I’ve been playing tunes and rocking crowds in Indiana for over a decade with RoLo Entertainment; my husband started the company as RDT Sound over two decades ago! I’ve seen dance floors ignite at weddings, watched teenagers lose themselves in a karaoke mic, and felt the pulse of a room shift when the right song drops at the right moment. I thought I’d seen every way music could move people. Then I walked into Carey Services’ Denim and Diamonds, and a little game called SINGO proved me wrong.
First, Let Me Tell You About Carey Services
If you’re not already familiar with Carey Services, it’s time you were. Based right here in Marion, Indiana, Carey Services is an organization dedicated to serving people with disabilities, families, and children enrolled in their Early Head Start program. They’re doing the kind of work that quietly holds a community together — career training through programs like The Kitchen Company, facility renovations that signal a bold vision for the future, and a deep commitment to inclusion.
Their annual Denim and Diamonds fundraiser is the centerpiece of that community commitment. The event’s dress code says it all: denim represents the casual, the everyday, the come-as-you-are; diamonds represent the elegance and the aspiration. Put them together, and you get a celebration of the fact that we’re all beautifully different, and that those differences make us stronger when we show up in the same room. Past events have seen everything from T-shirts and jeans to full evening gowns, and that range is the entire point.
As CEO Jim Allbaugh put it, the event is a chance to partner with the community and celebrate the people they serve. The last two years, they brought everyone onto their newly renovated Marion campus so the community could see firsthand where the impact is happening.
The energy in that room was something special. You could feel the pride, the generosity, and the genuine love people have for what Carey Services stands for.
Then Came SINGO
Now here’s where my night took an extra fun turn.
When Darryl Hardy Jr., marketing coordinator at Carey Services, first reached out to me, he sent over a list of songs to be clipped and a rundown of how the game worked. I read the description and thought, okay, this is interesting. Musical bingo – players get cards with printed song titles, I play 10- to 15-second snippets, and they mark their cards as they recognize what’s playing. The first person to complete a straight-line row wins. Then we keep going until someone blacks out the entire card.
What I wasn’t prepared for was what happened between the snippets.
Picture this: I play a clip — maybe it’s Don’t Stop Believing, maybe it’s a power ballad everyone forgot they knew every word to — and the sound fills the room. People’s heads pop up from their cards. Feet start tapping. Lips start moving. And then, in the span of those ten or fifteen seconds, the entire crowd is singing along. Not humming. Not murmuring. Full-throated, joyful, unself-conscious singing.
But here’s the part that gave me chills: when I cut the track, they didn’t stop. The music disappeared, and the voices stayed, carrying the melody forward into the silence like they couldn’t bear to let it go. A room full of people — some strangers, some friends, some in denim and some dripping in diamonds — became a choir without ever meaning to.
I’ve been in the entertainment business for many years in different capacities, from merch girl to DJ. That moment was one of the best things I’ve witnessed.
Why SINGO Works
SINGO works because it taps into something primal about music. We don’t just hear songs — we carry them. They’re tied to memories, to people, to moments in our lives that shaped who we are. When a familiar song hits your ears, your body responds before your brain catches up. SINGO takes that instinct and turns it into a shared experience.
It’s competitive enough to keep people engaged but communal enough that nobody feels left out. You don’t need to be a musician. You don’t need to know every lyric. You just need to listen, and the music does the rest.
Now I Want to Bring SINGO Everywhere
I walked out of Denim and Diamonds that night already planning. I haven’t been this excited about a new offering in years, and I’ve been telling everyone who will listen: SINGO needs to be at your next event. Here’s where I see it fitting perfectly:
Corporate Events and Company Parties — Forget the awkward icebreakers. SINGO gets coworkers laughing, singing, and competing before they even realize they’re bonding. Holiday parties, team appreciation nights, end-of-quarter celebrations — this is the activity that people will actually talk about in the office.
Fundraisers and Galas — Carey Services proved the blueprint. Sell the SINGO cards as part of the event, secure donated prizes, and watch your guests engage with an activity that keeps them in their seats, entertained, and opening their wallets for a good cause. It’s interactive fundraising at its best.
Birthday Parties — Whether it’s a milestone birthday, a sweet sixteen, or a 75th celebration, SINGO can be tailored to the guest of honor’s favorite decade or genre. Imagine a card full of someone’s all-time favorite songs — that’s a gift in itself.
Themed Parties — Decades night? SINGO with all ’80s hits. Movie soundtrack party? SINGO with film scores. Country hoedown? You know where I’m going with this. The theme possibilities are endless, and every one of them is a guaranteed good time.
Community Events and Festivals — Senior centers, church gatherings, neighborhood block parties, school events — SINGO is the kind of activity that crosses every generational line. I’ve spent years bringing music to senior communities, and I already know how powerful those familiar melodies are for sparking joy and connection.
Weddings and Rehearsal Dinners — Picture the wedding party and guests competing over the couple’s favorite love songs. It’s personal, it’s hilarious, and it gives people something to do beyond the usual cocktail hour small talk.
Let’s Play
If you’ve got an event coming up and you’re looking for something that brings people together in a way that’s fun, unexpected, and genuinely moving, SINGO with RoLo Entertainment is your answer. I’ve been connecting people through music since 2000, and I can tell you — this one is special.
Carey Services showed me the magic. Now I want to share it with you.
Ready to book SINGO for your next event? Visit rolos.space or reach out to RoLo Entertainment today. Let’s make your crowd sing.