[cover of “Stand By Me” being performed]
WITH A MICROPHONE ADORNED WITH PINK AND RED HEARTS IN THE SIGMA ALPHA IOTA BASEMENT, PERFORMERS SING COVERS AND ORIGINALS WHILE THEIR FRIENDS ACCOMPANY THEM ON VARIOUS INSTRUMENTS AT AN OPEN MIC HOSTED BY THE NORTHWESTERN CHAPTER OF WOMEN IN MUSIC AND NITESKOOL ON THURSDAY.
[nat sound]
AS LED LIGHTS CAST THE ROOM PURPLE, THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE DECORATE PAPER VALENTINES AND DRINK HOT CHOCOLATE WHILE LISTENING TO PERFORMANCES.
VICE PRESIDENT OF WOMEN IN MUSIC CAMERON CRAWFORD SAYS EVENTS LIKE THIS PROVIDE SUPPORT TO FEMALE MUSICIANS.
[CRAWFORD]: “We thought an open mic night would be a cute, intimate thing to put on to connect members of the music community, music enjoyers, musicians. We like these kinds of events because it is in itself a social too, so people can meet each other over common interests.”
WHILE CRAWFORD WAS AT FIRST NOT PLANNING ON PERFORMING…
[CRAWFORD]: “I was going to, but I lost my voice this morning. Like, I don’t think I can sing, so I don’t wanna embarrass myself, but I was planning on it. I was planning on it.”
SHE CHANGED HER MIND LATER IN THE NIGHT, DESPITE HER NERVES.
[Cameron performance]
[CRAWFORD]: “My leg was shaking so bad. Other than that, I kinda blacked out.”
[Nat pop of Cameron performance]
[CRAWFORD]: “I write a lot of songs, but I don’t typically perform them. They usually get performed by my band, by the vocalist in my band who has a great voice. So, I was definitely nervous but the positive feedback was nice to hear.”
JUNIOR TALIA AIDLIN-PERLMAN IS A SINGER, SONGWRITER AND PIANIST WHO PERFORMS UNDER THE NAME TALIA PEARL. SHE SAYS SHE IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES AT NORTHWESTERN AND CHERISHES OPEN MIC NIGHTS LIKE THIS ONE.
[AIDLIN-PERLMAN]: “I love performing. I think there’s something so special about sharing my work with other people. My goal in songwriting is, I think for me music always makes me feel something and I think there’s something so special about being able to elicit a feeling in someone else. So, when I perform, I think I’m able to hopefully connect with others and make them feel something more powerful, and that’s something that’s really special to me.”
[nat sound]
ALTHOUGH THE EVENT WAS HOSTED BY WOMEN IN MUSIC, ANYONE COULD PERFORM.
[nat sound]:
SENIORS JADE GARCIA, SID CHALASANI AND JUSTIN PRICE PLAYED TWO SONGS TOGETHER. WHILE THE THREE ARE IN A LARGER BAND TOGETHER, GARCIA, THE VOCALIST, SAYS THIS WAS THEIR FIRST TIME PERFORMING AS A TRIO.
[nat sound, Garcia: “This one might be interesting. We just learned this an hour ago.”]
[GARCIA]: “I was definitely really nervous coming into it, but it was way less intimidating getting up there than I expected honestly. Especially because there are so many people I know in the crowd.”
[nat sound]
WOMEN IN MUSIC IS PLANNING ON HOLDING MORE OPEN MICS IN THE FUTURE.
[GARCIA]: “They’ve just fostered a really safe environment I feel like to kind of experiment and play what we want to play.”
FOR WNUR NEWS, SAHANA UNNI
