The historic stage at The Ark in Ann Arbor will welcome two distinct local musical forces on June 4. Organized under the banner of the Voices series, the performance brings together Kyler Wilkins—the vocal architect, beatboxer, and live looper who performs as Ki5—and Al Bettis, a singer, songwriter, and storyteller whose blend of soul and folk roots itself deeply in vulnerability.
Both artists share an intense connection to the local community, yet their journeys to the stage began in different ways. For Wilkins, music was a lifelong pursuit that wound through Ann Arbor high school and college a cappella before evolving into a solo craft.
“Loop stations were just starting to become popular, so I got my own loop station, started creating my own vocal arrangements, and the rest is history,” Wilkins said.
Bettis, conversely, discovered his musical calling much later.
“I picked up a guitar on my 30th birthday out of boredom, and my journey began,” Bettis said. “Over the years, my journey has shifted from simply learning how to express myself to learning how to connect with others.”
Shaping the sound
Both performers have built unique sonic identities by blending a wide array of raw emotional experiences with diverse musical inspirations. Wilkins traces a line from contemporary indie and rhythm and blues to pioneering solo loopers.
“I think Reggie Watts has been a huge influence because before I got my loop station, I was looking at how people were making music on their own, and I found Reggie’s style incredibly freeing,” Wilkins said. “Mimicking a cappella groups, and also contemporary artists, artists like Bon Iver were huge for me… developing my own songwriting style to be some, some storytelling, and kind of reflecting on snippets of life… with an RnB slant, with a folk indie folk slant. leaning into soul and gospel and more blues things.”
For Bettis, the inspiration comes from a mix of classic soul, acoustic singer-songwriters, and deep personal milestones.
“My sound is shaped by the soul music I grew up with and the acoustic storytelling I fell in love with as an adult,” Bettis says. He points to early videos of Jason Mraz alongside legends like Al Green and Bill Withers, who “taught me the power of sincerity.”
Equally influential were the triumphs and hardships of his own life. “Losing my mother, becoming a father, starting a spiritual journey, divorce, starting over at thirty, and learning to embrace my own voice all pushed me toward a sound that is warm, vulnerable and rooted in truth,” Bettis said.
The art of storytelling
At the core of the upcoming performance is an emphasis on narrative, though each artist approaches the canvas of storytelling from a different angle. As the creator and curator of the Voices series, Wilkins uses vocal layers to convey human complexity, comparing his arrangements to building blocks.
“I think what the loop station allows me to do is show all the things that happen on the inside,” Wilkins said. “It takes all of these individual pieces that can look rather ordinary, but when you put them in context with each other, and you stack them, and you line them, you sequence them, and you do so with love and care, thoughtfulness, intent, you can express what it’s like to be human.”
Bettis recalls a pivotal moment at an Ark performance by William Fitzsimmons that reshaped his entire perspective on the craft. After asking Fitzsimmons for advice on rising as an artist, Bettis received words he carries to this day: “There will always be a better singer or a better guitarist. Your job is to learn to tell your story. That’s what makes you different.”
“Storytelling for me is about honesty and presence,” Bettis said. “I write from real moments and real emotions, and I try to carry that same authenticity onto the stage. Sometimes the story is in the lyrics. Sometimes it is in a vocal run or a moment of silence.”
Spontaneity and playfulness on stage
A major component of live performance is the unexpected magic that occurs when the script is tossed aside. Both artists look back on recent shows where spontaneous interactions redefined the room’s energy.
Wilkins recalls a powerful reminder to remain present during the 2026 Ann Arbor Summer Festival debut event while collaborating with a dancer.
“At one point she turned around, and she stuck her tongue out at me, and it made me really kind of break from this thought process of, ‘oh, like, is everything going okay?'” Wilkins said. “It was just a beautiful reminder that, like, this is so much fun… I often find that things are so much better for me in every respect when I remember to be playful.”
For Bettis, a standout moment occurred during a performance of his song “Hello,” which chronicles meeting his wife, a University of Michigan graduate.
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“I played the song, and during it, I put my guitar down and danced with her on the floor. Others joined in. It was a beautiful moment of love,” Bettis said. “Honestly, being divorced and to be here working on love and marriage again is special, and I want to spread as much love as I can. My songs hopefully show that there is hope after pain, but also we are human and don’t always get it right.”
Challenging the stage and creating community
The June 4 showcase at The Ark is specifically explicitly designed to expand representation and connect local artists with audiences on a deeply human level, breaking down the traditional barrier between performer and seat.
“The Voices series emphasizes connection and representation,” Wilkins said, explaining that the venue invited him to help challenge historical associations regarding who gets to play there:
“Through the series I want audiences to get a chance to not just know more about me, but know more about the different artists, where they get to tell stories inside and outside of songs… when you see someone on stage who admits that they have felt like an imposter, and even that day might have felt like an imposter, it makes people who haven’t been on the stage yet see, like, ‘oh, they’re actually not that different from me.’”
Bettis mirrors this sentiment, highlighting the personal significance of bringing his perspective to this specific event. “I truly believe our voices possess a superpower. It’s unique, and it cannot be duplicated,” Bettis said. “Personally, it feels like an affirmation that my story and my sound belong in spaces that value depth and diversity. Artistically, it pushes me to show up with intention and to honor the legacy of the artists who have stood on that stage before me.”
What to expect on June 4
Concertgoers stepping into The Ark can expect an evening that functions less like a rigid concert and more like a fluid, shared experience. Wilkins promises a rich, participatory environment.
“They can expect a lot of vocal harmony, they can expect improvisation, they can expect opportunities to sing as well. I like making that a part of my performances,” he said. “They can expect to hear more about me and where I’m coming from. They can expect to hear more about Al (Bettis). and they can expect to have a look inside his mind and his heart.”
Bettis simplifies his promise down to fundamental human warmth. “They can expect sincerity. They can expect warmth. They can expect a show that feels like a conversation and a moment of rest at the same time,” Bettis says. “I bring my whole self to the stage, and I invite the audience to do the same.”
Donna Marie Iadipaolo is a writer, journalist, and State of Michigan certified teacher, since 1990. She has written for national publications like The Village Voice, Ear Magazine of New Music, Insurance & Technology, and TheStreet.
She is now writing locally for many publications, including Current Magazine, Ann Arbor Family, and the Ann Arbor Independent. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she graduated with an honors bachelor’s degree and three teacher certificate majors: mathematics, social sciences, English. She also earned three graduate degrees in Master of Science, Master of Arts, and Education Specialist Degree.
