Just a few weeks ago Mizzou students got the chance to attend a free concert by Imagine Dragons in front of the student center on Rollins Street as a part of the Homecoming pep rally. The band was hypnotizing with their indie rock melodies as crowd surfers sprung up among the audience by the tens. Many people wondered how the band, infinitely rising in fame from their chart-topping song “It’s Time,” came to Mizzou in the first place. Well, thanks to the Department of Student Activity’s College Music Committee, bands like Imagine Dragons are brought to Mizzou’s campus for an affordable, and sometimes free, price. Governed by senior chair Kellie Donahoe and junior chair Chris Chandler, the committee aims to bring fun-filled concerts and musical events to Mizzou without stressing out students’ wallets.
Her Campus Mizzou: As a member of the music committee, what are your duties?
Chris Chandler: The College Music Committee of the Department of Student Activities is underneath the Missouri Students Association. Therefore our entire budget is from student fees. Our job is to bring concert to campus that students will want to see, but bring them for a price that is much lower then normal.
Kellie Donahoe: My duty as senior chair is to book, produce, market and execute these concerts and music events for MU. This includes calling agents, negotiating offers, executing contracts, and a number of other elements. I also delegate a committee of 40 members who help promote, create and work our events/concerts.
HCM: What kinds of activities does the committee organize music for?
CC: We organize concerts for the entire campus, so we try to hit every demographic that we can. We also organize various events to show off Mizzou’s musical talents. Events such as Mizzou Idol (Mizzou’s version of American Idol) and Lunch Time Talent are events that we do to show off musicians at Mizzou.
HCM: How do you go about booking the bands?
CC: We book bands just like any other promoter would. We call the bands’ agent, and we negotiate everything from pricing for their performance all the way down to how they will get into town.
KD: It’s an extremely long process. We look at availability of both our venues and the artists’ routing as well as production costs. For every 20 bands we look into/offer on, we probably get 3 confirmed.
HCM: What are some of the bands you’ve booked recently? For what events?
CC: In the past years we have brought Ludo, J Cole, Big Sean, Wale, and Jason Derulo. This year we have done a great job of hitting as many demographics as possible, we have booked Imagine Dragons, and FUN. We are also bringing both Passion Pitt and Matt & Kim to do a concert and Kendrick Lamar, a big west coast rapper.
HC: How did you get involved with the committee?
CC: I first joined MSA as a senator and heard about DSA that way. But my Friend Tre Spearman also was already in the committee, and he wanted me to join him because he knew how much I loved music.
KD: Freshman year my RA was involved with Mizzou Idol so she exposed me to the committee. I interviewed Richard King for a journalism class who invited me to be his intern, which helped me to learn a lot. Later, I become head of College Music and have been senior chair the past 2 years
HC: What do you like most about being a part of the committee?
CC: Honestly I love bringing concerts to campus that students love. It is always fun going to a great concert, but it is a totally different feeling when you booked the show and you see the enjoyment that everyone else has from the show you planed.
KD: I absolutely love every aspect of being chair of college music. There is nothing like working for 6 months to bring a band to campus that is awesome, selling it out, and then seeing the smiles on all of those faces in the front row.
HC: What’s your favorite band or artist?
CC: I’m a big hip-hop fan so I would say right now my favorite rapper is Kendrick Lamar!
KD: Beck, Bob Dylan, or Led Zeppelin.