Next Tuesday music lovers will have a healthy new alternative to quarter wells, as Program Council kicks off its first Open Mic Night of the year.
Daniel Flores, Entertainment Chair for Program Council, has been at the helm of event planning for the Open Mic. He believes that this is a prim opportunity for anyone who wants to display their talents.
“I thought this would be a cool creative outlet to do some pretty innovative stuff on campus,” said Daniel Flores. “We are looking for anyone who is looking to represent for their style.”
There will be 6 Open Mic Nights during this semester, and all of them will be on Tuesdays from 7 to 10 p.m. The first performance will be at Austin Hall, but future locations have been unannounced.
“We want to get other people to come out who have been hiding their talents in dorm rooms, and have never found a place to display them,” said Flores. “We get thousands of new students every year, so I know there’s new talent out there.”
Both Qualls and Flores believe in the talent that SHSU and Huntsville has to offer, and feel that it’s just a matter of motivating people to come out and to show it. Program Council plans to do events that involve other arts, and get the students who know how involved.
“Of course we can bring things to Sam Houston, but I feel that college is a lot more than just going to class,” said Flores. “We have to apply our creative talents, and use students as assets for programs like this one.”
When looking for someone to host the open mic, Flores decided on Vocal Performance Major, Tim Qualls.
Flores and Qualls met through a mutual acquaintance during Qualls’ period as the host of the Stardust Lounge’s Open Mic last semester. They became associates when Qualls asked Flores to take pictures for the Stardust website. Since then they have developed a healthy working relationship.
“It’s been cool because he’s always up for anything,” said Flores. “He has a lot of really good ideas, and knows a lot of people.”
Qualls has been a regular at Huntsville open mic nights since his humble beginning at Kaldi’s Coffee Shop. There he displayed his skills as a pianist, but switched to guitar to expand his performance diversity.
“A lot of my change had to do with audience response. If it’s not getting the reaction you want then you have to adapt,” said Qualls.
Qualls continued to support Open Mic nights when the venue moved from Kaldis to Lizard’s Bar and Grill, and became host at Stardust at the beginning of this year.
“I remember playing keys at Kaldis with just a handful of people watching,” said Qualls. “It’s been great to see how the scene has consistently grown.”
Due to managerial disagreements Qualls left his position as host, but soon after was approached by Flores about the opportunity with Program Council.
“I was excited. I saw it was a new challenge,” said Qualls. “Anything to get the music scene going to the next level.”
Qualls views his split from the Stardust as a positive event towards the progression of Huntsville’s music scene. It made it possible for another music venue to be created, will give it a fresh start by having an experienced host like Qualls.
Ultimately, Flores and Qualls want to make an addition to a growing music scene, while creating a tradition among the artists of Sam Houston.
“I just want to get people excited about what they do,” said Flores.
For more information on Program Council’s Open Mic Night E-Mail, or to inquire about performing, e Mail. Daniel_Adrian_flores@yahoo.com