Common, Grammy and Academy Award-winning hip-hop artist, will perform at the second annual SpringFest. Doors open at 8 p.m. April 17 at University of Michigan’s Hill Auditorium.
“Common’s artistry and ability to integrate arts and social justice together so seamlessly means he is the perfect artist for MUSIC Matters,” U of M junior Jibran Ahmed, MUSIC Matters Vice President and fundraising chair, said in a statement. “In light of his recent projects, we couldn’t imagine any other artist that aligns with our fundamental initiative: making a difference for others through music and societal change.”
Tickets are on sale starting at $25 for the public and $15 for U of M students in the Michigan Union Ticket Office.
The concert, SpringFest Night, is the third part in a year-end festival held by MUSIC – Music Undergrads Serving In The Community – Matters, a U of M student organization.
SpringFest Day, which features headlining act Joe Hertler and the Rainbow Seekers, will take place 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at The Diag, located in middle of U of M’s Central Campus.
The day portion of the festival has five areas of focus: arts, sustainability, innovation, social identity and philanthropy.
Local musicians will perform live all day.
Six food trucks, including one from Detroit, will be selling food all day. Attendees can also shop at a farmers market.
Students entrepreneurs can pitch their ideas to venture capitalists receive either money or a mentorship on the spot.
More than 40 U of M student organizations will showcase the projects they worked on during the 2014-15 school year.
“Students can come and learn about these organizations and then meet them and interact with them,” Ahmed said. “And, in the future, work together on a project to really bridge a lot of the differences on [the U of M and Eastern Michigan University] campuses and bring them together to work on one tangible project.”
U of M fashion groups will put on a fashion show. The show will be split into five scenes, or parts, that correspond with the five areas of focus for SpringFest.
“Some of them will feature more Avant Gard clothing that most people wouldn’t just go out and buy,” Senior Nick Moeller, SpringFest Chair, said. “Other aspects will feature ready-to-wear clothing, specifically from a couple local student-run clothing companies.”
A “Startup Village” will showcase student-run businesses and product launches.
The first part of the festival, a film festival, will be held at 8 p.m. April 16 in the Natural Science Auditorium in the Kraus Edward Henry Building.
Attendees can view films from the U of M Screen Arts and Culture Department, the Film and Video Student Association and Imagination. Sandwiches will be provided.
“We feel that this is a great opportunity for Eastern Students to come and learn about what’s happening here,” Ahmed said.
Ahmed said they started SpringFest to connect the Ann Arbor community.
Proceeds will go to a camp MUSIC Matters is starting up for underrepresented high school students from the Metro-Detroit area.
Accepted students can attend the camp during the summer between ninth and tenth grade, and they will be mentored by U of M students throughout the rest of high school.
Ahmed said they want to “form more of a connection and pipeline with the university and Detroit.”
“Our hope is that one we can show them that college is attainable and totally feasible for them and two mentor them for three years in high school,” he said.
MUSIC Matters was founded four years ago and currently has 150 active members.
“All of our efforts throughout the year are working to bring communities together,” Ahmed said. “Whether it be through volunteer work, whether it be through bringing students here on campus together.
They do community service around the Ann Arbor area and hold artist spotlight events at local business for U of M students.
“With that culture of philanthropy, we take pride in the fact that our organization is somewhere where each and every member is fundraising towards a cause,” Ahmed said.
