2008 Woodie Awards
New committee organizes concerts
Kirsten Fawcett
Issue date: 10/3/08 Section: Variety
What do a Muslim albino rapper and an upbeat acoustic guitar duo have in common? This question, which sounds like the beginning of a very bad joke, holds a surprisingly serious answer: St. Olaf's Music Entertainment Committee
Responsible for booking Ryanhood last week and Brother Ali for the upcoming fall concert, the MEC is a new branch of Student Government Association devoted to selecting, booking and organizing on-campus music performances.
Until last year, the Pause Concert Committee was in charge of hiring and hosting musical guests. However, the Concert Committee was abolished in 2007, paving the way for a larger organized group, the MEC, to shoulder the myriad of responsibilities involved with planning a show.
How does the MEC differ from the Pause Concert Committee?
"The way the MEC works is that it takes the old responsibilities of the Pause concert chair and divides them among a group of people," Assistant Director of Student Activities Shayna Melgaard '07 explained.
The MEC consists of a committee coordinator (Morgan Harden '11), who oversees a group of students assigned with specific titles and duties integral to concert booking. The MEC meets twice a week, where they work within an allotted SGA budget to plan upcoming musical events for the student body.
Together, members research bands, speak with managers and book artists.
Melgaard says that the MEC prevents overburdening students with responsibility, paving the way for a smoother planning process.
"In 2006-2007, I was the Pause concert chair," Melgaard said. "I oversaw a concert committee that met a few times a month to discuss bands and to play events, but overall, I was the sole person responsible for the concert budget, booking all the bands, doing all the paper work and then being at every single concert."
Now, subordinate members of the MEC take the stress off the coordinator by performing allocated tasks.
While every MEC member plays a vital role in the concert-booking process, each student is assigned a different job description. Jon Chang '11 is the national talent scout, researching national acts for events such as the Fall Concert and Lutefest.
Responsible for booking Ryanhood last week and Brother Ali for the upcoming fall concert, the MEC is a new branch of Student Government Association devoted to selecting, booking and organizing on-campus music performances.
Until last year, the Pause Concert Committee was in charge of hiring and hosting musical guests. However, the Concert Committee was abolished in 2007, paving the way for a larger organized group, the MEC, to shoulder the myriad of responsibilities involved with planning a show.
How does the MEC differ from the Pause Concert Committee?
"The way the MEC works is that it takes the old responsibilities of the Pause concert chair and divides them among a group of people," Assistant Director of Student Activities Shayna Melgaard '07 explained.
The MEC consists of a committee coordinator (Morgan Harden '11), who oversees a group of students assigned with specific titles and duties integral to concert booking. The MEC meets twice a week, where they work within an allotted SGA budget to plan upcoming musical events for the student body.
Together, members research bands, speak with managers and book artists.
Melgaard says that the MEC prevents overburdening students with responsibility, paving the way for a smoother planning process.
"In 2006-2007, I was the Pause concert chair," Melgaard said. "I oversaw a concert committee that met a few times a month to discuss bands and to play events, but overall, I was the sole person responsible for the concert budget, booking all the bands, doing all the paper work and then being at every single concert."
Now, subordinate members of the MEC take the stress off the coordinator by performing allocated tasks.
While every MEC member plays a vital role in the concert-booking process, each student is assigned a different job description. Jon Chang '11 is the national talent scout, researching national acts for events such as the Fall Concert and Lutefest.
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