Aggielife
The Battalion
Page 3 • Wednesday, October 22, 2003
J.P. Beato III • THE BATTALION
Country megastar Garth Brooks blasted in to Reed Arena atop a white piano and charged the audience with "Back When the Old Stuff Was New."
By Nishat Fatima
THE BATTALION
M any would argue that College Station isn’t a mecca for live
music fans, garage bands don’t have a chance to get expo
sure if they are from Texas A&M and a “concert” in
College Station consists of a fake cowboy singing Dolly Parton covers
at the Dixie Chicken.
These people haven’t heard of MSC Town Hall.
Although at first glance, the organization may seem like a group of
Aggiqs who love music, Town Hall has a goal and puipose that strives
for much more. , ,
Formed in 1950, MSC Town Hall is an organization with a rare
mission — to bring together Aggies who have a common love for
music and bring local and nationally renowned musical performers
to the A&M campus.
Brian Donohue, a senior electrical engineering major and executive
of Student Power Amplifier Member, said Town Hall’s puipose comes
from its association with the Memorial Student Center.
“We are a part of the MSC, and they are also our sponsor,”
Donohue said. “Part of the mission statement of the MSC is to pro
mote art and culture. Our specific mission in Town Hall is to pro
mote live music.”
Donohue said Town Hall aims to be an outlet of exposure for
local bands.
“If there is a student band that wants to be heard, we do all the pub
licity work for them,” he said.
Donohue said all types of musicians are welcome to approach Town
Hall for a helping hand.
“Most of the time, bands come to us,” Donohue said. “We try to
help all kinds of musicians, because ultimately, we don’t see music as
a competition.”
Clayton Sheppard, a junior accounting major and director of
University programs for Town Hall, said one of the club’s purposes
for helping local performers is to give A&M music lovers a dose of
local variety.
“There is a lot of music in this town, and we are the organization
that wants people on campus to hear it,” Sheppard said. “We want to
get music fans plugged in to the local scene.”
Sheppard said many Town Hall events are geared toward giving
local bands a chance to expose their talents.
“Once a month at Rumours we have an open-microphone acoustic
coffee house event, twice a week we have “Lunchbox” where live
musicians play at Rudder Fountain at noon, and several times a month
we have “Battle of the Bands” events,” Sheppard said.
Sheppard said other on-campus events that Town Hall has produced
are the Fish Talent Show, the Hip-Hop Free Style contest and its main
30-act ‘Battle of the Bands’ which is held each semester.
Mikey Powe, a senior psychology major and member of the band
Fly, Mordecai said local bands benefit greatly from Town Hall.
“They circulate flyers for bands, put out notices and basically get
the word out for gigs,” Powe said. “Helping locals artists is a big deal
for them.”
Powe said Town Hall helps members in ways other than publiciz
ing their bands.
“You don’t have to be in Town Hall to get help from them,” he said.
“If you are a member though, you have the chance to be a part of a
large community of other musicians. Personally, I met members of my
band in Town Hall.”
Powe said without the assistance of Town Hall, it would be difficult
for student musicians to get known on campus.
Sheppard said although one of Town Hall’s purposes is to help local
acts gain recognition, that the organization also focuses on bringing
famous performers to Aggieland.
“In the past, we have helped bring musicians such as
Nickelback, Live and Garth Brooks,” he said. “We have also host
ed performances by a variety of people, including Everclear,
Jimmy Fallon, Dixie Chicks, Robert Earl Keen, Lyle Lovett, Jars
of Clay and Caedmon’s Call.”
Sheppard said while Town Hall does not have a specific criteria for
inviting bands to play at A&M, that the organization does keep the
Aggie audience in mind while choosing perfonners.
“We try to get bands that are good for our market,” he said. “We
want to get performers that can make money, and are fairly main
stream, since College Station isn’t accessible to many under
ground bands.”
Sheppard said although Town Hall strives to promote live music,
that ultimately the club and its members are avid music fans who came
together to share their musical tastes.
“In Town Hall, people can just chill out and listen to music togeth
er,” Sheppard said. “It’s also a good way to meet other music fans and
talk about different artists. Our purpose is to promote an atmosphere of
music in the serious environment of academic stress.”
Danny Montemayer, a sophomore philosophy major and member
of Town Hall, said one of the best aspects of the organization is that
membership is open to anybody who loves music.
“I don’t even play any instruments,” he said. “Being in Town Hall
gives you the ability to share a passion for music. The club also means
sharing and getting exposed to all kinds of new music.”
Melissa Cox, a senior marketing major said, she has learned a lot
about music since she joined Town Hall.
“When I first joined, I wanted to learn about new bands,” she said.
“(Now), I like to come to talk to other people about music. Town Hall
is a great outlet for sharing and expanding your musical variety. I never
knew so much about the local music scene either until after I joined.”
Cox said Town Hall events that focus on exposure for bands are
effective because they reach the student body in different ways.
“The Lunchbox concerts in particular give bands a lot of exposure,”
she said. “Since a large number of people pass through the MSC area
during lunchtime, many often stop by the performance area to relax
and enjoy the music,” she said.
Applications for Town Hall are accepted every semester in January
and September. Students who are interested in joining Town Hall or are
a part of a local band and wish to receive assistance from the organi
zation can call 845-1515 for more information.
Graphic by Ruben DeLuna • THE BATTALION
Photos by J.P. Beato III • THE BATTALION