Last week, James May published an article in the Voice highlighting many of Wooster’s musically talented students. The article did valuable work, exposing the public to eight individuals involved in the Wooster soundscape. To these ends, I agree. Wooster has a lot of student musicians that are worth recognizing.
But what entitles us to say not just that we have a vibrant music scene, but a music scene at all? There must be criteria for the use of a word like ‘scene,’ and that is a question we should be asking ourselves prior to assuming that one exists.
Firstly, a music scene is not a set of individuals. Synonymous with community or collective, a scene is symbiotic. The amount of talent and support seen at Covers every month is a testament to there being an interest from both performers and audience members. In this one-off, never-to-be-seen-again, no-original-tunes environment, Covers certainly allows us to say, “There’s some damn fine talent here.” If talent were the goal, we wouldn’t have the desire to play with our friends, to create something we care about, and to share it with our peers doing the same. In this sense, Covers is a stepping stone, not the end game.
What would a music scene look like? A music scene would involve more people actively committed to playing music with each other, creating something original and then making it public in a performative sense. A music scene involves sharing. This also requires practicing and the formation of new bands. In James’ article, there was a total of three bands mentioned, two of which are no longer active. There are several bands on campus right now, all of which are in the early stages of writing.
There are definite considerations to the external factors limiting the ease of generating a music scene on campus. Administratively and structurally, Wooster does not have a predetermined space for non-major musicians to practice and perform. The once despised and now greatly missed UG has been closed and will be until a new staff member is hired. The hiring process seems to many directly opposed to the College’s present philosophy. The current party ban in small houses, the plethora of other, more well-organized student activities, and the I.S. frenzy myself and many of my peers are in also play roles in making a vibrant music scene a difficult dream to actualize.
This ought not predispose us to feel disheartened. There are many positives to the music that does happen on campus. There have been many great house shows, WAC small concerts, WOO 91 live sessions, Covers, Goliard music releases, basement jams, Common Grounds shows, music departmental productions and a cappella performances, along with the iconic weekly bluegrass silhouetted under the arch. I am extremely happy about these outlets and thankful to everyone involved, but I am not certain we can say we have a music scene without more people getting involved, taking things into their own hands, helping with what is already happening. Treat your desire for a music scene as an ideal that you can help actualize.
With half a semester left at Wooster, I am committed to a scene that doesn’t exist. There has been a great deal of improvement during my time here. Do we want a music scene or not? If we do, let’s admit that this is a goal and not an inherited status.
Warner Brownfield, a Contributing Writer for the Voice, can be reached for comment at WBrownfield16@wooster.edu.