Chargers Organize Concert to Support Music Industry

Maddie Rund ’23 is looking forward to when in-person concerts are safe to hold and attend after the pandemic. In the meantime, she has been working all semester to organize a virtual concert – one that will help ensure that concert venues have the resources they need to open up again when it is safe to do so.

A music industry major, Rund and classmates in her "Live Concert Planning and Promotion" course are working together to organize "Music Is Not Dead," a virtual concert that is open to the public. It will stream via YouTube Live from Pharaoh Studios.

Because COVID-19 has been particularly difficult for the music industry, the students will be donating the proceeds to the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), which provides relief to venues as part of the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund.

"The music industry has been slow to recover from the financial impact of the pandemic, which has left countless individuals jobless without the option of working from home," said Rund. "We rely on venues to keep live music alive, and we immediately recognized a need to help out where we could."

'What I have to look forward to after graduation'

The virtual concert will take place on Saturday, May 1, at 6:30 p.m. University of New Haven students can visit myCharger to get a code that can be used at checkout for a discount on tickets. Viewers will enjoy performances by Cam Meekins, Caleb Giles, Mandala, Kasi & the 5th Dimension, and Chris Chase.

"It’s a great opportunity to watch some excellent live performances while supporting a good cause," said Jada DeJesus ’23, one of Rund’s classmates. "Everyone in the class has worked so hard, and it’s been really cool to see our ideas come to fruition."

Taught by Adam Caress, MBA, a lecturer with 25 years of experience in the music industry, the course enables music industry students to gain the hands-on experience of organizing a live event.

"NIVA has been the reason many venues will see the light of the next concert season, and we all have that to be thankful for."Maddie Rund '23

DeJesus, Rund, and their classmates have been working in groups to plan the event, each focusing on a different aspect of the planning, including branding and advertising, accounting and sponsorship, artist booking, and event production. Students have been working with their teammates and as a class to plan the event, and they have secured sponsorship from local companies.

"This has been a wonderful opportunity to practice perseverance," said Rund. "It’s highlighted the importance of strong communication and dedication. I’ve enjoyed having a part in planning our concert, especially as a member of the branding and advertising team, since it’s showed me what I have to look forward to after graduation. We’ve learned resilience when we’ve encountered challenges, and we’ve been creative when brainstorming ways to overcome them."

'This has been a great experience'

DeJesus, who created the logo for the event, has been part of the marketing and branding group. She says what she’s already learned from the course has been invaluable.

"I’ve learned that having the ability to communicate with others is such an important skill to have," she said. "Communicating effectively inside and outside of my team has made it so much easier to collaborate and get our ideas out there. This has been a great experience because I will carry the skills I’ve learned from this class into my career."

Rund is looking forward to the concert, and she’s glad she and her classmates can help support the music industry during what has been an especially challenging time.

"The goal of our event is to raise awareness for an organization that is doing so much to make sure we have venues to return to when concerts become safe spaces again," said Rund. "NIVA has been the reason many venues will see the light of the next concert season, and we all have that to be thankful for."