Author's First IMA Meeting

Having just found out about the meeting, I sporatically grabbed whatever objects I needed and ran to MGB 101 where the ODU Independent Music Association was having their first February meeting. Just twice a month, the IMA congregates in the lecture room to showcase each student's most recent projects. For about an hour and a half, each student took turns going on the stage and talking about what they were about to perform. Where it came from, why they wrote it, and how far along they were in music projects were some of the ideas each person spoke about on the mic.

Then came the time to show the other 20 students in the room their talent. Ranging from R&B to Hip-Hop, Rap, Electronic, Pop and House music, the meeting vibed on a positive frequency.

After the performances, Darius Mines ( the leader of the group) asked, "Alright ya'll, how about some feedback on that one??" Not only did the students give constructive criticism, but they also respected one another. Not one person laughed at, made fun of or disregarded the other. If there were venues in the area that had a particular audience that would be ideal for a musician, they let them know. If a place had a nice set-up or noteworthy acoustics, they would tell one another. And when someone ever felt a doubt about themselves, they spoke up about that too. "If you would just like..listen to how nice you sound and realized you sounded nice, it would make that performance THAT much better," commented Shamir Epps after a performance by the group's President Lindsey Anderson.

With a group providing students the opportunity to learn from one another and share their love of music with other aspiring musicians, the ODU IMA is definitely on the right track.

The IMA will be meeting next on February 16th, 2012 in MGB 101. Be sure to come out if you love music and wanna be part of this collaborative effort to spread that love.

Photo courtesy of http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=305287532815821&set=t.1620736732&type=3&theater fer

featuring Darius Mines, Clarence Cartwright & Rivers S. Taylor at an IMA meeting in October