2008 Woodie Awards
"Amplifying" Midd's music scene
New student organization encourages artistic diversity
Lauren Budzyna
Issue date: 3/3/05 Section: Arts
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By the end of last year, Conor Sheldon '06 and his band Larson had toured all over New England and played 17 shows, but they had practically ruined his friend's car by lugging heavy equipment all across the Northeast. By the same time last year, Sheldon had come across scores of musical Middlebury students who were looking for guitarists, drummers or vocalists for their bands, but who had no network of musicians from which to start. He had found substantial support for the idea of building a recording studio on campus, but there was no centralized group who could work together to make it a reality.
By the beginning of this year, Sheldon had written out a three-page constitution for the College's newest student organization: the Middlebury Musicians Guild (MMG).
"The MMG is an organization that aims to, and pardon the horrible pun, 'amplify' the music scene at Middlebury," said Sheldon of the club that became official at the end of last week. Before it had even become official, the club had tallied 35 members who ranged from every Middlebury class. While there are already over 20 musical groups on campus, the MMG will be one overarching organization that can bring them all together.
"Many members are additionally in campus organizations such as WRMC or MCAB, bands, a cappella groups or perhaps nothing else at all," said Sheldon. "But we all share at least one strong common bond: a passion for music."
The purpose of the MMG is to bring together musicians of every type under one umbrella group. "The MMG can be a sounding board for Middlebury's musicians," continued Sheldon. "It can be a place where musician's can find a band, it can be an arena in which one may choose to talk about issues in the world of music...the list goes on."
Anna Curtis '06, vice president of the MMG, stressed that the organization promotes unity among musicians, rather than competition. "There is no specific type of music that the guild focuses on," she pointed out, so members of the guild can come together "whether they are involved in classical music, folk, jazz, rock, heavy metal or a cappella."
By the beginning of this year, Sheldon had written out a three-page constitution for the College's newest student organization: the Middlebury Musicians Guild (MMG).
"The MMG is an organization that aims to, and pardon the horrible pun, 'amplify' the music scene at Middlebury," said Sheldon of the club that became official at the end of last week. Before it had even become official, the club had tallied 35 members who ranged from every Middlebury class. While there are already over 20 musical groups on campus, the MMG will be one overarching organization that can bring them all together.
"Many members are additionally in campus organizations such as WRMC or MCAB, bands, a cappella groups or perhaps nothing else at all," said Sheldon. "But we all share at least one strong common bond: a passion for music."
The purpose of the MMG is to bring together musicians of every type under one umbrella group. "The MMG can be a sounding board for Middlebury's musicians," continued Sheldon. "It can be a place where musician's can find a band, it can be an arena in which one may choose to talk about issues in the world of music...the list goes on."
Anna Curtis '06, vice president of the MMG, stressed that the organization promotes unity among musicians, rather than competition. "There is no specific type of music that the guild focuses on," she pointed out, so members of the guild can come together "whether they are involved in classical music, folk, jazz, rock, heavy metal or a cappella."