SRU’s Pop Ensemble is an organization on campus that gives students the opportunity to be part of a band, whether they are interested in singing or playing an instrument.
All SRU students are able to audition to be part of the ensemble. There are three ensembles focusing on various themes and genres of music.
Savannah Briggs, a communication major with a concentration in media production and public relations, spoke about the ensemble that she is part of.
“It’s basically just being in a band, but a class. Which is really awesome because, I think at our age, it’s really hard to put together a band with all of our crazy schedules and be consistent. But since it’s a class—or some people take it as just a club, but you can also take it for credit as a class—it’s really nice because we just get together basically for band practice once a week. And we do some practicing on our own at home but it’s just really nice to get together,” Briggs said.
Briggs decided to audition after watching her friend perform last semester in the ensemble.
Joseph Deibler is a senior majoring in music education with a minor in the marching arts.
Deibler decided to join after attending the Pop Ensemble performance last semester.
“I show up and they are just having a blast. The students are singing their hearts out, they’re playing epic guitar solos and there’s just people all around them cheering,” Deibler said.
The process to get involved in the ensemble begins as an audition.
“We had an audition process, where I just had to go online. I [was] sent the link for a self tape, and basically I just went through and recorded a couple songs of me singing and put them in. One had to be the different melodies or tempos, but anyways, I sent those in and I got the email that I made it into one of the pop ensembles,” Briggs said.
This Pop Ensemble has five singers, two guitarists, a drummer, a bass and a pianist.
“So every week we met up, our first class we just went through and picked what songs we were doing. We have some big group songs, but we also have some smaller ones with duets and stuff like that,” Briggs said. “Basically what we would do—and now that we are getting to the end, it’s more of us just practicing all of our songs all together and going through our set—but…we got to pick exactly how we wanted the song to be.”
SRU students of any major are able to audition.
“The Pop Ensemble I’m in, I’m pretty sure only a couple of the people in it are music majors. I think there’s a business major, a political science major, a couple theater majors…there’s a [of] couple music majors, but we are all kind of different majors, which is really nice,” Briggs said.
Briggs shared how she feels that the Pop Ensemble is beneficial for students involved.
“I love to sing, I love to play guitar. I play both acoustic and electric, and I haven’t I guess had a space to let out my creative energy with that, and then I learned about this club. I think it’s really beneficial for students who love to sing or love to play guitar or drums or, honestly, any instrument, because it gives you a space to let your creativity flow, but also it’s not a crazy huge time commitment,” Briggs said.
The Pop Ensemble is offered as a club or a class. Individuals can also take it as a class multiple times.
“I think it is really great for students who want to sing pop music and are very passionate about it, but just don’t have as much time to be a part of their own band they make themselves. Or be a part of theater, because I know it does take up a lot of time,” Briggs said.
On Sunday, May 3 at 7:30 p.m., the ensemble will be hosting a performance at the North Country Brewery Canning Facility.
Individuals can purchase tickets for the event at www.sru.edu/tickets.
Tickets for students cost $5 while general admission is $10.
“It’s a great group of people. I mean, every time I go in there—I was really nervous my first day—but anytime I go in there, I get so excited because everyone’s so talented, and everyone’s so sweet and everyone’s very passionate about what they’re doing,” Briggs said.
“It’s an experience like no other on this campus honestly, and when we get to perform and show everyone what we’ve done, it’s amazing,” Deibler said.
