The sun was beating down on the Kendall Campus Koffehouse on April 5. A stage was being built as students donning black shirts and slacks warmed up with a few vocal exercises.
Vocal Fusion, a 30-person ensemble and club that performs every Wednesday in front of the Koffeehouse during the College’s activity hour from noon to 1 p.m., was preparing for a concert the following day. The club represents the contemporary music department at Kendall Campus.
“The Fusion At The Koffeehouse performances were designed to give our members and students gigging experience,” said Jenna Gunter, the club’s president and a 21-year-old music education major at Kendall Campus. “They have to make sure they know all of the equipment they will need for their show as well as how to set it up and tear it down.”
The weekly performances do more than entertain the students at Kendall Campus. They serve as a launching pad for careers in music for several of the members of the group.
“I enjoy it,” said Jonathan Diaz, a 21-year-old administrative assistant for the group. “It’s something I believe in very much.”
Diaz said the experience of setting up technical equipment for the gigs is invaluable. His musical experience started as the lead guitarist and member of the tech crew at his church.
“I learn to deal with a lot,” Diaz said. “Sometimes we encounter problems. There’s some anxiety, but I’ve learned [to] be calm.”
Aside from performing, the group members believe their mission is to bridge cultural gaps through music.
“We bring culture into our community by giving our members the opportunity to express themselves creatively, as well as help our members become the best versions of themselves that they can be musically,” Gunter said.
The organization hopes to use their stage to elevate the musical medium and make the world better.
“We enrich our community with the creativity that our members express while they are on stage as well as the creativity they put into their craft off stage,” Gunter said. “We give opportunities for our members to grow in and outside of their craft.”
Students interested in getting involved in Vocal Fusion can join via SharkNet.
