UPDATED: Sep. 5 at 11:22 p.m.
One of the world’s most popular musical acts is coming to Syracuse in less than 20 days. A few students from the Setnor School of Music students have taken the excitement surrounding Paul McCartney’s Sept. 23 concert in Syracuse to the next level.
Dreya Cherry, a senior music industry major and Calvin Schneider, a junior music industry major, are co-producing McCartney Madness, a student-run festival for student bands and artists in the hours before the actual concert. The auditions for the festival are coming up — here’s what Cherry and Schneider have to say about the auditions, the festival and the musical legend.

The Daily Orange: Tell us how and why this festival is taking place.

Calvin Schneider: We had our first initial meeting, where everyone who was interested came together. People who were to be in charge were voted in, so it was me and Dreya. We decided to split people up into committees so different people could carry out different tasks over the summer and when we get back. We chose what we wanted to be working on within the event: There’s a tech crew who do the lights and mixing, the financial crew who are helping us get signatures and money from the school. And there’s the artistic committee, which is in charge of picking out the student artists and bands that will perform.

D.O.: Where did the idea for the festival come from?

C.S.: It was (William) DiCosimo’s idea. He’s the head of the music industry department. He wanted it to be entirely student run. … The students in the committees range from music industry majors and minors to people who aren’t even music majors.

D.O.: How much time has gone into creating this festival?

C.S.: Me and Dreya, we did a lot of work over the summer. There was a lot of emailing back and forth with various teachers, the companies from where we have to rent the stage and light and lot of emails with comptrollers who had to sign off on everything. And once we got back, we had another big meeting and got the ball rolling: We created posters, the Facebook page and event for just the auditions.

Dreya Cherry: It’s been a project that’s been in the works since May, so it’s kind of cool to see it all coming together. … It’s really a project that’s spearheaded by the degree program — just to show what we can do, to make it memorable, to get our name out, all while creating a good experience for the people who are on campus for a concert or who are just walking through on a Saturday afternoon.

D.O.: What should we know about the auditions?

C.S.: The auditions are Sept. 9, 10 and 14, between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. The final event is on Sept. 23 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

D.O.: What are you looking for in the auditions?

C.S.: We’re just looking to make sure our artists have an idea of what they’re going to do. They have to be able to play one or two Beatles songs and one or two other songs of their choice for 15 minutes, maximum.

D.C.: We believe our festival is about celebrating Paul McCartney and celebrating the musical talent we have on campus. We’re just looking for people who will be engaging for our audience, who are enjoying themselves and who are promoting the music of this wonderful musician to the entire campus.

D.O.: Have you partnered with Syracuse University to produce this festival?

D.C.: In a way, yes. Most of the work we’ve been doing is through the Setnor School of Music, mostly because our director of operations, Michelle Taylor, is a wonderful resource for people who are interested in this type of thing, and also faculty who’ve put together concerts before. Most of the help has been coming from the school to get our permits and to get our equipment.

D.O.: Do you know how big the festival is going to be?

D.C.: It’s funny you should ask: We’re still working on it. The idea of the concert is really fluid. Some of it will be waiting to see who we have. … But with a big name, things are constantly in flux, we have to do whatever we have to, to make sure we don’t mess up the Dome with it.

D.O.: Why do you love Paul McCartney?

C.S.: Honestly, I love the Beatles, and it’s what my parents raised me on since I was two years old. Paul McCartney is an act that’s timeless and that everyone knows, no matter what age you’re from and where you’re from.

D.C.: I have not always been a huge Beatles fan. I always appreciated them, but they were never my favorite artists. But the more I’m looking into it, the more I’m learning about him and his musical legacy. It’s brilliant. He brings a lot of really in-depth musical concepts in a way that’s accessible to everybody. You’re not necessarily cognizant of that, but his music is genius. The more I learn and listen, the more I realize how good it is— it’s smart music by smart people that’s still enjoyable and popular.

Published on September 5, 2017 at 10:51 pm

Contact: dmurthy@syr.edu