By Emely Bonilla, May 2, 2023
After a semester of hard work and dedication, songwriters from all parts of campus were able to display their talents at the Music Department’s 19th Songwriter Showcase from April 27 to April 28.
This showcase stems from a unit course, MU 3690L, where director and Professor Arthur Winer takes the students enrolled and place them into bands where they will help assist one another with individual songs. Students from different majors and backgrounds are given the opportunity to apply and collaborate with their peers working as a songwriter, a musician, a producer and much more. The students made it clear everyone involved played a key role in the development of the Songwriter Showcase.
The event was broken up into two different sections and included two bands who then played anywhere from four to seven songs. For a majority of the concert, between each song the band members would rearrange themselves so the writer of the song was the lead vocalist and allowed that member to shine.
The night opened with “Fire” a striking, emotional song written by Remi Ong. This performance really set the tone and standard for the rest of the night. The song was loud, powerful and encapsulated the energy Ong had when writing the song.
Throughout the entire showcase, the musicians from every band stood together and cheered passionately for one another. Musicians would wish for their peers to have a good set, dance along and be the first people to congratulate them as they finished their performances.
The performers themselves had great showmanship and were truly able to entertain the crowd. Whether it would be with jokes between equipment changes or sharing extremely intimate details about what inspired the song, the artists kept the audience engaged. The audience was very receptive to the bands, such as during slow ballads people in the crowd would put up their flashlights in support or an upbeat alternative song, the audience bopping their heads just like the performer on stage.
A few of the night’s highlights included performer, Marley Wilson participating in his final showcase and the closing song “The Difference” by Renée Inés Paladini. Wilson was a part of the third band and opened their set with one of his own songs, “I Don’t Like You,” an intense rap song that gave insight as to who Wilson is as an artist. Throughout the set he was featured in several other songs written by his peers, and they were all executed in an exceptional manner. Wilson made sure he was supporting the song writer and enhancing the song’s message through his verses.
The last song of the night was the perfect way to wrap up the event. Paladini’s “The Difference” was a smooth number that incorporated its instrumental as a final goodbye from the artists. Every single person involved with the showcase came back on stage and supported the final band on their way out and it was so fun watching them dance to celebrate their successful showcase.
Overall, the Songwriter Showcase was great at showing variety from CPP’s artists. Throughout the night everything from alternative indie songs, R&B soul, and soft acoustic sets was heard. This event had something for everyone to enjoy and is a great opportunity to support these student artists getting their on-stage experience.
Feature image courtesy of Darren Loo