The University of Indianapolis hosted its first “Battle of the Bands” on Feb. 3, showcasing student talent in various musical genres, spanning post-punk emo, blues and rock, R&B, indie and metal.
The event was organized by the UIndy Music Industry Club, led by junior music industry major and club president Emerson Graft, and junior music industry major and club vice president Makinzee Bradley.
The Music Industry Club had previously been planning an open mic night, but those plans fell through, according to Bradley and Graft. They said there is a lack of live music opportunities on campus and wanted to create an event that could become recurring and allow bands to prepare in advance.
“I think there’s not a whole lot of opportunity to show off your music, especially if you are in a music program,” Graft said. “The real music world isn’t recitals and orchestras. Your general live music gig is a club, a small, intimate environment, and you’re not playing Bach concertos. It’s really exciting to kind of give people that opportunity to say, ‘This is my expression and my music,’ in a more natural setting.”
The judging panel included two faculty members from UIndy’s music department, Associate Professor and Director of Music Technology Programs Brett Leonard, and Associate Adjunct Professor and Percussion Director Terence Mayhew, along with two students, Bradley and senior English major and UIndy Poet Laureate Piper Parks.
The Battle of the Bands featured an open, first-come, first-served sign-up process, according to Graft. The only requirement was that each band had a connection to UIndy.
The drummer for jazz band “What The Funk?” Jaspar Fadely said events like “Battle of the Bands” can have a positive impact on student musicians and the university as a whole.
“I really think that the Battle of the Bands is going to help if we can make sure that we do what we need to do, market where we need to market and advertise,” Fadely said. “It’ll really help us get our name out there, get more people coming to the university and get more people involved.”
Guy Roddy, guitarist for “Union Ace,” said performing in the Battle of the Bands marked the band’s first live performance and gave them a chance to introduce their music to fellow UIndy students.
According to Bradley, the event also encouraged audience participation. Attendees were able to fill out a bracket predicting which bands would advance, with the most accurate bracket winning a prize.
The winning band, “Union Ace,” received a recording studio session, a prize Bradley said would help spotlight musicians who may not otherwise have access to professional recording opportunities. The “crowd favorite” was “Amy and The Foleys”, which the audience went wild for.
“It was a pleasure to make history with you guys,” Bradley said.
