By Zach Hallman, Staff Writer
Students packed the Student Union Ballroom Sep 30 to see the lineup of talented musicians at Armstrong’s open mic night. Acoustic guitar players, rappers, and gospel singers created a musical diversity that all attendees could appreciate. The show was kicked off by acoustic performer Olivia Glass. Her rendition of “Hold On, We’re Going Home” by Drake put an interesting new twist on an already beautiful song. The audience was amazed by not only her guitar playing, but also by her singing.
Glass’s ability to transition from low to high vocal registers so flawlessly proved that she was definitely a voice to be reckoned with, unlike the average singer who can just stay in key. During “Sometimes”, Glass showed a disciplined ability to explore and shift through the audible spectrum.
The show soon switched into a soulful gear when the Anointed Gospel Choir took the stage. Composing a piece of music can be difficult for a large choir, but the ladies of the Anointed Gospel Choir pulled it off. The structure of their song was impressive because it was not simply a large group of people singing in unison.
The choir was well divided into certain factions that kept rhythms, sang leads, or just accented certain verses while keeping well controlled volume. Regardless of how complex certain stanzas of the song were, they stayed in time and smoothly executed complex transitions.
The audience was also notably enthusiastic and helpful. It takes some real guts to get up on stage in front of that many people, and performing a show in front of a listless audience can kill the vibe quickly.
In true Pirate fashion, the audience was very supportive of their fellow students. All performers were energetically cheered on and respected for their craft. One thing to love about Armstrong is how friendly and outgoing the students are. Even going to the event solo is enjoyable and interactive.
SGA President, Cassian Nunez, played a huge role in putting on the successful event. Nunez was very pleased with the audience turn out. “The attendance far exceeded my expectations,” Nunez said.
He urged students to get involved and stay informed on upcoming events such as the Celebrate Armstrong festival and the freestyle comedy show by downloading the SGA app. This app keeps students informed about all upcoming events. If the open mic night is any indication of the excitement of upcoming events, it would be wise not to miss out.
