Riley Benak



Projects by Riley Benak

From a Joke to a Jam: IU student band shares their journey

By Riley Benak, Luca Ferraioli and Camilla Fiorenza

BLOOMINGTON, IND. (Apr. 3, 2025) – Indiana University Sophomore Ethan Kerschner has been working hard outside of his management major, being lead singer in the student-run band, “In Bloom”.

Every Wednesday night at 7 p.m., the hum of music and laughter spills out of a Bloomington home. It’s not just another college hangout—it’s band practice for In Bloom, a rising student group blending friendship, creative passion, and raw talent into original songs that are turning heads both on campus and beyond.

At the heart of In Bloom is Ethan Kerschner

Lead singer Ethan Kerschner on main vocals. Seen practicing their original songs, as well as covers. Photos captured by Riley Benak

, the band’s lead singer and a management major at Indiana University. Ethan leads weekly jam sessions with guitarist Frankie Petroff and drummer Sullivan Watson, weaving together new tracks in the warmth of Frankie’s kitchen.

Frankie with his iconic electric guitar. Being lead guitarist results in many hours around the kitchen table learning new cord patterns and sounds. Photos captured by Riley Benak

“We’ll sit around the table, sometimes with no real plan, and just bounce ideas back and forth,” Ethan says. “It’s super collaborative. Someone will hum a melody or pull inspiration from a song we all love, and suddenly we’re onto something.”

This spontaneous yet intentional approach shows their creative process. The band’s chemistry, both musical and personal, is what makes their sound so unique. Frankie brings in slick electric guitar riffs that complement Ethan’s vocals, while Sullivan keeps everything grounded with tight, dynamic percussion.

The trio has been practicing consistently for months, refining both original songs and covers. Their hard work paid off when they were selected to be featured in Live From Bloomington, an annual campus fundraiser and music showcase where student bands submit their original work for a chance to be included on a compilation CD. The chosen tracks are professionally produced and released at a launch party each October, with proceeds going toward local causes.

“It’s a really cool way to get your music out there while supporting something bigger than yourself,” Ethan explains.

In preparation, In Bloom will head into the renowned Jacobs School of Music recording studios this April to lay down tracks. The experience marks a new chapter for the band, taking their homemade sound to a professional level.

With roughly 800 plays on their SoundCloud page (@InBloom), the group is slowly building a loyal following. Their music reflects a blend of indie rock, alternative, and a dash of retro influence, but it’s hard to box them into a single genre.

“We’re just figuring it out as we go,” says Frankie. “Every song is kind of its own thing.”

Outside of the band, each member juggles full course loads, jobs, and social lives. But their shared love of music is the glue that holds it all together.

Sullivan on drums. Keeping the band on beat, in tempo, and balanced this drummer is well versed in percussion. Photos captured by Riley Benak

Sullivan, who studies psychology, credits their success not just to practice, but to the bond they’ve built as friends. “There’s a level of trust and openness that you need to be creative together,” he says. “No one’s afraid to throw out a weird idea, and that’s what makes the best stuff happen.”

For an outside perspective, we spoke with Ella, also an Indian University student and Frankie’s girlfriend. She’s seen the band evolve over time and has become one of their biggest supporters.

“They’re always pushing each other to be better, and you can tell they care a lot about what they’re making,” she says. “It’s fun to watch them work together—and honestly, some of their songs are stuck in my head all the time.”

That kind of impact is exactly what In Bloom is hoping for. More than anything, the band wants to create music that connects.

“We’re not trying to be famous or anything,” Ethan says, laughing. “We just want to make stuff that means something to people. If someone hears our song and it makes their day a little better, that’s enough.”

As the October launch party approaches and studio time looms, In Bloom is stepping into a new phase. But no matter how far they go, their foundation remains simple: friends, music, and the kind of creative spark that lights up kitchens on quiet Wednesday nights.

You can catch their music on SoundCloud at @InBloom, and stay tuned for their debut on the Live From Bloomington CD this fall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjDLAvcLnHY

 

Apple Introduces its newest product, the Apple Watch

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts
Sayje Jaffe
Riley Benak
Mary Majeski

CUPERTINO, California (Sept. 9, 2014) – The Apple Watch is the most personable device Apple has created yet. It is a computer on your wrist. The Apple watch will allow you to zoom, scroll, send messages, check your calendar, see your heart rate, all while on the go. The new device keeps true to the original idea of a watch, while at the same time expanding upon it in order to create a digital helper.

The Apple Watch is  a precise device that includes a customizable time-piece, Tim Cook continues “It is synchronized with the universal time standard, and is accurate within plus or minus 50 milliseconds.” The watch is personalizable, in which you can change the colors and apps organization to make it tailored to your taste. Apple CEO, Tim Cook states “We created new intimate ways to connect and communicate, directly from your wrist.”

Professor using new Apple Watch product to quickly respond to an email.
Indiana University Professor uses the Apple watch to respond to emails and texts messages effectively without having to glance at her phone.

The Apple Watch can also work in tandem with the iphone. Connecting everything from your handheld iphone to your wrist. The watch also is a fitness device that allows the user to set health and fitness goals such as amount of steps per day, cycling, higher heart rate on runs. The watch is equipped with a GPS that can track how far you have moved allowing the user to gain a complete picture of their all day activity, not just highlighting the quantity of movement but the quality as well. Apple did not want to take the iphone and shrink the interface, but instead, decided to create a digital crown on the side of the apple watch in order to make it easy for users to scroll. Tim Cook explains the digital crown “includes infrared LEDs and photodiodes that translate rotary movement into digital data.” The digital crown controls the Apple Watch. It is how users scroll, zoom and read.

“We have conceived, designed and developed the Apple Watch as a completely singular product… You can’t determine a boundary between the physical object and the

software. We’re introducing an unparalleled level of technical innovation, combined with a design that connects with the wearer at an intimate level, to both embrace individuality and inspire desire.” says Senior Vice President of Design, Jony Ive.

The watch activates its display when it senses that the user is about to use it. Navigation is fluid with the digital crown. The digital crown is the home button, the zoom in – zoom out, and the adjustment button. Each app is expected to be used for low, lightweight interaction. The watch also allows for dictation making it easy to respond to messages throughout the day. The display screen senses force. Jony Ive says that “tiny electrodes around the display, recognize a difference between a tap and a press” giving users instant access to a range of contextually specific controls. Apple has developed a linear engine in the Apple Watch that provides taptic feedback and a water resistant speaker, leading to a distinct gradation experience. The heart of the watch consists of a chip of multi systems that is programmed to protect the electronics. The range of watch faces included on the display provides functionality and customization.

Women using her Apple Watch to track her exercise
Student at Indiana University riding her bike while her Apple Watch conveniently tracks her progress and fitness levels.

The customization dives beyond the interface. Apple has designed 6 different straps and a mechanism which makes straps easily interchangeable. The sport band  is a sweat and chemical resistant high performance elastomer. The leather loop is soft and quilted, concealing magnets for fast adjustment. The solid leather closes with a metal clasp, wrapping symmetrically around the wrist. The simple leather classic buckle is modeled after a traditional watch. The stainless steel link bracelet is slim, containing a 2.6 millimeter band. The Milanese loop is made out of a flexible stainless steel mesh, completed with a magnetic closure.

Tim Cook  introduces Apples newest product the Apple Watch and shows off some of the amazing features offered. 

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