Friends Friday: Pat & Floyd Garrott

Welcome to Friends Friday! While we are all trying to “flatten the curve” we wanted to highlight different Friends of Convos. In case you’re not aware, Friends of Convos is an influential group of arts supporters who bring world-class performances to our community! Each year, they help bring performances to our community and subsidize tickets for seniors, Purdue students, and P-12 students.
Learn More: https://live-convocations.pantheonsite.io/friends/

This week we’re highlighting Friends Pat and Floyd Garrott!

Introduce Yourself!
We are Pat and Floyd Garrott . We both grew up with mothers who were musical. Pat’s mother was an organist and pianist and Floyd’s mother was a choir director and a member of one of the first Purdue University Choirs at Purdue. Floyd’s sister was an opera singer. Pat’s parents took her to the old Victory Varieties performances, a precursor to Convos today, when she was in junior high and high school. Floyd grew up listening to classical, broadway,  and pop music. This started our love for live performances and the arts which continues to enrich our lives.

How did you become a Friend?
Pat first became a Friend as a young Purdue staff member at Purdue through the Purdue Payroll Deduction Plan. After we were married, Floyd became a Friend as well and we have enjoyed  supporting Convos in many ways through the years.

What has been one of your favorite Convos shows?
One of the things which we enjoy about Convos is the varied programming which introduces us to new artists as well as the opportunity to see theater groups and acts from around the world. Some of our favorites have been Veronica Swift, Camille Thomas and Julien Brocal, Cantus, Three Stories High Theatre Festival, The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, and the Purdue Jazz Festival performances and musicals, such as Spamalot, each year.

What would you like to see Convos bring to campus?
Steve Jobs Opera, which we saw at the Santa Fe Opera. It is a contemporary opera which was first produced at the San Francisco Opera. Six – which we saw at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater and is a hip hop musical about the six wives of Henry VIII. It is hilarious!