Popular Music class presents an open mic event

Brian to Earth capturing the audience. (Shannelle Sanchez)

Last Wednesday, the Popular Music class held an open mic event that consumed the quad and the students within.  It started around noon where Brian to Earth, the brave soldier to open the show, drew in the crowd with his solo old-school-rap performance.  Listening to Brian’s story through his music and witty verses, he had students nodding their heads in content, and really enjoying the show.  He said he kind of came across his talents about six years back while joking around with his friends.  He said he would rap as a joke and mess around, and later found out that he really enjoyed it, and started writing his own stuff.

Like Brian to Earth, there were many great performances from students not directly involved in Ariel Alexander’s classes (Popular Music and Songwriting) as well as directly involved.  One of them being Jean Luc, jazz vocal major at Saddleback.  Jean, being only 18, is an old soul and a fan of older artists.

“I love Stevie Nicks, I love a lot of French stuff that you wouldn’t know…umm I love Joni Mitchell and Barbara Streisand.”  Jean Luc, 18, says.

He performed a couple songs of his own, both having a Joni Mitchell tone, one along side with his guitarist Zach, and one solo with his piano.  Jean says he started taking singing seriously when his sister started to do better than him.

This event was created by, Popular Music and Songwriting teacher, Ariel Alexander.  Ariel, also a saxophonist, just started at Saddleback this past fall as the new Poplular Music teacher and wanted to hold an event that her students and other students could express themselves through music.  All students from Saddleback were welcomed to join.

“A lot of them are from my song writing classes from last semester and this semester and there is just some other Saddleback students that signed up with me.” Ariel Johnson explains before running off to turn the microphone down during a performance.

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