Sorry John, we’re going to have to go with Ben on this one. Mr. Franklin once said, “energy and persistence conquer all things” and many of F&M’s students are living proof of the wise quip:
What does persistence, the lazy days of summer, and a love of music produce? For junior Chelsea Ramsey, the sweet success of booking mash-up DJ extraordinaires, Super Mash Bros., for the spring concert on April 9th. Chelsea, a perfect blend of modesty and wit, began toying with the idea during the summer vacation of 2010.
“I’m a huge music enthusiast with no musical talent whatsoever. I think to compensate for my inability to play music, I became obsessed with listening to the stylings of more talented musicians than myself,” Chelsea says. The most impressive aspect of Chelsea’s conquest is that she has no affiliations with any major campus clubs, councils, or boards; she set out on her own, determined to change the current non-status of school-funded concerts.
For the past four years, F&M has attempted to appease students with some type of musical artist. Fall 2007 saw the Plain White T’s, 2009 brought The Ruse, and last spring Sam Adams made an appearance on Hartman Green. The enthusiasm surrounding these events was less than encouraging. As the concerts did not generate as much positive response as expected, funding became more of an issue for the College Entertainment Committee (CEC). Many students are not aware that CEC worked extremely hard in the past to bring Third Eye Blind (2003), O.A.R (2006), and Talib Kweli (2006) to campus. However, CEC lacked the necessary support to attract such big names for the future. For Chelsea to take on the role of the CEC, she realized she’d need a bit of help and a bit of luck.
Only after multiple meetings with the hesitant administration and student organizations did Chelsea gain support and funding. Her intentions are simple: “If the Super Mash Bros. concert is a success, I am hoping that it will serve as the foundation for larger scale shows in the future. The administration needs to see that concerts are a worthwhile investment of their resources before they will consider providing the funds needed for a more expensive musician.” She has relied on her relentless enthusiasm to maneuver the road bumps along the way. Chelsea was officially approved in November but still has much legwork ahead; she’s currently in communication with Super Mash Bros. and finalizing the details. Still, she couldn’t be more pleased. She encourages student involvement, as volunteers for the Concert Committee will be crucial as April 9th approaches.
Chelsea’s efforts demonstrate what every F&M student possesses: the initiative and drive to make a difference. For more information, be sure to check out the Super Mash Bros. concert event on Facebook by clicking here or contact Chelsea at cramsey@fandm.edu. The concert is FREE on April 9th in Mayser Gym. Campus band Flight School will be opening, so be sure to attend!