Collegiate Times

When Mike Cunningham first came to Virginia Tech in fall 2009, he wasn’t very impressed with Blacksburg’s music culture.

“I’m from New Jersey so there’s a pretty strong music scene, which I really didn’t find here,” said Cunningham, a sophomore psychology major.

Cunningham, who is a member of the Virginia Tech Union, will be helping to put on the organization’s annual spring concert, Soundfest, tomorrow to help alleviate this perceived lack of music.

“It’s pretty much the only way for people who like alternative or indie type music to see it while in school, especially if they don’t have a car to drive to Richmond or Charlotte,” he explained.

Each year, Soundfest mixes a lineup of well-known acts, such as Mae and Saves the Day performing in past shows, along with up-and-coming acts. This year, the lineup includes Anthony Snape, Jonas Sees Color, the Morning Of and

Ryan Cabrera, who has had success with hits such as “On the Way Down.”

Ending the night’s festivities will be headliner Hit the Lights. The alternative-punk band hails from Lima, Ohio, and is the act that Cunningham is most looking forward to.

“They’re a great group of guys who love to play music and have a good time,” said Cunningham, who has seen the band 14 times in concert. “The music has a great energy, and they always tend to draw an awesome crowd.”

Cunningham got involved with VTU after hearing about opportunities with the group last spring. Now part of the Alternative Sounds Committee, Cunningham worked with a group of students all year to plan this Friday’s event. Samantha

Holdren, a sophomore psychology major and director of the committee, has been involved with VTU since her freshman year.

“Music is one of my passions, so when I started looking into getting more involved on campus, VTU seemed like the best thing for me,” Holdren said.

To find artists to bring to the event, Holdren’s committee came together in the fall to brainstorm a range of possibilities.

“At the meetings, people would essentially come and say, ‘Hey have you heard this new band?’ and we’d start to compile a list,” Holdren said. “From there, we start to contact agents and work with the student body to see who we think might be successful around campus.”

Courtney Hinchee, a senior apparel design and merchandising major, has enjoyed past Soundfests, in particular because of the size of Squires Commonwealth Ballroom.

“It just feels more personal,” she said. “You can better relate to the artist than at a huge amphitheater.”

She also doesn’t mind Soundfest’s ticket price.

“I love to support live music on campus, but so many times a big name band comes and tickets are $25, which I just can’t afford on a college budget,” Hinchee said. “But if it’s a free show, I’m down.”

At the event, students are free to come and go throughout the evening should they want to step out and return later.

“There are a lot of people excited to see Ryan Cabrera and Hit the Lights, but it’s free so people can just drop in and check out whoever they want,” Cunningham said.

While these may be the more popular acts, Cunningham said that a perk of Soundfest is watching how younger bands develop their own fan base.

“That’s the cool thing,” he said. “The bands get a lot more famous and then you can say, ‘Man, I saw those guys play for a group of a thousand kids at Virginia Tech.’”

A version of this article appeared in the Apr 29 issue of the Collegiate Times.