When Osamede Ogbeide went to a party earlier this semester, he wasn’t expecting to perform one of his original alternative hip-hop songs.

“I was very nervous and the whole party became quiet while I sang,” said Ogbeide, a freshman premedicine major.

The reaction he received after his last note was surprising — the crowd applauded and cheered him on.

Ogbeide hopes to receive the same response as he performs more original songs at the Syracuse University Recordings showcase on Thursday at 8 p.m. in the Jabberwocky Café at the Schine Student Center.

SUR works closely with the student organization Orange Music Group to help provide an outlet for students who want to get exposure and experience in the music field. OMG works on marketing and branding artists, while SUR is a record label on campus that signs new artists.

“OMG is made to help students get exposure and experience performing if they want a career in the music industry,” said Freddie McCullers, who is involved on the artists and repertoire team for OMG and works for SUR. “The artists are basically doing on campus what they would be doing if they were in the music business right now.”

Two years ago, McCullers and other members of SUR came up with the idea for the label to hold its first showcase, which has been growing ever since.

“We saw a lot of potential in the organization, and we had the vision to help students on campus who had the passion for music and wanted to be in the industry,” said McCullers, a sophomore communication and rhetorical studies major.

The showcase this year features 10 artists. Three come from OMG, including Ogbeide, Maricellis Galanes and Julia Wolfe.

Artists who are not a part of SUR go through an audition process before it’s decided whether or not they can be in the showcase. At auditions, McCullers said they looked for artists who could perform original songs and not just covers from other singers.

McCullers added that there are a wide variety of performers that will be featured, each with a different style of music. Galanes, a junior drama and psychology major, will be performing original pop songs, while Ogbeide described his music as a mix of alternative and hip-hop.

“We want a lot of diversity in the show,” said McCullers on the process of creating the showcase lineup. “We are putting on a show and we want to make it a good one.”

The artists all have varying backgrounds in music as well. Galanes, for example, has been performing as a young girl since she was in dance classes and participated in musical theater, while Ogbeide started producing music when he was 13 years old and started writing his own music last year. Both artists said they have enjoyed the experience with the showcase and the process leading up to it.

“The showcase has been a good way for new coming artists like me to get their music out there and be more prepared for the future in the business,” Galanes said. “Now when I graduate I will have experience in the industry and have my own album to show producers.”

Ogbeide added that he has appreciated the help and experience he has received by being a part of the showcase.

“It is awesome having a team behind you that is just as passionate about music as you are,” he said. “We are all very close and like a family.”

While both are slightly nervous for any last minute issues to arise on the day of the showcase, Galanes and Ogbedie are excited for their performances and to see where their music will go in the future. Galanes said she specifically looks forward to exploring different genres and learning the different processes within the music business.

Ogbedie said he plans to continue his passion for music as he goes through life.

“Music is the most rewarding thing you can do since it is about self-expression,” Ogbedie said. “From that light bulb moment of creativity to making and performing your own song, there is no better feeling.”

Published on November 12, 2014 at 12:01 am

Contact Taylor: tgeorges@syr.edu