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We're watching for new performers to book!![]()
Who wants to join the open mic tonight?? Follow the link below!
It's May 1st which means we're one month closer to gettin' back in action and raging nights with you 🤘
We might still be closed, but those tasty slices and empanadas around the corner at Manolo's Pizza & Empanadas (Official) are still being served up! Stop in Tuesday - Saturday to grab a bite and take yourself back to a night after a Canopy show 🍕👀 ManolosPizza.com
Finally, I can write one of those long rambling Facebook posts that it seems everyone gets to make. ![]()
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Three years ago, I joined a co-curricular record label called Perimeter Road Sound Recordings at Parkland College. I had just graduated from high school and I had my mind dead set on becoming a "sound engineer". Despite knowing barely anything about recording, sound production or even the difference between an XLR and a TRS cable, I signed up to become an engineer for the student-staffed label while taking music recording classes. Unknowingly, I was set on a path that would change my life.![]()
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Keep in mind, I had literally no idea what I was doing or what expectations were of me. I was extremely nervous for fear of being made a fool in front of experienced, industry professionals. Whatever preconceived notions I had of Perimeter Road were immediately thrown out the window once I realized quite a few of my fellow student engineers were just as scared as I was. This record label wasn't a shark tank where profit and success were expected, but rather a classroom where we were allowed to experiment and learn from our mistakes so that each and every subsequent project would be that much better. Once I had realized that, it only drove me further to contribute, as every member of that label was there to create great things. ![]()
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Speaking of the label members, I have to mention that the group of student engineers that I got to be around every week were some of the most talented, creative and driven people I have ever met in my life. Some were masterclass musicians capable of playing every instrument you threw at them. Some were radio, photography and graphic design students who were integral in creating the promotional material and cover arts for each release. Some were students looking to learn how to properly record and make music for themselves at home. Some, like myself, wanted to do anything they could just to help out the label, even if it meant becoming the Marketing Manager despite knowing nothing about marketing (notice the trend of me not knowing what to do). Even the faculty advisors were amazing, they were supportive and encouraging of all us students to learn. All of them were a joy to be around. Perimeter Road would not have been the same without Adam, Deane, Eric, Alex J, Alex P, Liberty, Drake, Matt, Elizabeth, Madalynn, Clayton, JuYoung, Will P, Will F, Will S, Harrison, Andrew, Lexi, Dylan, Cole, and so many more that I haven't mentioned. I was blessed to have the chance to be around you all.![]()
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Beyond Parkland, Perimeter Road gave me the skills and experience I needed to pursue real jobs as a live sound engineer while still taking classes as a student. While I won't dive into specifics as I feel that my time at The Canopy Club deserves its own special write up, I was able to take what I learned in the studio and apply it in real time. And as my time at Perimeter Road created opportunities at Canopy Club's Open Mic Nights, so too did the inverse happen. I met so many wonderful people who changed my life working at the Canopy, some of whom, like Anika Emily, even ended up recording and releasing projects with the label (Anika's also in the middle of recording a 5 track EP with PRSR!). As a label, we even held a music festival on Parkland's campus, the first of its kind. We booked several amazing CU local bands to play, and despite being mostly a studio-based co-curricular group, put on a great live show. Funnily enough, the company we rented the stage and sound equipment for almost two years ago, MMS Productions, is now my current place of employment. Just interesting how the world turns. ![]()
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The label had been around since 2015, about 3 years before I came around. By then, students from previous years had recorded, released, and promoted 5 individual releases, guided by the faculty advisors but mostly by the student's own hands and experience. I found it incredible that students, some who had learned and honed their craft taking the same classes I was then taking at Parkland, had managed to mix and master singles, extended plays and full albums. Now, three years later, the label has put out 11 more projects, including a multi-artist Single Series, a full length album, and two extended plays. The most recent, 'try things on', an EP by the lovely Karena Tse, just came out today. Out of all the projects I have worked on at the label, this one is the one I am the most proud of. It is the culmination of three years of learning, growing, and expanding my horizions in the field of sound. Even through a pandemic, PRSR managed to put out an amazing effort. Karena deserves the world, and I think everyone should listen to the art that she has made. I even managed to finally land a feature, playing guitar on her track 'tomato sandwich'. If it's not clear already, I want you to listen to her EP as soon as you can. The label worked extremely hard on it, and we'd appreciate it so much. ![]()
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open.spotify.com/album/02YzNZRSm5pQYMmBkmZvaf?si=7_DAWktmT4O24UrQAvJamA![]()
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My time at Parkland is up. I finished classes last Fall and I'm graduating in a few weeks. After that, I'm going to Columbia College in Chicago to pursue a Bachelors in Audio Arts, focusing on Live Sound Reinforcement. That also means that my time at Perimeter Road is coming to a close. While it hurts to have to leave something that I have loved and spent so much time into, I'm glad to be able to look back at so much that I worked on and was proud of having been a part of. ![]()
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If you or someone you know is interested in audio, sound production, marketing, graphic design, promotion, music business, radio, being a part of a likeminded group of creative people in a constructive learning environment, or anything like that, consider taking a few classes at Parkland and joining a particular student-staffed record label. Who knows, it might change your life.
Thinkin' back on that time when Excision crushed Canopy Club a few years ago 🤖![]()
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🎥: Robert K. Multimedia
Excision, Paradox Opening @ The Canopy Club 3/14/16
www.youtube.com
heres a few minutes from excisions stop at the canopy club on his paradox tour. enjoy.
It's been too long since we've seen all your smiling faces at our shows. We're prepping for the days we can open up and rage together in person 👏💯
Here we go! Join Jake Fava Music & Anika Emily as we meet open mic performers from all over the country!![]()
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Performers can join here!![]()
bit.ly/3wRKPxl
these are some very nice things that Mike Ingram said about me, check it out if you are interested in how i got my start at open mic and The Canopy Club ⭐️⭐️ and please join us saturday night for the writers show!
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Here we go, y'all! ![]()
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Performers can join here:![]()
bit.ly/31Ssq5e![]()
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#openmic #virtualopenmic #chambana #UIUC #livemusic #hashtag
Champaign-Urbana! Vaccines just opened to anyone 16+ and now's the time to make another step back to live music 🎶 Read up on all the info below.
Champaign County COVID-19 Vaccination Information - CUPHD
www.c-uphd.org
3/29/2021 UPDATE: There were a limited number of first dose appointments available through community partners for this week, but they are now full.
This is it. A full year of virtual open mics. Who the hell would have thought?![]()
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Performers can join here: tinyurl.com/965vvsea![]()
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#virtualopenmic #openmicnight #chambana #UIUC #openmic #livemusic #comeplay