How someone decorates a dorm room can tell you a lot about that person, so watching your favorite Boston College musician perform in their dorm is the perfect way to get to know them better.
On Feb. 14, the Boston College Music Guild began releasing its Tiny Dorm series, highlighting its members’ musical talents on its Instagram account.
Music Guild co-presidents Stella Si, MCAS ’23, and Matthew Hogan, CSOM ’22, said that NPR’s Tiny Desk concerts inspired the project. NPR’s videos are known for showcasing major artists who have headlined iconic concert venues performing in the cozy corner of the NPR office. The Music Guild wanted to recreate the same intimate atmosphere for its own Tiny Dorm series.
“There’s a chance to take an artist from this really huge concert setting or just a record to a more intimate setting where it’s live … and get that kind of intimate feeling, and you really get the vibes of the artist better,” Si said.
The first Tiny Dorm concert of the semester featured Benjamin Crandall, CSOM ’23, singing and playing guitar for his cover of “June” by Briston Maroney.
The video opened with close-ups of posters and a rack of guitars, giving the viewer a look into the intimate performance space. Green lights illuminated the familiar beige dorm walls behind Crandall, and plants framed the makeshift stage.
Crandall played at open mics and with a band before college. He joined the Music Guild as a freshman because he was friends with some members of the executive board, and he is now the vice president of the organization. Crandall said he chose “June” since June is his birth month and because of his admiration for Maroney’s music.
“Yeah, I really admire him as a guitarist and a vocalist,” Crandall said. “[Those are] two things [I’m] always kind of trying to get better at, so I think a cool way to do that is by trying to emulate someone else.”
Melissa Mao, marketing director of the Music Guild and MCAS ’23, will soon be featured on the Tiny Dorm series to perform a few pieces, including one of her original songs. Mao has a number of songs on Spotify, and she credited the Music Guild’s open mic nights with helping her become more comfortable with performing and developing her guitar and vocal skills.
Mao described her music as having a mellow sound that can serve as good study music.
“I like describing it as a hug to your ears from a stranger,” Mao said.
According to Si, the Tiny Dorm series is about featuring artists and their talent, as well as exposing students to new genres of music and creative performance styles. Just like the Music Guild’s open mic nights and the Battle of the Bands showcase an array of student artists, Si said that the Tiny Dorm series is another way to share the wealth of musical talent in the BC community.
Both Si and Mao joined the Music Guild during their freshman year in 2019. Mao stressed how it has been an integral part of her BC experience.
“I met some of my best friends through it,” Mao said. “It’s a huge community, and I have so many friends now.”
Si also spoke to the importance of these opportunities for students to share their creativity, and she noted how influential the Music Guild has been for students’ development as artists.
“Music Guild is my source of musical inspiration,” Si said.
Featured Graphic by Annie Corrigan / Heights Editor
