From finding time to rehearse and make music on a busy schedule, student musicians are brought together through the concert competition Battle of the Greens. The event gives students the opportunity to perform, bringing live music with a twist of competition.
Battle of the Greens is a live music competition hosted by Housing and Residence Life designed specifically for Ohio University students. The event consists of three preliminary performances and a finale, with each act earning a designated slot and the audience voting for their favorite performances.
The first preliminary round took place Sept. 9 and continues Sept. 16 and Sept. 23. The finale performance takes place Sept. 30, which reveals the winners from each preliminary round.
Every performance runs 7-9 p.m. and is located on the Oval by the Living Learning Center on South Green. This is the second year of Battle of the Greens.
Ally Schatzer, assistant director of Communications, Marketing and Engagement for Housing and Residence, shared the idea behind the event via email.
“One of the main ideas behind Battle of the Greens is that there are many talented students on campus who do not have consistent or accessible opportunities to perform,” Schatzer said in an email. “We wanted to create an opportunity that would give students that experience without requiring them to organize an entire concert themselves.”
The event is open to all different kinds of music backgrounds and genres. The event staff handles the sound and scheduling, leaving the students to focus on preparing and performing.
Battle of the Greens gives students a space to strengthen the music community on campus. Beyond music, the event provides students with the opportunity to get involved and meet new students on campus through music.
Noah Cornish, a freshman studying engineering technology and management, performed in the Battle of the Greens event. Cornish said he has experience in performing live and has been interested in music since childhood.
“I started playing guitar when I was 9, and then about 13 or 14, I started playing live at local bars, local open mic nights, school talent shows, stuff like that,” Cornish said. “Later on I started recording my own music and putting it out on streaming platforms.”
Cornish said he was one of the first people to go on stage during the first preliminary round Sept. 9. He said he didn’t know what to expect, but said the crowd was “welcoming” as he began his show.
He shared how it felt to have the platform to perform through a campus event.
“It feels awesome,” Cornish said. “It’s a great way to include our music people, and it was a great way to get people involved. There was a mosh pit on South Green; it was awesome.”
For musicians, the event provides students to perform for the campus. For the student audience and bypassers, it strengthens the community and can be a fun source of entertainment.
James Moyer, a sophomore studying political science pre-law, discussed how campus music events can create a sense of community by bringing students together through the shared appreciation of music.
“I think it’s really cool what they’re doing because I’m a huge fan of music, and I think music is such a universal bonding experience,” Moyer said. “It’s kind of the one thing that really connects all of us. So I think having that here as an extra thing the campus does for students here I think is really valuable. It just overall creates a really big sense of community.”
The event gives students another way to connect on campus through a shared love of music. Ultimately, Battle of the Greens is more about just determining a winner. It gives students a place to perform, connect and experience the campus music community.
