At least 60 Ramapo students turned out to the Linden Coffee House event this past Tuesday at 9 p.m. for Open Mic Night. The dim lighting of the venue set a relaxed vibe for the upcoming performances of young talented artists. Guitar cases were scattered on the floor along with keyboards, amps and drum sets in tow.
The evening started with light jokes from students in the crowd and was followed by the surprising announcement of the headliner for this year’s spring concert: Big Sean.
Shelly-Ann Coy, a junior who is a regular performer at the Linden Coffee House, said that Open Mic Night “helps with stage presence. It’s a great way to develop skills on your own rather than being in a group. It’s also different singing with a mic and hearing the acoustics, rather than hearing yourself sing in the bathroom.”
Throughout the evening, musicians showed their musical talent through the genres of country, blues, alternative rock, electronic music, R&B, soul and rap.
The night opened with a vocal performance, and there was a great amount of enthusiasm and support from the audience. There were other interesting performances throughout the evening, such as College Programming Board Music Chairman Alex Hoteck’s performance, which included his shoulder-keyboard (or keytar).
Open Mic Night has become an extremely popular, bi-weekly event that has brought many musicians together to jam to some music. According to Hoteck, this musical get-together “started with musicians on campus who wanted an avenue to express themselves artistically. CPB just made it happen, and of course Linden Coffee House helps a lot; they made this amazing venue available for us.”
This event isn’t just for musicians; it’s for those who just love being around music, similar to sophomore, Mesha Allen. Allen said, “I come for entertainment; to see what kind of young talent comes out of Ramapo. I also come to support my friends.”
Open Mic Night is a great place to socialize with friends and jam to music covers or even original pieces written by our own Ramapo lyricists. Everybody is welcome to get together to show their support and love for the arts.
Open Mic Night is an event hosted by the College Programming Board along with help from Linden Coffee House and WRPR.
“CPB organizes the event, WRPR provides the sound systems, and Linden Coffee House provides the food and venue. WRPR, Linden Coffee House, and the performers are the heart and soul of this event,” Hoteck said.
Come out to hear Ramapo students perform their hearts out next Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 9 P.M.
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rblake@ramapo.edu
