Concert Central at the UI
 |
Editor’s Note:
An earlier version of this article contained one fabricated quotation. Upon learning of this, The Daily Iowan rewrote the article and conducted an investigation, finding the fabrication to be an isolated incident. The reporter is no longer employed at the DI. We value our reputation for excellence in accuracy and reliability and take such incidents seriously.
SCOPE provides a place for students to not only listen to their favorite music but become part of it as well.
Big names
Elton John, Rolling Stones, Kansas — classic performances that happened on the UI campus. The reason? SCOPE.
The student-run organization has operated for more than the last 25 years, doing its best to bring in a variety of performances for the UI and Iowa City communities, including bringing the Temptations and Augustana to Homecoming during fall semester.
“SCOPE prides itself on being a concert promoter for students,” SCOPE director of operations T.C. Lockhart said. “We try to bring in as many genres as possible to make sure that anyone who has an interest in music could see a show they wanted to see.”
Résumé building
SCOPE not only provides entertainment, it is a great learning tool. Aside from one faculty member overseer, it is entirely student-run.
“We’re structured so every position on SCOPE is like a real world job,” Lockhart said. “It’s kind of an invaluable internship in the music industry. Students get to do all the work, and enjoy the industry, and enjoy the music.”
In order to get involved, students can apply to be a volunteer for a year, spending their time working concerts and promoting events. After a year, they may apply for a paid director position — which includes marketing, talent buying, production, and finance.
“Basically, [the only requirement] is an interest in music, if you want to work in the music industry, or you just want to be around music,” Lockhart said.
For the love of music
Tons of people love music — that’s a fact. SCOPE takes advantage of that widespread love to provide eclectic community involvement.
“We have a hodgepodge of students from all aspects of life,” Lockhart said. “We have people from the greek community, people involved with the music department, accounting students, law students, biology students.”
He said the organization also is a great place to meet new people and to quickly find a spot inside the sizable, and possibly intimidating, UI community.
“If you’re looking for a large group of friends, you have about 50 instant friends,” he said.
Community service
SCOPE’s work extends outside of the UI and into the Iowa City community, providing alternative types of entertainment to the city as a whole. “I think most college students are interested in music and seeing entertainment and doing something other than going to the bars,” Lockhart said. “We try to get our hands on as many concerts as we can to build up the community as a whole the best we are able to.”
( Daily Iowan video feature )
Video in QuickTime format, click here for free player download
These are the acts SCOPE brought to the UI during 2008 and 2009:
Rooney/ Chuck Berry
Margot & the Nuclear So & So’s
My Morning Jacket
311
Girl Talk
Motion City Soundtrack
Dierks Bentley
Tallest Man on Earth
Cool Kids
comments powered by Disqus
