Sometimes talented voices that deserve to be heard are smothered. Other times the sounds that come from famed musical artists seem too impersonal. A medium through which these concepts meet bringing all levels of musical talent together is Chick Singer Night.
The show is a production of mostly women whose love for singing on stage crescendos beyond the limits of notoriety. The event will feature a praise band singer Priscilla Losey Pepperdine alumnus Justin Ibrahim and Grammy award winner Paula Cole. This aptly-named event will make its way to Smothers Theater on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Its origins are traced back to 1988 in Chicago Ill. when Lori Maier who has been an adjunct voice instructor for nine years made an idea blossom into reality.
“I was actually teaching at DePaul University and I had this idea for not just my students who needed that kind of experience but also for my friends who didn’t have bands of their own and weren’t established enough to get a venue to book them Maier said. I decided to bring all these people together. I asked my band to do this one night event and it just kept going. It was so popular.”
She described the night as an opportunity for women at different levels of experience to perform with a live band. However they have only 30 minutes to rehearse with the band before appearing on stage later that night.
Nine cities including Stockholm Sweden now host Chick Singer Night. This is due to Maier’s past students who have moved around the world and have decided to continue the volunteer-based event.
For its 20th anniversary Chick Singer Night will grace Pepperdine’s campus with its musical presence for the first time. Ibrahim a former student of Maier’s will hit the stage in the performance slot designated just for men called “R U Man Enough?”
“This event is a great opportunity for me to start out my musical career and gain some new listeners and recognition wrote singer – songwriter Ibrahim in an e-mail. I get to open for Paula Cole which is amazing for the musical resume and I get to share my music with the accompaniment of a full band …”
Maier said it is an amazing feat to unite all types of music talents and singers.
“It’s all styles of music that’s the beauty of it she said. Our best shows over the years have been those where each singer vastly differs from the next. It’s fun to see the interaction between them.”
Although Maier hosted the first eight years of this event it is now so popular that the directors at each respective location choose the singers and host it themselves. The people who continue the event seem to realize how special CSN?is especially this month.
“First and foremost you’re going to see Paula Cole who is one of the finest voices we have around I think she said. It’s truly to see what’s so special about Chick Singer Night which is bringing together artists …”
Maier said she hopes that students will open their ears and hearts to experience the melodious sounds of these passionate artists.
Ibrahim said he hopes for something similar as well.
“I try to inspire hope and love through my music by conveying messages through experiences I’ve had he wrote. Ultimately through my music I hope to instill some sense of renewal reflection or redemption – maybe all three if I’m lucky – in the listeners’ hearts.”