Memorial Hall music to inspire student attendance at CPA events

In a busy college campus, it’s difficult to catch students’ attention.

Carolina Performing Arts aims to get students interested with the music they play over the loud speakers at Memorial Hall — a tactic that has seen much success.

“We have a lot of students who will walk up and ask what the artist is (playing on the speakers) and ask for a ticket,” said interim ticket services manager Ryan Griffin. “And even if they are not always purchasing a ticket, they’re asking, and it’s a way to give them a season brochure.”

The music that often grabs the attention of passersby is solely comprised of upcoming artists in the CPA season lineup. At Memorial Hall, Mark Nelson, a CPA spokesperson, chooses the album of the more unknown artist in hopes of catching the attention of students walking by.

“We want to activate these areas so there’s a little bit of an audio presence to some of the visual presence you’ll see,” Nelson said. “Some of the artists may not be as well known here, so what we try to do is put a voice to a face.”

Many of the CPA shows feature artists on a global scale that the prospective audience might not have heard of. Playing the songs of these artists gives students time to research and become interested in what performances are coming soon.

Right now, that artist is Danay Suárez, a Cuban artist who blends different types of music like rap and jazz.

Students walking past the Porthole Building near Franklin Street will also hear music. Nelson also curated a playlist mingling different musical genres and styles of upcoming artists in the 2015-16 season.

Some featured artists include Lucinda Williams, Buddy Guy and Mariza. The playlist contains around 200 songs.

UNC senior Taylor Smith said she appreciates the music whenever she walks by Memorial Hall.

“It makes you feel alive,” Smith said. “It reminds you of the world around you and wakes you up a little bit.”

Those walking past Memorial Hall during a performance will be treated to what’s going on inside through the loud speakers, creating more interest through openly sharing what’s going on inside the hall.

“These shows can all be avenues that lead you down a certain path, and we feel strongly about it not just being presenting to present but to share with the students and local community and to maybe even spark something,” Nelson said.

The music plays at both buildings from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“We want folks to become aware of who these artists are,” Nelson said. “It’s great to be able to have an artist you’re not familiar with, get exposed to them. It’s great fun.”

arts@dailytarheel.com