One walk through the Green Center for the Performing Arts, and it’s easy to see DePauw has a strong connection to music. However, without the advantage of class time and professors, independently led student music groups must take the extra step in order to bring their music into the campus spotlight.
DePauw is home to numerous artists that spend their free time rocking out to the music that inspires them. The Dells, The Lonely Women, DePauwcapella and Kid Quill are just a few groups that both practice and perform around campus.
Oftentimes, these independent groups start out of inspiration or bursts of creativity. Freshman Mitch Brown, also known by his rapper name, Kid Quill, began doing his music after a friend posted a video on YouTube of him rapping.
“It was well liked, and my music has spread from there,” Brown said.
Sophomores Stephen Dobbs and Kwame Newton started their band The Lonely Women in high school and continued the band at DePauw when they found like-minded men that were willing to play with them.
“There isn’t much music played outside of the School of Music, but we were able to find guys who had a passion for this creative outlet,” Dobbs said.
Dobbs and Newton also recruited sophomore Brian Austin, a friend and fraternity brother to Dobbs to play the drums. Freshman Mickey Terlep, was also recruited to play bass guitar and junior Collin Neill now plays electric guitar for The Lonely Women.
Sophomore Connor Allen, a member of another DePauw band called The Dells and a student in the School of Music, also credits the initiation of his band with the discovery of other musically minded students on campus, namely fellow sophomore Doug Tipsword.
“Doug and I formed the band after we met and found out we both like the same kind of music,” Allen said.
Tipsword and Allen recruited a drummer and a singer to complete their band and have been playing together since last year when they formed the group.
As DePauw students, there is also a problem of logistics, of finding the time and place for band practice in their busy schedules. Both The Dells and The Lonely Women practice at the fraternities of which the band members are a part. The Lonely Women practice in a closet at Beta Theta Pi.
Brian Austin said of The Lonely Women, “We just like getting the guys together to jam out, we’re always really loud, but it’s a great time to let loose and take a break.”
DePauwcapella, possibly the most well known of the independent music groups, practices twice a week for two hours and more when they have rehearsals.
“It’s not too much of a time commitment, and if you really love singing it’s a fun way to get music into your life and do this thing that you love,” freshman Kevin Bulgeski said.
Bulgeski, a passionate singer himself, also said he wanted to be a part of the group the moment he met the members at the activities fair.
“I saw that it was an opportunity to do what I love and feel that the group helps to break the mold of music being solely a part of the School of Music.”
Dobbs had a similar opinion on the subject.
“There is an obvious social divide between CLA students and School of Music students, and they rarely co-mingle, which creates a creative gap between the two,” Dobbs said.
Dobbs takes School of Music classes, such as music improvisation with Dr. Edberg, but never plays band-type instruments in class, so being part of The Lonely Women gives him a different musical outlet.
There is also a difference in the type of venues where these independent groups play. For DePauwcapella, the audience and feel of the venue is very similar to choral and orchestral groups, but for these other performers the atmosphere is much different. The Lonely Women, for example, played at the Duck last year and Beta Theta Pi’s informal event, and the Dells typically play at Sigma Chi and Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternities. The environment in which they play is more casual and less structured, versus the very formal Kresge Hall or Meharry Hall where music groups typically perform.
Since the atmosphere of the venues is so casual, it is more difficult to advertise and make their bands known around campus. DePauwcapella is most well known because it has been on campus for around ten years. However, The Dells, The Lonely Women and Kid Quill are new additions to the music scene. Allen and Dobbs both said that is difficult for the word to spread about their bands in an effective way.
On the other hand, Kid Quill has had been fairly successful with getting the word out about his music, most through social media and the Internet.
“Opening for Jake Miller in Indy was a huge break for me, and the guys from wafflepwn YouTube channel heard my music and like it, and they have over 900,000+ subscribers. I’ve also had people from as far as England message me to say they like my music,” Brown said.
Each of the artists from these bands has been inspired by different music. For The Lonely Women, it’s more grunge with a little funk, while for The Dells it’s music with high technicality and musicianship, and pop music for DePauwcapella and rap for Kid Quill.
DePauw’s campus itself is also diverse when it comes to musical taste. Independently led student bands and artists on campus help provide live music for those who want something different than what the School of Music provides.
The School of Music could expand its outreach and provide benefits to these artists as well through use of its credibility to present DePauw’s campus with a fresh perspective on independent music groups. When asked if a showcase of their music by the School of Music would be a good idea, all of those interviewed had a positive response.
Allen noted that the school still has its shortcomings.
“The School of Music is trying to raise its standards, which limits creativity and makes it less and less likely to be able to do these types of showcases, but it would definitely be a positive for our band’s progress,” Allen said.