Musician's Network Hosts Solo Artist Showcase Finals

After two nights of outstanding original music from songwriters at Georgia Tech, Musician’s Network will host the finals of its first Solo Artist Showcase on Friday, March 31, at Under The Couch. Six musicians will perform, with doors opening at 7 p.m. and music beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The finalists were selected from a group of 19 performers by a small panel of student judges. Performers had a wide variety of talents including acoustic singer-songwriters, rappers, and electronic music producers.

Judges paid specific attention to both the appeal and creativity behind the songwriting of each performer. The six finalists come from a variety of musical backgrounds, and each has a unique way of creating and performing original material.

Chris Mickas

Mickas, a mechanical engineering major, was the first performer to take the stage in the Solo Artist Showcase. He considers himself more a guitarist than singer or lyricist.

“I try to make my guitar parts express what I’m trying to say before I start writing words,” he said. With guitar and lyrics working simultaneously, Mickas’ set ruminated on shared cultural anxieties. “Most of the music I’m working on now is about the fear of being caught up in nostalgia and struggling to move on to new experiences,” he said.

Eamon McCoy

The only finalist without vocals, McCoy performed an instrumental electronic set on the second night of semifinals. A member of the Georgia Tech track and field team and mechanical engineering major, McCoy first got into producing music a year ago while looking for something to do on bus rides to and from meets. McCoy’s style draws on numerous influences.

“To inspire my music making, I just listen to a lot of music in a lot of genres and take the bits I like, and think of them when I'm making music,” he said. “One day I might make a trap beat and another day I might make some synth pop or future bass. It's usually pretty varied.”

Erica Wise

Wise performed her set of untitled original songs with legs crossed, using nothing but her acoustic guitar and dynamic voice to convey her pieces. After teaching herself to play guitar in the 7th grade, Wise began writing vocal and instrumental pieces and has been doing so frequently ever since.

“It's debatable whether I start with the instrument or the lyrics,” said the industrial design major. “I keep a running note on my phone of lyrics that come to me throughout my week. When I actually sit down to write a song, though, I start with the instrument. Then I go to my notes and expand on a line or two until I have a full song.”

Duane Stanford

Beginning in the 5th grade with his socially conscious song Prejiduce [sic], Stanford knew he had a deep love for making music. More recently, he’s been performing his original songs in venues around Atlanta as well as on Georgia Tech’s campus.

“Last year I wrote for a show called Hot Pita that I put up at DramaTech Theater,” said Stanford, a literature, media, and communication major. “I also have a lot of friends in the city's improv community, so I get invited to variety shows where I can do five or 10 minutes of music.” On stage, Stanford shifts from guitar to piano, rapping over the beats he produces himself.

Walter King

Inspired by traditional and folk music artists, King began playing music at the age of 10 when he began playing fiddle. He has been writing and performing his own music for more than four years.

“I would describe my music as contemporary folk with heavy influence from traditional folk music,” he said. Like folk songwriters before him, the mechanical engineering major uses the music he writes to explore and explain the world around him. “I generally write music when I feel the need to resolve something. I write as a tool to reach conclusions about my experiences and guide personal decisions.”

Ryan Konopka

With influences ranging from Queen to Stevie Wonder, this industrial engineering major provided an interesting and powerful experience with his performance in the Showcase semifinals. Playing a single, 12-minute piece complete with musical overtures and spoken word intervals, Konopka’s songwriting style is entirely his own.

“I write about things I can't stop thinking about — ideas and events and people that disturb or change me,” he said. “I spend a lot of time aimlessly improvising on any instrument, including vocals, which is usually how I come up with the music that goes with what I've been thinking.”

Each finalist will compete for a chance to record his or her original music at Under The Couch’s studio, as well as perform at a show hosted by Musician’s Network in the future.

Aside from hosting events like the Solo Artist Showcase, Musician’s Network offers a wide variety of services to Georgia Tech’s student musicians. With free instrument and songwriting lessons, a weekly open mic night, social music groups, and a student-run recording studio, Musician’s Network and Under The Couch provide students with a space to create and fully express themselves.

Students can look forward to next fall’s New Band Showcase, as well as the second Solo Artist Showcase to be held next spring.