in(FEST)us
Rolls of shiny silver mylar were spread on the sides of the brick wall, poems were rewritten on large white paper and an assortment of bottles and books were tossed on the plant garden. Last Saturday, students gathered to enjoy Democracy of Sound’s (DoS) annual spring event; in(FEST)us took place Saturday afternoon between the Mayer Art Center and the Academy Center.
Different groups of students and a three-piece faculty band moved around the patio in order to create a unique mix of sounds that could be heard all throughout the north side of campus, featuring sounds from catchy guitar riffs to the horns of trains. The idea behind the event was to give exposure to the musical talents of club members, while at the same time creating a unique and new harmonical experience for spectators. Performers scattered in different areas, allowing for varying clashes of music depending on the spot.
While Soundfest, DoS’ previous event last spring, turned out to be a huge success, the club wanted to change things up this year. One of DoS’ missions is to reimagine various places and spaces on campus to invite other ways of seeing and experiencing locations, especially those which are taken for granted, ignored or complained about. Music instructor and DoS club advisor Jon Sakata explored the meaning and symbolism behind the new venue of the in(FEST)us. He said that the club had purposefully chosen an area students traveled through often.
“Originally this was just grass, but when the gallery was built it became this sort of transition space between the art center and the Academy building,” he said. “[DoS] thought it would be really neat to take this space that is supposed to be transitional and actually make it a bridge or a canyon.”
Sakata went on to compare in(FEST)us to Soundfest, which took place on the quad between Phillips Hall and Wetherell Dining Hall. “The Wetherell quad is a bit like a valley the way it is shaped, and this is more like two cliffs or a canyon design. It is really trying to be attuned to that space and the architecture, and allowing that to generate ideas about what should happen,” he said.
In addition to the venue change, in(FEST)us faced a variety of logistical changes. According to co-head and senior Scott Hermenau, DoS held the event using materials its members already had and did not have to rely on Academy funding.
The performers were also “module,” as Hermenau described. Soundfest’s events centered around a mainstage and the performers who went up. But this Sunday, people were spread across the patio, and downstairs in the art gallery.
Broadly speaking, the DoS co-heads had used Soundfest almost as a trial run, and because of that, they were able to mold the club and in(FEST)us in new, unique ways.
“Because Soundfest was our first big event, there were a lot of hiccups,” DoS co-head and senior Hannah Sessler said. “It was almost like a test in that sense. After that, we solidified what we wanted in the club and what image we wanted to have.”
Another previous DoS event, the DoS assembly, also contributed to in(FEST)us. Senior and co-head Emily Lemmerman enjoyed the large exposure the club got through the assembly.
“I thought that [the exposure] was really important because it tends to be a self-selected crowd that comes to our stuff,” Lemmerman said. “It was great to have it open to a new audience. I think it scared a few people off in terms of coming to this, but in the long run, for what we want to do as a club, that was a really important moment.”
Unfortunately, the event was cut an hour short due to rain. Regardless, those who were able to witness in(FEST)us had positive feedback to offer.
Prep Lucas Stevens described the event as a “relaxed venue.” While he originally came to spectate at the event, one of the other performers invited him on stage and the two played together for the rest of the time.
Stevens described what the atmosphere for performers felt like at the event compared to more formal musical concerts.
“It was a lot like playing background music,” he said. “There was a lot going on—many different groups were playing at the same time all in close vicinity. Also, at any other event, I’d come prepared with music and a full band, but for this it was just Tommy [Song], my iPad drum machine and me and we decided that we wanted to just improvise.”
However, unlike Stevens, lower Aili Desai was drawn more by the “chaotic environment” the diverse groups of instruments created.
“The combination of the unique sounds drew me to the event,” she said. “You’re playing instruments and songs separately, but together they create this chaos. It’s a really unique experience that's hard to find somewhere else.”
With a new group of co-heads taking over DoS next year, the club is likely to host another big event, but with a completely new theme. According to Sessler, this is a common pattern across DoS boards. But while the events are never designed to look the same, she hopes to see them continue to serve the same purpose.
“What kind of shape it takes will definitely change,” she said. “But at the end of the day it is an event for students and people in the community to walk in and have fun. That should never change.”