Photo courtesy of Catja Christensen ’23
It’s May 7, 2022: my first ever Floralia, and I am beyond excited because I have the privilege of performing as a first-year! I had gotten a mere 3-hours of sleep the night before because I could not contain my anticipation. It’s 12:50: time for us to take the stage. The music runs through my veins as I pluck the strings on my bass. It’s muscle memory. But it’s not being on stage that excites me, it’s the fact that I get to play for all my peers, some of whom have been waiting years for the moment MOBROC once again takes the stage at Floralia. I will never forget the looks on their faces, the dancing, the arms waving in rhythm, and the cheers. It is a shame that my peers in MOBROC are unlikely to have such a crowd when they take the stage on May 6, 2023. Instead, student musicians will be met with the almost nonexistent “nap time” crowd, between 4-6 p.m.
Students gear up and wait in lines with their tents to not only get the best spot on the green, but to prepare to see their classmates rock out on stage. As members of the MOBROC executive board candidly wrote in a letter to the Office of Student Engagement and Student Activities Council, “We feel that MOBROC’s performance last year in the opening slot brought much energy to the festival, and that the overall campus community is enriched when student musicians are able to play for a crowd of their peers.” The 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. music festival is far too long for students to be out dancing and is frankly a very unrealistic expectation. In addition, the pressure to watch all of the acts raises concerns for students who are permitted to drink alcohol. Students cannot be blamed for wanting to stay healthy as well as see their peers perform, and they shouldn’t have to choose between the two. This is why including a designated “nap time” period would be beneficial for student health and would encourage people to slow down and rest. This could be achieved by having conversations with the administration to see what is the most adequate approach for students, and playing music through speakers during the aforementioned “nap time.” We comment once again in the letter, “Instead of utilizing the solutions which were cooperatively created by musicians and administrators, it seems clear to us that the decision made to place student musicians during this time demonstrates a value system which takes for granted the hard work that we put into Floralia performances. MOBROC, a student group that has been repeatedly expected to work and perform for free (despite negotiating for payment), has been placed in the time slot that nobody would dare disrespect a paid artist with.” Why is it that artists who grace the same stage get paid thousands while we have never been reimbursed for our labor?
I also want to comment on the ethics of scheduling bands to play for empty crowds during “nap time.” Several paid artists were scheduled during the “nap time” period last year, lugging their expensive gear and spending gas money only to be met with an empty crowd. It saddens me that my fellow student musicians must endure the same fate and experience the same level of disrespect from student and administrative organizers who did not inform them that there would be no crowd to play for. The disrespect is palpable from organizers who did not officially contact MOBROC about the change of time slot, prompting us to write the aforementioned letter. We requested in our letter that we be moved back to our original time slot. However, members of the MOBROC executive board were told during a subsequent meeting–which I was not able to attend–that SAC was unwilling to break contracts with the opening musicians, though most of them are fellow Conn students unaffiliated with MOBROC. To solve this, SAC claims that they will attempt to implement measures that will get people to stay midday, and claimed that our proximity to the larger acts will attract a larger audience, however, speaking from my and many others’ experiences, people will most likely need a mid-day break. Payment for MOBROC musicians playing at Flo was not confirmed at this meeting.
Student musicians choose to donate their labor toward building a live music culture on Conn’s campus, and I know of bands that have been preparing for months for Conn’s biggest event of the year. What good are we if there is no crowd to play for? Furthermore, it was a slap in the face for fellow student musicians who happened to have more power over the logistical processes of Floralia to move our time slot without informing us. There was talk of MOBROC boycotting Floralia due to this appalling treatment of fellow students, and my band had to drop out not only because we were disgusted by this treatment, but because MOBROC’s slot was cut from 3 hours to 2 hours and 40 minutes. Nonetheless, we all stand by the fact that MOBROC is a culturally relevant part of Floralia, and we will continue to play.
Lastly, I want to make it clear that a rest period is essential. It is impossible for me to be angry at my peers who need to rest during nap time; who knows if I will need the same? Please listen to your body, rest when needed, and have a happy and safe Floralia.
