When then UNC first-years Sam Lowe and Cameron Champion came to campus, they quickly bonded over a shared appreciation for music and a difficulty in connecting with fellow student musicians.
“We noticed that finding other musicians outside the music department wasn’t the easiest task,” Lowe said. “The organization, Carolina Creates Music, had died down for the last few years, so we offered to take over the reigns.”
The pair have given new life to the organization. Over the summer, they created a website, ccm.network, which allows student musicians to create profiles and connect with their fellow music enthusiasts. Lowe and Champion hope the network will help the organization grow on campus.
“We want to start making Carolina Creates Music a name that’s known across campus,” Lowe said. “It will be a forum to showcase what musicians are doing here. We want the network to be a vibrant place.”
In an effort to increase publicity, the organization is holding their first event Sunday, Oct. 15, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The event, held in Manning 209, will feature four local musical acts.
The first act, Dissimilar South, formed a few years ago and is composed entirely of current UNC students. The group defines its music as southern folk with heavy, political themes. Dissimilar South doesn’t perform too often on campus anymore, but they said they were very excited to participate in the CCM event.
“This event struck us as pretty special,” said Blake Dodge, a UNC senior and member of the group. “What Cam Champion and Sam Lowe are doing is so important for the music community and the campus community. It can be harder at big schools like UNC to foster a community that everyone has access to, so we saw a lot of merit in their idea.”
Another act, MKR, features UNC senior MK Rodenbough and a rotating list of friends. The group plays a mix of folk, Americana and rock. Like Dissimilar South, MKR is looking forward to the event.
“This event will get the program on people’s radars,” Rodenbough said. “CCM has the potential to become an even bigger network on campus.”
