In the cozy atmosphere of Jasper Hall’s lounge, a crowd silently enjoyed covers and original songs from their peers. From indie to rock every singer showed his or her talent in this open space for artists to share with the rest of the community what music is all about: feelings.
“I really like Coffee House because it provides a way for a lot of members of the Manhattan College community to express themselves throughout the music,” Robert Joseph Liberto, one of the organizers of the event, said.
Students from all years and majors performed, proving that passion can be found among any type of person, no matter what he or she likes. The participation is usually between 10 and 15 singers, poem readers and performers of various instruments.
“I was glad to see a lot of new faces this time,” sophomore George Schlinck, one of the performers of the night, said. “We got a bunch of new people, which was fantastic.”
They also talked about expanding the event and how more participants would attract more spectators; increasing the musical benefit for the community.
The event is done through Manhattan Magazine, the publication where artistic work of students (poetry, short stories, songs and drawings) can be submitted and published.
Coffee House has been around the campus for a few years now, and the attendants seem to understand that the ambiance is relaxed. Even if a lyric is forgotten or a note is missed, a performer gets the same amount of applause from the crowd.
Students like Sam Corby, Mike Battista, Gavin Sass, Chris Lake and Sam Feeney were part of the two hour set, singing with the help of acoustic and electric guitars. The Coffee House serves as a platform for student performers to get a head start with playing music and helps generate an audience. That is the story of one of the student bands called Potpourri.
“There is a band called Potpourri that just released an album under their own label, and two of the guys, Vincent Harris, the lead singer, and Rocco Pascale, the guitarist, used to play just those two as Potpourri and then the band expanded,” Liberto explained to us.
The rain or snow did not stop the students from grabbing some warm coffee and snacks provided by the organizers. And, as warmer weather is expected in the next few days, maybe the next Coffee House will be held in the green grass of the Quad.
With these types of events, Manhattan College proves that performing arts talent can be found in an education major or an engineering student. What matters the most is the love each performer puts into his or her performance.