Tuesday August 30, 2011 marked the first time this semester that Robert Morris University hosted its weekly Open Mic Night, which is hosted by senior Frank Vieira. Open Mic night is held every Tuesday from 9-11pm in the cafeteria, and typically draws a large crowd.
Every week a more diverse range of performers are signing up, including comedians, beat poets and musicians. The new and exciting performances have made Open Mic Night a regular late night hangout on Tuesdays.
“It’s my favorite campus event because it allows you to see the student body in a different light,” said Vieira. “There’s so much talent on this campus.”
It doesn’t matter if you want to sing, tell jokes or recite poetry or come up with some off the wall performance, you can perform it at this event. If you’re nervous about performing in front of a large group of people, Open Mic Night is a great place to overcome that fear.
“It’s a really safe place to try out things that you have in your heart to do in the arts, that’s where I started,” said junior, Jasmine Tate. “I started with Open Mic Nights at RMU, and it was a great experience and a great way for me to overcome any amount of nervousness I had.”
“I sang at almost every Open Mic Night last year,” recalls senior, Tyler Donovan. “People should go to see the different musical talent that this campus has to offer and meet new friends.”
Open Mic Night is not about the different talents; it’s also a great way to de-stress which is very important for college students to do. “Open Mic Night is like a mini vacation on campus,” explains Vieira. “It’s a place to forget about your problems and enjoy what your classmates offer as musicians. But more importantly an insight to who they are on the inside.”
The next Open Mic Night will be Tuesday September 6th at 9pm in the cafeteria, and the performers look forward to seeing the event grow as the year goes on.
