The IE Music Club, Elly’s Light, welcomed a fresh bunch of gifted musicians to the group this year, ushering in a new era of bright sunshine for the club, along with a vibrant set of activities on their agenda. Ranging from vocalists, guitarists, pianists to drummers, the music club this year is nothing short of a diverse group of talented musicians.
On November 5th, the IE Music Club treated the greater IE community to a lineup of spooky tunes and memorable melodies, making it a night to remember. Nestled in Casa de la Moneda’s attic with a cozy atmosphere, a myriad of songs were performed, the club established a concert-like soundtrack for their audience, who were more than eager to enjoy such wonderful tunes. Such a performance was not built within a day and the club worked diligently for weeks to prepare.
Building up to it, new members became a part of the club, merging their creative energy with kindred spirits. Band Leader and Co-President, Rami Bazan, describes the selection process as holding numerous auditions along with several weekly rehearsals. Although it was hard work, he is extremely happy with the talent taken into the band.
An exciting moment was the revelation of the rebranded band’s new logo and name. Then, a unifying factor for members was the sharing of memes and inside jokes. Rami also emphasizes the importance of having fun, and how it is extremely important for the building of bonds between members.
Annelia Vakrinou, a vocalist within the group, mentioned that spending so much time with her fellow band members made rehearsals her happy place. Annelia also expressed her appreciation of how lucky they were to be able to communicate really well with each other.
Emily Cole, another vocalist, tells us that it was her first time being a part of a band. She enjoyed integrating with a group of other students, all sharing a passion for music and working towards developing their skills together. The variation of work involved individual practice, and fusing instrumentalists with vocalists. This process was described as a moment of intimacy within the group.
The journey seemed as a seamless one, considering the amazing performance put on by the band. However, the group reckons they faced some minimal bumps along the way. There is much more to a concert than knowing the music and maintaining rhythm. A band is similar to a machine with several working parts; each involved individual had to establish a stage presence, ensuring their energy could be felt by the audience. Annelia says, “it was definitely difficult to spend countless hours a week rehearsing, coordinating all components and people involved, but if there is a will there is indeed a way.”
The road to the stage was one where arms nearly “fell off”, but the energy in the rehearsal room was contagious, and kept them going. The work ethic and excitement among the members was widely felt. They even began considering their rehearsals as family gatherings. The 23rd of December was alluded to by the band, with the family gathered, preparing for the big Christmas day with music in the background; jokes flying in and out, pausing the preparation, and the smell of rhythm cakes and harmony cookies filled the room. Rami says, “all the band members were present even if it was not the time of their song to be rehearsed – they would remain in the music room, serving as an audience. They sang along and applauded at the end of songs.”
Nevertheless, their spooky Halloween performance was only the beginning. Elly´s Light has plans to put on more performances in the near future. They are most excited about future gigs such as the Valentine’s Day gig, experimenting with new songs and ideas, all while spending time together.
Elly´s Light is not only made up of instrumentalists and vocalists, but also those behind the scenes who help bring everything together. The band is thankful to all who attended their performance; even those who ended up seated on the stairs outside of the attic! They also take this opportunity to recognize their phenomenal Communications Officer, Beatričė Naujalytė – her work ethic and talent brought their club to life on social media.
Elly´s Light invites all to their Instagram page, @ieumusicclub – to stay up to date with future events and take part in activities such as variety shows and jam sessions.
We would like to thank the following Elly’s Light members for taking the time to be a part of this article: Rami Bazan, Annelia Vakrinou and Emily Cole.
