The Audio Engineering Club (AEC), in collaboration with Castle Point Radio, will be holding its Valentine’s Day open mic on February 17 at 7 p.m. in the Babbio Atrium. Styled the “Heartbreak Open Mic,” the event theme puts a spin on the meaning of the holiday and invites its slate of performers to run with the idea. Students who attend can enjoy pizza and soda in addition to the genre-spanning acts, which will each include between one and two songs.
To learn more about the event as well as the club’s plans for the rest of the semester, The Stute spoke with Shelly Ferina, President of the AEC and lead planner of the open mic.
Q: What kinds of acts can attendees expect from the Heartbreak Open Mic?
You can expect a slew of talented musicians both within and outside of the club stepping onstage to play a variety of genres. Each act is 1-2 songs long, so there are many turnovers. While the theme of “Heartbreak” has been established, it’s optional whether the musicians decide to shape their song selections around it.
Q: How did you settle on that theme?
I decided on this theme over a regular Valentine’s theme because we work closely in collaboration with the Student Underground Music Awareness Committee (SUMAC), and together we hosted an event last weekend which was somewhat Valentine’s-themed. Not only did I not want to have two large events for AEC the same weekend, but I didn’t want to repeat the theme or do a Valentine’s theme after the actual day had already passed. Thus, the theme of “Heartbreak” was born!
Q: What was the planning process for the Heartbreak Open Mic like?
To run an Open Mic, there is a significant amount of planning that goes into place. Aside from the standard EMS Booking, Ducklink, and advertisement processes, our stage manager, Sam Sherwood, creates the sign-up form, which […] typically gets closed at midnight before the Open Mic, or sooner if we get too many signups. This gives him only the day of [the event] to assess all of the setup needed to meet every act’s requirements—which varies heavily with instrumentation—and create an input list and stage plot for the show. We use these when setting up the stage and running sound. Aside from our eBoard, these open mic events can only happen due to the amazing members of our club. The required setup, maintenance, and breakdown of the event is extreme.
Q: How does AEC get these shows up and running?
Usually, we start transporting our sound gear to the event location two to three hours before the event even starts! When we finally get everything in the right place, we do basic sound checks to make sure every amplifier, microphone, speaker, [and every other piece of equipment] is working properly. Once this is completed, we are finally ready to start the event, which usually lasts about three hours. Breakdown goes much faster, but usually still takes us about an hour to wrap cables, disassemble the drum kit and mic stands, and cart everything back to our storage spaces. While this work is physically and mentally strenuous (especially to the vast majority of our club that also performs in multiple acts at each open mic), our love for music and these events is stronger. Few things are as bonding as spending seven brutal but fun hours together, and that’s the reason why we do what we do.
Q: Are there any other events being planned by AEC for the rest of this semester?
This is AEC’s first event of the semester, and there are many more to look forward to! We will be doing three more open mic events, one of which is a collaboration with Redshift to showcase student portfolios. We will also be hosting a Rave Night with student DJs, as well as running sound for the upcoming SUMAC shows, where underground live music outside of Stevens is brought to our campus.
Q: How can those interested get involved with AEC?
Taking place each Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. in Kidde 350, AEC’s [general meetings] also have a variety of workshops and music-related activities; no experience required! We welcome anyone who is interested in learning sound, lighting, recording, stage setup, or just simply a fan of music. Our meetings change each week, but we hold recording days, mixing days, production days where songwriters can share what they’ve been working on—via their Digital Audio Workstation session—for feedback, and more! Our best line of communication is through our Discord server; you can find us through the Stevens Hub!
Thanks so much!
“We hope to see you at [the] open mic!”
