Published: November 13, 2008

For the second year, Fordham College at Lincoln Center will be hosting the GO! Great Artists (GOGA) series.

These events allow students to perform on stage in the student lounge with just a $3 cover charge. It’s a great way for talented students to get themselves out there and to gain support from their peers.

Mike Fabano, FCLC ’10, who performed at the event last year said, “Of course this is a good way for students to get themselves out there.  You’ve got to start somewhere. Why not at your own university?” But the event has a charitable purpose, too: the money raised is used to support Global Outreach trips. The creator of the event, Juliet Ben-Ami,  FCLC ’11, had many reasons for creating GOGA, as she is a musician herself. Here she talks about why both musicians and students enjoy this event and how it’s designed to help students.

Observer: When did these events start? Who started them, and why?

Juliet Ben-Ami: I started GO! Great Artists in April of last semester. I started it because I wanted there to be more opportunities for musicians to perform than in the financially limiting performance spaces of the city and the few open mic nights hosted by Fordham. Oftentimes, when musicians try to get gigs in the city, they encounter obstacles like $10 [and up] cover charges, two-drink minimums and the 21-and-over rule. I thought that instead of complaining about these hurdles, I should do something about them.

Observer: What is the significance of this event?

JB-A: The event has two purposes: to provide a performance opportunity for Fordham musicians and to raise money for Global Outreach trips. Also, I will be selecting artists from the open mic nights to play individual gigs. Through the GO! Great Artists program, I set up gigs for Fordham students in the Student Lounge. I take care of everything from the advertising to the room reservation, and a student gets a venue to perform in that has a reasonably low cover charge ($3 per person) and no age limit.

Observer: Has the event been as successful as you would like it to be?

JB-A: The first four trial events last year made about $240 altogether. I am excited about that success; however, I strive for the events to become more popular on campus so that the musicians get more recognition among students and the GO! trips can have a reliable source of income for fundraising.

Observer: Why should FCLC students go to these events?

JB-A: Not only will attendees of the events be supporting a good cause, but they’ll be supporting their friends’ music. There is so much musical talent on this campus, and there are so few opportunities for students to witness it in action. I think that these events could be the seedlings for a more prominent music scene at this campus, and the growth of that scene could come from participation and attendance at GOGA gigs.

Observer: Has the event helped artists who have performed?

JB-A: I believe that the events have helped the artists gain recognition among peers. Nadia Hulett (FCLC ’11) was already a star before she did a GOGA event, but several people approached me to ask specifically if she and Evan O’Donavan (FCLC ’11) could play another GOGA gig. A number of people asked me about Mike Fabano playing another gig as well. Most of the artists that played their gigs were already established as quality musicians at FCLC, but I think their performances in the GOGA gigs further contributed to that recognition.

Observer: Why do the artists want to perform at this event?

JB-A: The aspect of the open mic night that is probably the most attractive to the musicians is that I will be selecting artists to play their own gigs. I plan to do an extensive series of gigs this year since the events are no longer trial events, and I have no limit on how many I can do.

Observer: Who has performed at these events in the past?

JB-A: These are the artists who have performed GOGA gigs so far:

-Nadia Hulett and Evan O’Donavan (with special guests Jake Loewenthal [FCLC ’11] and Jessica Farr [FCLC ’11])

-Mike Fabano [FCLC ’10]

-Natasha Pascetta [FCLC ’11] and Claire Colmar [FCLC ’11]

-Keely Browder [FCLC ’11] (with special guest Owen Gibbs [FCLC ’10])

-Matt Puckett [FCLC ’09]

I have also performed at one event.