2008 Woodie Awards
Recording industry fraternity hosts concert
Tiffany Gibson
Issue date: 2/4/08 Section: News
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The doors opened at 8 p.m. with an admission of $5, while the show began at 9 p.m.
The bands performing in the showcase were Hop the Fence, A Grand Atlantic and Mike Mason. All three bands were chosen by Omega Delta Psi to perform in the showcase based on an anonymous popular vote on the two tracks each of them recorded in the Walnut Studio.
"Each band [out of eight during the competition] was represented by a member of Omega Delta Psi to work with for four hours in the studio, while the members only had three hours to mix the tracks," said Mike Mason, freshman, recording industry major.
All of the recordings took place at the Walnut House Studio, which was provided by owner and faculty member, Nathan Adam.
"We are the first recording industry fraternity in the world, so in order to help our members we wanted this project to be a way of networking, production technology, business and songwriting," said Rachel Sims, junior, president of Omega Delta Psi.
Initially, the grant project was open to all types of genres ranging from hip-hop to metal. "We wanted to gain hands-on experience to prepare us for our careers, and working with new genres is a good way to learn," said Omega Delta Psi Historian Lenny Leithauser.
In order to proceed with the grant project idea, seven members of Omega Delta Psi applied for a grant through the Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity at MTSU, which serves as a program to finance students wishing to participate in creative projects.
"Only three of us were awarded the grant, but it is still a big deal because in order to get a grant every teacher from every department has do decide on it," said Sue Ann Holton, senior recording industry production technology major.
Once the funds were gathered for the project, Omega Delta Psi began an open call for bands to record in the studio. According to Leithauser, eight bands were recorded and voted on by members of Omega Delta Psi to perform; however, the band chosen to work with to produce an EP over the next six months were Hop the Fence.
In addition to providing studio time for Hop the Fence, Omega Delta Psi also plans to market, mix and master their CD release.
"As of now the opportunities are endless for us because ODP [Omega Delta Psi] are helping to put our name out there," said Miles Slinde, lead singer of Hop the Fence.
Omega Delta Psi members, who contributed with sound equipment and the recording process of the show, organized the entire showcase.
"This is a great opportunity that Omega Delta Psi asked us to come play because we get a free recording out of it and get to play in front of our brothers and sisters," said Kevin Duff, Omega Delta Psi member and guitarist for A Grand Atlantic. "Our manager could be out in the audience already and we don't even know it."
During the show, refreshments were served in the upstairs kitchen of the Walnut House as the artists performed in the performance venue with a mixture of covers such as Aerosmith's "Milk Cow Blues," rendered by Mike Mason. Hop the Fence also did a cover of "Teenage Dirtbag" by Wheatus while A Grand Atlantic belted out an original tune entitled "Champagne."
According to Sims, this project is something she feels passionately about to become a tradition for future years that will inspire more hands-on experience and involvement with new members as well as alumni.
"We have faculty supporters but originally we were the ones that had to get this fraternity off the ground," said Nathan Toth, senior, future candidate for Omega Delta Psi vice president. "You only learn how to do something by doing it, and this project was a way to continue our education outside of the classroom."
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Blahg
posted 2/04/08 @ 7:14 AM CST
Looks like a couple classmates played a show together... big deal. You guys probably would have raised more money if you had gotten better acts to play - and at a better venue. (Continued…)
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