On any given evening, the top of the EMU hill is usually only occupied by the water tower, the Discipleship Center, and possibly one of the friendly campus cats. This changed, however, when live music echoed across campus from the hill on Nov. 15 for the first iteration of Music on the Hill. The event featured seven different groups that often frequent the Harrisonburg music scene, all of them bringing their own unique styles to share.
“I feel like there is so much talent in Harrisonburg because it is in the center of everything,” said Adam Wirdzek, Web Content and Strategy Manager at EMU, who organized the event. “A lot of people get comfortable and stay here so we have a lot of talented artists… and there just is so much cool music here.” Wirdzek himself fits the description of moving to the city and feeling at home in the scene as he gets to know and play with more groups. A northern Virginia native, he has been able to settle right in and collaborate with the musicians here.
“The whole motivation for this was to really connect EMU into [the Harrisonburg scene] because there are musicians here… and I don’t think students realize how easy it is to get involved,” said Wirdzek. The inspiration for this community-building event came to Wirdzek as an idea out of the blue, but when one of his bandmates independently presented him with the same idea, they knew they had to make it happen. EMU students and members from the wider community alike were invited to stop by and take in the unique sounds presented by each group.
“I love hearing some live music…, it’s great to hear local artists,” said EMU first-year Monica Ehrenfels. “Music is very expressive, no matter how you’re feeling,” said Ehrenfels. “It’s something that comes from within and it’s really interesting to hear everyone’s different perspectives.” Ehrenfels attended the event with friend and fellow first-year Elena Middlebrook, both of whom are members of the EMU music department. Their favorite set of the night was “Lilac War,” an indie-folk project led by songwriter Nic Maoury that kicked off in the Shenandoah Valley in 2017. Maoury performed solo with just a guitar and voice as the sun was setting for the evening, leaving the pair of students in awe with the “perfect” vibe of the whole scene.
“I think music is, and it always has been…, it exists, and that is quite nice,” said Middlebrook. This statement encompasses some of the messages conveyed in the songs throughout the night, as well as other sentiments such as the power music has to bring people together. From the Indie Lo-fi layered music of Monopolyopolis and the Hip-Hop Jazz Fusion band Cerulean Valley, to the Indie Dream Pop Rock music of Sierra Lambert and the Electronic Dance Music of EBRO, the night featured something for everyone. Wirdzek concludes, “It can be a community space, it can really connect a lot of people that otherwise wouldn’t meet each other, and that’s what I’m really passionate about.”
Be sure to look out for the second iteration of Music on the Hill during the spring semester; Wirdzek envisions an even bigger and better event to further connect EMU to the Harrisonburg music scene.
