Rags to riches is not an uncommon story with musicians; small time band meets the right person who helps them perform on the right stage, ultimately leading to a big name and success complete with hundreds of adoring fans.
This story is everywhere, reminding beginners to keep dreaming, because someday they too might make it to the world stage. However, what this story neglects to mention is how difficult that first contact almost always is to make.
At the U, this “right person” is actually a club: enter Crowded Alley Collective co-founded by U students Henry Garcia and Harry Keeran only just last spring.
Initially business partners with the clothing company Crowded Alley, Garcia and Keeran decided to pool their organizing talents to help music artists here at the U develop their talents and have the chance to be heard.
“The Crowded Alley Collective is […] getting students involved that are interested in music and then working with ASUU to get these students to perform in front of the University,” Garcia explained. “So it’s almost students for students.”
Garcia is currently a Junior at the U majoring in economics with a minor in business and an emphasis on entrepreneurship. He and Keeran were working up to the last week of Spring 2016 semester to form the club. Now that it’s put together, the next step is finding groups interested in having their music heard.
“It’s really just whoever wants to make some music,” Garcia said.
The club itself does not provide personal studios; the biggest thing offered by Crowded Alley Collective is connections. Because, as it turns out, the U’s library has a great studio system. It’s typically only available for interviews and the U’s media work, but thanks to Crowded Alley Collective, it is now also available for members of its club.
“If they want to do it, we want to make it happen,” Garcia emphasized.
Concerts for students by students seems to be the group’s motto. The U has a lot of music artistry going on–Garcia wants to take advantage of that.
“People are a lot more talented than they’re given credit for,” he said.
A few groups have already taken advantage of the club’s help. Pulse Regime, which performs Trance-style music and is composed of members Hayden Warzek and Drew Daniels, and single performers Hunter Crabtree of EDM genre and Jack Saunders on guitar and vocals, have all participated.
Finishing up, Garcia said, “We’re trying to look for more people that want to be involved, that want to make music. That’s what it’s all about: music by students and for students.”
@Casey_Koldewyn