Rowan Music Group and others involved in Rowan’s music programs held an event at the Rowan Art Gallery last Thursday called “Live! At the Gallery” showcase.

Emilio Del Hierro, a senior music industry major, said having a concert on campus is one of the requirements for a class he and others hosting the event are taking. Del Hierro’s job at the event was to run the check-in table and support the bands playing.

“I feel like by promoting these events a lot more people are gonna know about Rowan Music Group and that Rowan has a lot to offer music-wise and you should come out and support it,” he said.

Many students and family members came out to support the musicians and the event, something the students have been working on for about a month and a half. The event was being held as a school project and was also promoting Rowan Music Group artists, but was not limited to only Rowan students.

“Everybody can come,” Del Hierro said. “We have students participating and we have people from outside Rowan that are coming too.”

The first musician, Fize Cash, began his set around 6:20. All the music equipment was set up close to the front of the room, most of it a few feet behind the check-in table. There were about 45 people filling the front of the art gallery by the time Denim Mob, the fifth band out of nine, played.

Junior entrepreneurship major Chad Hinson, whose stage name is WHOAMI?, played second in the show. Hinson and the band he played with practiced the night prior to the event, but he said they practice “a lot less often than we should.” As a group, they call themselves The Jazz Goats.

“This is probably my third performance with a band,” he said. “I’ve been a solo singer/rapper, for years.”

He realized he wanted to be in music when he was about 15 after meeting a local rapper. 

“I didn’t know that you can actually be a professional performer and not be signed to a record label,” Hinson said.

Carolina Hooper, a Rowan alumni who graduated last May, came to the show after she heard about the event on Facebook and Instagram. While at Rowan she double majored in arts and music.

“I know a lot of the people in the music industry major and I know there’s a lot of talented people there,” Hooper said. “I still want to remain involved with the music industry program that’s here and support all the artists.”

She also came because she knew SØF, the musician who performed last.

“I’ve heard SØF perform a lot before,” she said. “I love her music and I’m looking forward to hearing her perform again. She has such a great stage presence too.”

For questions/comments about this story, email arts@thewhitonline.com or tweet @thewhitonline.