing amazing things.
Josh Teed
Producer and instrumentalist
Charles’ music to me always will be the pinnacle of emotionality through bass music. More often than not, I feel that bass music is geared toward getting that crowd reaction and going hard. Charles’ music opened a lot of minds to a whole other aspect of creativity and expression within the genre. The way he was able to transport a listener to a different place will stick with me for life.
Orenda
DJ and producer
When I first heard and saw Charles perform, in 2016 at a festival in California, I was blown away and knew that this was the kind of sound and story I wanted to tell through my own music. He proved that you could play soft, raw, and emotional music in a bass music set and it would be received well by even the biggest crowds. This is something no one really knew was possible. The sky was suddenly the limit for us all.
Scott Morrill
Owner of Cervantes, board member of CrownTheFoundation
I had the privilege of being his first promoter in Denver and we developed a great friendship. He was always lifting up his musician friends who were just getting started by making sure they were included on lineups. One story his agent told me: [Ingalls] requested his name be smaller on a festival poster, because he wanted to be the same size as everyone else, which I have never heard of anyone doing. His music will live on forever, but I think perhaps the biggest impression he left on others was his kindness.
CrownTheFoundation is fostering change by creating a beacon for the bass music community to become the best versions of themselves.
It’s been almost a year since we lost one of the brightest lights in the bass music community, CharlestheFirst. A deep, genuine love for fans, friends, family, and community was always apparent in Charles’ life, and it’s missed every day. Although he is no longer physically here with us, his presence is still felt within the bass music scene. His closest companions within the scene and his beloved family continually honor him and bring his energy to light. Today they have opened the door to more healing and growth for our community.
Bringing artists from all avenues within the community to the forefront is a core factor of this foundation, which is why they have several artists visible on their official website for you to support. Visual artists, live mural painters, AI media, Clothing, Jewelry, and any medium in between are seen and valued at CrownTheFoundation. They hope to elevate them and their talents as best they can and provide rejuvenation for their minds, body, and soul when needed.
CrownTheFoundation.org
20 Kohlepp Ave. Reno, Nevada 89509, United States
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