Ever wanted to have a concert right in the comfort of your own living room? Some Vanderbilt University students did and now they are inviting the Vanderbilt and Nashville communities to come on over.
Student concert committee Nashville in Our Living Room (NIOLR) will host its first concert Wednesday, March 26, 8 to 10 p.m. in the atrium, affectionately known on campus as “the living room,” in the university’s new Commons Center. The free event is open to the public and will feature Nashville-based singer/songwriters Sara Beck and Audrey Spillman. NIOLR plans to host several concerts each semester.
The event will also give the Nashville community a sneak preview of one of the most exciting developments in Vanderbilt’s history – the transformation of its first-year student experience. The Commons, the university’s new first-year student community, will officially open this fall on the southeastern side of Vanderbilt’s campus adjacent to Peabody College. Currently sophomores are giving the new “campus within a campus” a test run until the fall.
The Commons will bring all first-year students together to live with faculty and student life staff to create an environment that fosters leadership skills and mentoring relationships, and extends learning outside the classroom.
The Commons includes 10 residence halls known as “houses,” a residence for the dean of the Commons and The Commons Center, which includes a dining hall, exercise facility and meeting rooms.
The mission of NIOLR is to integrate Nashville’s legendary musical culture into the Commons community.
NIOLR’s first concert features singer/songwriters with a variety of musical influences. Beck is a Vanderbilt alumna who describes her musical style as a unique combination of country, soul and indie influences. She has performed as an acoustic guitarist and background vocalist for Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Cowboy Troy and countless local and regional acts.She recently appeared at Nashville’s Sommet Center at the invitation of headliner and legendary performer Stevie Wonder. She became a part of the Sony/ATV family in 2007 and continues to tour regionally behind her own music as well.
Spillman is a recent Belmont University graduate who describes her sound as “piano soul folk.” She plays locally with her band at Mercy Lounge, 12th & Porter, 3rd and Lindsley, as well as across the Southeast. She is expected to release her debut album this spring.
To learn more about The Commons, visit http://commons.vanderbilt.edu/.
For more news about Vanderbilt, visit VUCast – Vanderbilt’s News Network at www.vanderbilt.edu/news.
Media Contact: Princine Lewis, 615-322-NEWS
princine.lewis@vanderbilt.edu