By ELIZABETH LIU
Contributing Writer
The Rose Record Label Group has many artists, producers, and sound engineers under its umbrella. The group is overseen by Associate Professor of Music Industry, Dr. Sean McClowry.
Every year, a team of students put together an event in G3, the venue formerly known as Jack’s Place. The gala is now in its third year; the first gala was hosted in celebration of the Group’s first record, Rose Roots Vol. 1. The purpose of the auditions is to find a Saint Rose Band to open for the gala in February.
“Auditions are being held on Feb. 1 2019 at 5:00 p.m.,” said Belinda Ligotino, president of the Rose Record Label Group. This gives the opportunity for Saint Rose bands to perform on campus, and not just currently signed artists.
The audition time slots are between 5-8 p.m. Ligotino says that she “wants to give a chance to students who are not currently signed onto the label to showcase their talent.”
While any Saint Rose band is welcome to audition to be the opener for the gala, the number one priority for any artist auditioning is to ensure that they will be able to “guarantee the audience a great time and to good music,” said Ligotino.
As the current President for the Rose Record Label Ligotino will have a major role in deciding who will get to perform the night of Feb. 15, 2019. The other student who will be present at the auditions will be Margaret Roberts, another Music Industry major, and will help Ligotino deliberate who will be selected after the audition process. Roberts is a junior Music Industry major who is also a part of the Rose Record Label’s Artist & Repertoire department.
“Bands should be ready to have a original, well thought out set, and must have two songs ready to audition with,” said Roberts. “Bands should also be ready for a conversation with the entire Rose Record Label Executive Board along with the rest of the Artist & Repertoire department will be present at the auditions as well.”
Roberts also emphasized that the music should be original, and “have the ability to get them ready for Pink Nois and Julia Gargano’s set.”
Gargano is described by the label itself as a singer-songwriter with “soulful vocals and passionate lyrics that set her apart from the crowd.” Gargano is a music industry major with a concentration in composition, meaning her speciality is songwriting.
Pink Nois, who is formerly known as an artist named “Scott Free,” is a current music industry major at the College of Saint Rose. Nois describes his music as “R&B infused with Hip-Hop elements whilst crafting calm and relaxed musical environments against hard-hitting lyrics and prose displaying his ability to both sing and rap.”
It is requested by the label that each potential artist come to the auditions prepared with two songs, and have a set list of four songs ready to be performed by the gala. Ligotino has plans to interview each artist and or band who audition for the Label, and is the person to contact if individuals have any questions about auditioning in February.
The Rose Record Label Group is composed mainly of Music Industry students, but Saint Rose students of any major are welcomed to join the group. Communications and Graphic Design students are highly encouraged to join the program.
According to McClowry, the purpose of the Rose Record Label Group is “devoted to producing, releasing, and representing new music cultivated by creative students, alumni, and members of our greater community.”
Ligotino claims that the vision for the Gala this year states that “people should expect a different twist on the event different from past years. As always, food will be provided, but I want to provide an experience for our audience. Formal wear, as always, is requested. Get ready to dress to impress!”
The Rose Record Label Gala is set for Feb.15, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. in G3 in the William Randolph Hearst Communications Building at The College of Saint Rose, and is free and open to the public.
