Real Life @ Brandeisposts by students, faculty, and staff
Taking Song to the Streets
28 Oct 2009, 4:00PM
Hello again! Welcome back! I'm really excited to be writing to all of you again this year about what is going on at Brandeis and beyond. When I left you last I was in the midst of planning First Year Orientation 2009. I am happy to say that after the blood, tears, and severe sunburns that Orientation was a huge success and a great source of personal growth. Now, however, 90 degree days and flip flops seem like somewhat of a distant dream. Campus has already seen its first (although unseasonably early) snowfall and has already begun to dress in winter coats and leg warmers...or maybe that's just me. The transition into the fall and winter months is always a fun time as the New England foliage blossoms as do the arts.
I have written before about my involvement in campus a capella; it's impact on my Brandeis experience has not wavered. As my first post of the year, I'd like to share with you how Voices of Soul brought smooth sounds and hot beats to Newbury Street!
If you are not familiar with Newbury Street, it is a favorite Boston hotspot for many Brandeis and Boston area college students. Sprinkled with trendy boutiques, bookstores, restaurants, etc. many students take the free Brandeis shuttle into Boston over the weekends and make their way down Newbury where there is always something or someone to see!
If you happened to have been there a few weekends ago you would have seen myself along with the other members of Voices of Soul singing on the street! In an attempt to bond with our new members, to gain exposure, and to raise money for our upcoming album recording, we took it took the street and sang away our Sunday.
Hundreds of people stopped along their way to stop and listen to our set. What an invigorating experience! There was one little girl standing with her mom- she couldn't have been more than 6 years old- watching so intently, holding onto her mother's coat. I couldn't help to direct my performing energy towards her as I remembered what it was like to have seen my first a capella shows and to have fallen in love with the art.
Aside from unexpectedly raising some money for recording, the ability to be able to share our passion with the Boston community and to be received by them was unforgettable! There were even cars that stopped on the street to take a moment to listen. (I just hope we didn't cause any car accidents!)
This experience made me realize how thirsty our country is for the arts! They are willing to drink it up wherever it is served especially if it is somewhere they weren't expecting it to be found. How lucky we are here at Brandeis to be constantly exposed to theater, dance, writing, works of sculpture, etc. Because of this luxury it now feels like our purpose to share these modes of expression and to extend ourselves beyond campus to inspire others to create.
As we headed back on the shuttle the entire group was in agreement that we would be repeating our street sings often!
tags: studentlife