Christopher Dacanay
Sports Editor
Three student songwriters performed their original songs at the Veritas Concert Series Amateur Night in the Fireside Lounge Tuesday at 8:30 p.m.
The event was a continuation of the Veritas Society’s ongoing series of musical lectures and performances. Seating in the lounge was nearly filled with concertgoers.
The night’s performances began with an energetic appearance from sophomore Murphy Givens. Givens started by playing his song “Colorado,” which he referred to as a “hick folk song.”
Givens played four of his own songs, two of which can be found on his Spotify page. The song “Stranger’s Word” had the crowd members tapping their feet along to the rhythm.
Next to perform was junior Katherine McCaughey, whose music was described by the event’s emcee junior Aislin Hilgeman as evoking a similar sound to the Cartoon Network miniseries “Over the Garden Wall.”
McCaughey played five original songs, which she called “not happy, but still interesting.” Four of these songs can also be found on McCaughey’s Spotify under the name “Katherine Allen.”
Finally, Hilgeman took the floor to perform three of her own songs. One song was entitled “Run,” which Hilgeman said was inspired by anxiety resulting from California wildfires.
Hilgeman, who organized the Amateur Night, is teamed with fellow Veritas member and senior Andrew Anderson who runs the professional performance portions of the Veritas Concert Series.
Hilgeman said she hopes to hold more amateur art or music events in the future, at least on a monthly basis with the next event hopefully being a week before Thanksgiving break.
“We’re trying to stimulate the artistic culture on campus underneath the umbrella of Veritas,” Hilgeman said.
After the event, alumnus John Selle said, “I think the fact that it was original music is really cool. (The fact that) there’s an opportunity to have this avenue for expression and (to) bring that part of the student body’s inner talents forward is really nice.”
Junior Sophia Charron said, “It was such a beautiful mix of vulnerability and creativity on campus, with so many people sharing their gifts in such an open and raw but also … elevated way.”