Hello Her Campus readers! The year is wrapping up and we are all currently cramming in those last few minutes of studying before our finals. That being said, it’s always a great idea to take a break. It’s times like these when I wish I had a better mechanism to try and throw away my stress. I have now been through every playlist in the world, and I’m tired of hearing the same songs over and over again. If only I had a great tune to pump me up for my exam this afternoon. Fortunately, there is a man with a solution. I was lucky enough to get to sit down with the CEO of Hail and Unite whose passion for music has allowed him to pull together a large team of students who are looking to create a song made by Michigan students, for Michigan students. This week’s campus celebrity is Mike Weinberg. Let’s meet him!
Name: Mike Weinberg
Year: Senior
Major: Music
Activities: Founder and Creator of Hail and Unite
Her Campus: What is Hail and Unite?
Mike Weinberg: Hail and Unite is a student-led movement aiming to energize Michigan fans globally by producing a pump-up song featuring in-house University of Michigan talent, alumni musicians, and Michigan affiliated-recording artists. The venture will generate various opportunities for Michigan students while aligning their interests with organizations across campus. Along with sponsorships and school endorsements, the majority of funds will be sourced through crowd funding, which will allow fellow Wolverines to unite and drive this movement, while collecting various physical rewards for their contributions.
HC: How did you come up with the idea for Hail and Unite?
MW: I came up with the idea in September of 2013 after working with a music producer in Atlanta that summer. I observed the way he collaborated with many different writers, producers, and drumline musicians to create the music for a commercial. This led me to start thinking about how we could do something unique involving the entire Michigan community. I saw the commercial when watching an NFL game shortly after getting back to school and my mind started racing. Michigan has the most incredible students, organizations, fans, and alumni, and I realized that by bringing different pieces together to make a song, music video, and documentary, we could create an amazing project for U of M.
HC: How do you think the movement has evolved since you first started it?
MW: Hail and Unite has gone through different phases. The first year or so consisted of putting together the business plan and timeline, as well as meeting with different organizations and departments throughout the university. Our meetings went extremely well, and we received support and endorsements all over campus and throughout Ann Arbor. In October of 2014, we decided that we would raise the money through crowd funding, and we began putting a campaign together. In March of 2015 we launched our crowd funding campaign and have been progressing ever since.
HC: How has this supported your passion for music?
MW: I love everything about the music business, from working with writers and producers on music production to developing creative business plans and strategies to innovate the industry. I believe the music industry is going to progress very positively in these next 5-7 years and I hope to be a part of that change.
Want to read more about Hail and Unite’s cause? Visit: https://www.funderbuilt.com/Cause/Projects/11322/hail-and-unite-the-mich…