MCCC has Cure for Mid-Week Doldrums

Monday is traditionally blue; it’s the day you start the workweek. Friday is traditionally happy; the end of the work week and the beginning of another weekend.

But, what mood do Wednesdays evoke? 

If a group of Montgomery County Community College teachers and students have their way, Wednesdays at the Blue Bell campus will be more melodic. At least during Music Wednesday, a weekly lunchtime concert in the atrium of the Advanced Technology Center.

Music Instructor Michael Kelly said the performances span all genres, covering rock, hip-hop, spoken word, classical, jazz, electronica, celtic and performance pieces.

“The lineup, booked months in advance thanks to the overwhelming interest and success of the shows, consists mainly of students from my songwriting and music technology courses, as well as students from the campus who provide an overview and CD of their work,” Kelly said. 

At least twice a year, the chorus or a string ensemble play in the atrium, giving a classical grounding.

“I have added music on Tuesdays and Thursdays myself, playing jazz with students on piano and guitar,” he said.

The majority of the pop/rock/blues performers are singer/songwriters, but many bring their own backing tracks or accompany themselves on keyboard and synthesizer, so the “singer/songwriter” genre is much wider than the audience may expect, Kelly said. 

Kelly and Senior Producer and Technical Services Manager Matt Porter audition CDs of student material. According to Kelly, “if the material is solid or even semisolid,” they greenlight the student to perform.

“Chris Coia, MCCC director of student leadership and involvement, also books Music Wednesdays to showcase musical acts from all over the country,” Kelly said. “We work together to offer the widest possible range of new music exposure to our student community.”

The concert series is not limited to the MCCC music student body. The fall 2010 semester featured performances by Jason LeVasseur from Winston-Salem, N.C.; and Full Service from Austin, Texas. The latter band was touring and on its way to World Café at WXPN in Philadelphia. 

“People bring different genres to the table," said Alexi Windler, a MCCC communications student. "It’s a very diverse experience.”

Windler, who has been disc jockey “DJ Lextronic” at Music Wednesday, finds that the crowd feedback is important to his own performances. “It gives me an idea of what people are into.”

Like the performers, Music Wednsday continues to evolve.

“The 12:30 p.m. time slot is designated ‘down time’ here on campus, so there are large crowds that come to see the shows, especially when the weather permits us to perform outside, usually when we hit 60 degrees,” Kelly said. “Outside concerts are the most colorful; students will hang out all over the front of the ATC building, listening to the music, dancing, hoola hoops flying, a very cool vibe, almost like a 'live on campus' kind of vibe.”