Songwriters will finally have their day ““ or night, more specifically ““ in this week’s Fowler Out Loud concert.
The Fowler Museum’s weekly series, which hosts a wide range of entertainment acts, is presenting performances by Erica Rey and Daniel Schraer, two students who moonlight as singer-songwriters.
“It’s a way to kind of give student performers a chance to find a space to perform because it’s actually really hard to find a space to perform on campus,” said Sara Stranovsky, producer of Fowler Out Loud.
“We actually haven’t had any real singer-songwriter performances this year in the whole entire season.”
Although Rey and Schraer will not be performing together, their wildly individual musical styles will be displayed at the often overlooked Fowler Museum.
Both students contacted Stranovsky regarding an open call she had put out earlier in the school year, and their coming together tonight will highlight the eclectic genres both entertainers represent.
“I think they will complement each other because they are such small groups,” Stranovsky said. “I think that not only will they learn from each other, but I think the audience that comes to listen to each group might find something in the other that is sort of interesting.”
“I think having that in common makes it interesting for audiences,” she added.
Fourth-year music history student Schraer diversifies the lineup with an array of instrumental influences. Having performed with UCLA’s Bluegrass Ensemble and the Fusion Music Group, Schraer brings together his knowledge of the piano, guitar, banjo, accordion and saxophone.
Tonight’s set includes a mix of Schraer’s musical creations and a cover of the White Stripes’ song “Apple Blossom.”
“It’s folky but rock-oriented. I try to keep it upbeat and interesting, and it’s not like laid-back folk, it’s kind of intense folk music,” Schraer said of his musical style. “I like the idea of entity and not sticking to any one genre.”
Schraer’s style is characterized by the cornucopia of instruments he incorporates into his pieces, which pulls from various genres.
From bluegrass to blues, Schraer’s style is constantly expanding.
“I like the idea of throwing in whatever instruments you want, and I want to do something that’s not like necessarily limited by what instruments you can use,” Schraer said.
“I like the idea of (being able to) put an accordion over a song and combine it with guitar and banjo (sounds).”
Alongside Schraer’s range of instrumental selections, third-year world arts and cultures student Rey plans to serenade the audience with her own blend of musical genres.
“I would describe it as a mixture between folk, soul and pop,” Rey said.
Rey will perform her original compositions “I Can Tell” and “Dis-Ease.” The singer-songwriter will also join forces with guitarist Danny Henson for “House of Love” and “Finding My Way Back Home.”
Rey’s musical background is as diverse as the style she sings. Rey attended M. Gray Music Academy, and sang alongside Macy Gray in high school as part of the M. Gray Music Youth Orchestra.
More recently, Rey has added to her singing by working as an instrumentalist and songwriter.
“I’ve done quite a bit of singing but as far as songwriting and being an instrumentalist, it’s a relatively new thing,” Rey said.
Rey said she hopes that the audience will be able to identify with the emotion she puts into her lyrics.
“I just hope that they’re able to really feel the lyrics. I … hope that they can capture the emotion,” Rey said.
Stranovsky said she hopes the weekly Fowler Out Loud event will lure students into a new potential venue for entertainment, as the space itself is shared with the museum.
“These performances (are) not necessarily people that are majoring in the thing that they’re performing, and it brings together people from different parts of campus,” Stranvosky said.