By Miles Pease, Staff Writer
In an effort to keep the creative community at Bergen going virtually, the Business Production and Music (BPM) club recently went live on Zoom, showcasing some of the talent from our college. This virtual concert of sorts was the first in what promises to be a monthly series of musical events.
For a first run, things went smoothly. There were about twenty attendees, but the blank boxes on the screen couldn’t help but give off the feeling of an empty room. Still, most of those boxes stayed tuned as the first act took to the “stage” from what seemed to be their basement.
Performances varied in just about everything, bouncing the spotlight from home to home. Some were live, others pre-recorded; there were instrumentals and acapellas. The event actually wrapped up 30 minutes early of its two-hour time, since many only had one or two songs to share.
There didn’t seem to be any dominant genre or vibe, with covers ranging from Charlie Parker to Radiohead and even a couple original pieces. It was somewhat of a putlock of performances from all different skill levels and everyone sharing a taste of what they enjoy.
To call this a concert wouldn’t be entirely appropriate, and not quite an open mic either. But it was certainly a strong communal experience that offers all open-minded music lovers a place to hear and share something with fellow students.
More than anything, It begs the question of what might turn up as new artists attend future meetings which seems to be just the essence of these Music Mondays.
Even with a limited lineup, the BPM club managed to bring something new to the table. In the future, the experience would be much better if everyone tried to keep their camera on, as no live performance is the same the second time. The performer and the audience all feed off of each other, so a few smiling faces and heads banging —even muted— could really bring this thing to life.
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