April 18 , 2006
FEATURESSongwriter’s Night not a typical open mic
In the evening of the 4th Friday of every month, you can count on someone pouring their heart out through music at Into the Bean Coffeehouse. Put on by the MCC Music Business program, Songwriter’s Night has become a favorite event among local musicians and music fans.
Starting at 7 p.m., artists from all over the valley have a chance to perform their own compositions in front of others. It provides an atmosphere for constructive critique and conversation in order for the performer to improve his or her songwriting. Suggestions from the audience are welcome because, according to the organizer of the event, Kristina Makris, nobody is there to rate or judge the songwriters.
“Each person is at a different point in their own journey,” Makris said. “It’s safe because here we all assume a beginner’s mind.”
As Music Business Program Coordinator, Makris organized this event over two years ago and has been encouraging students at MCC to attend or perform ever since.
The show was originally held in the music building in MU3. The room had lots of space and a lot of people attended every month. “It got to the point where it wasn’t as intimate as we would have liked,” Makris said. So eventually she teamed up with Luis Prado, owner of Into the Bean Coffeehouse just across the street from MCC.
Songwriter’s Night at Into the Bean turned out to be a good move, according to many of the musicians that have performed there. “It turned out to be better. It’s a very laidback atmosphere,” Makris said.
When attending a typical Songwriter’s Night, expect to see a few different angles of the music business side of things as well as the performing. Makris hopes the performers and audience members alike learn a lesson in music business by attending the Songwriter’s Night.
There is a sound system set up that is connected to a computer and, using the top-of-the-line recording program ProTools, each performance is recorded and made into a CD. This is done for the benefit of the musician as a way to share recordings of their music with others or to be able to listen and critique themselves.
Also, a video camera is set up to capture a visual recording of the performance. All these things are done to help the musician be well-rounded in their performing skills, making them more marketable to the public.
“The song is the product, the fan is the client. This is one way of getting the product to the consumer. We establish a community ourselves,” Makris said.
All kinds of people can be found at a typical Songwriter’s Night. And different kinds of people mean a different array of musical styles. Most of the time it’s an acoustic guitar and vocals, but according to Makris there are duos, trios, keyboardists, and all-instrumental performers.
In any given night you could hear some country, jazz, blues, and ska. Makris says it’s all about the artists and their songs and helping each other become better.
“We want you to arrive feeling successful, and leave feeling successful. The best way to create something is to talk it through, then you hear insight you wouldn’t hear normally. We provide the setting for that.”