Centralight

Take those old records off the shelf By Marcie Lehr Otteman, '87 Executive director of alumni relations moment with hundreds of other people that night began my lifelong passion for live music. It was 1981, and the crowd was whipped up into a frenzy at Rose Arena. The lights danced overhead, and the bass thumped so loudly in the speakers I could hardly hear my own voice. By the time headliner Ozzy Osbourne took the stage at my very fi rst concert, I was hooked. It almost didn't matter who was playing – the experience of sharing an electric Since that night, my old ticket stubs have woven an eclectic musical tapestry: The Tubes. The Romantics. Night Ranger. Dave Matthews. Lonestar. And it wasn't just the big names that caught my ear. Remember The Foolery? When I was at Central, that was the place to go downtown for live music – everyone from college garage bands, blues artists, Detroit punk rock bands and heavy metal acts graced the stage. My love for the vibrant, exciting music scene even led to a stint as a bartender so I would have an excuse to stay plugged in. I met people during that time who knew so much about music – more than I ever did, or do today. They are still the experts I go to today when it comes to new bands and new music. After graduating from CMU, I traveled to music festivals all over the country – bluegrass, jazz, and classical. Give me a front row seat or a bleacher in the nosebleed section it doesn't matter – when the curtain opens and those fi rst notes fall upon the crowd, that's my joy. I never aspired to be a musician – three years of piano lessons proved otherwise – but show me a great musician who is passionate about his or her craft, and I will show you a captive audience member. Dave Matthews Calendar January 15 Detroit Red Wings vs. Phoenix Coyotes, Phoenix alumni gathering 24 Gen. Colin Powell, CMU Events Center, Mount Pleasant campus 26 Night of Louisiana, Finch Fieldhouse, Mount Pleasant campus February 8 Alumni reception, Naples, Fla. March 23 Pow Wow, Events Center, Mount Pleasant campus April 6 Opus XVI, CMU Music Building, Mount Pleasant campus That's why I'm so fortunate to remain in the musically rich environment that is CMU. It's music that breathes life into the university and touches us deeply, in a way that many things can't – the pride you feel when the Marching Chips lean into the fi ght song, the nostalgic cadence of our jazz band … the operas, the orchestras, the a cappella groups, festival chorus, the list goes on and on. We'd love for you to come back and relive some of those special musical memories you began at Central. With more than 500 events every year, there's a very good chance we're playing your song. Share your story with us, what was your favorite musical experience when you were here? Marcie The '64 Thousand these "cover girls." Your letters poured in, and we now know that Betsy (Strong) Poole is on the left and Virginia Chamberlain is on the right. The young woman in the middle remains a mystery. Dollar Question In the fall 2012 issue of Centralight, we featured this 1964 homecoming photo and asked our readers to help identify centralight winter '12 3

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