Check Out Alexander Vlachos’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexander Vlachos. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I currently own a 111-year-old house in Detroit. It has been in disrepair after years of neglect but still carries an essence to it with aged wallpaper, time-worn wooden floors, bow windows, and other original architectural elements. The Greater Impact House is the center of making my latest project a reality — a new residency program for career-driven and established musicians and artists in and around Detroit. In order to bring this vision to life, I have been launching yearly crowdfunding campaigns focused on transforming each major repair of the house beginning with a new roof, plumbing, and electrical. The idea of rebuilding a home stems from my own experiences of finding a way to overcome my struggles in mental health. My upbringing left me emotionally scarred to a lifelong struggle with mental health and substance use. Taking out the harmful substances opened up space for creating through music and helped me overcome my anxieties and depression. I want to offer a space where artists can do the same with any creative medium they have to offer. To be offered a residency where artists and musicians from around the world can live and work in a substance-free space, drawing on the power of their own creativity. This residency will be unique in that it focuses on the whole well-being of each artist, not just providing physical space to create work. I will be as involved or uninvolved as people need, offering healthy routines of eating, creating, and meditating that they can follow. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The process of finding the right contractors has been the most challenging aspect of this project. Poor workmanship was experienced many times throughout the years when I first acquired the house and am thankful to finally be on the right path of repairs when the roof was installed. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am mostly known for my music creations. I was named Metro Detroit’s best songwriter by the city’s alt-weekly. My original piano and guitar works have been featured in ads for Mass Mutual, Dwell Magazine, Facebook, Amazon, Jeep, and Dodge, as well as the Comedy Central series “Detroiters.” My full-length debut release “Positive Love” was re-released on CD and vinyl in Japan where it sold out. 

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Detroit offers a vast amount of different styled architectural designs. Detroit has received critical draw in recent years bringing in more small businesses with new offerings of restaurants and artists are flocking in because of affordable housing. I personally love the different coffee shops available and local farms like Fish Eye Farms offering food for nearby restaurants. The thing that I like least about the city is that there is still a long way to go in terms of more grocery store availability. Desolate blocks with houses in disrepair still need fixing up or need to be demolished. 

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: http://www.greaterimpacthouse.com
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/greaterimpacthouse
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greaterimpacthouse
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/greateralexander
• Other: http://www.greateralexander.com

Image Credits
Zach Hegy
Megan McIsaac
Erin Marie Miller
Zach Hagy
Freddy Foote