When Western Washington University first-year Liam J. McArdle’s dad lived in Washington before moving to North Carolina, he was in a band called Incumulus with his friends. Now, Tuesday evenings on the third floor of the Viking Union, McArdle performs covers of his dad’s songs.
“It means a lot to me. Even though he moved away and I don't agree with all of his decisions as a parent, I love my dad,” McArdle said. “So I want to honor him in that way, and I think this is the way to do that.”
Art and Music Productions (AMP) hosts weekly open mic nights in the Underground Coffeehouse. According to AMP’s events assistant Arlo Herrera, these open mics encourage self-expression and community building among Western students.
“We just want to give a space for Western students to come and share what makes them unique. Really, we have people of all different classes coming from freshmen to sophomores, juniors to seniors,” Herrera said. “We're really focused on that community aspect of Western and making a safe space for people to come and feel what they want to feel and say what they want to say.”
Dorian Lambert, a first-year Western student, found that these open mics gave him an opportunity to delve into artistic vulnerability and refine his own music. He performed his original piece, “Funeral for a Warrior,” complete with self-produced vocal and instrumental backings, to honor both of his grandfathers.
“(The song) goes into my grief, how I admire them both and how they influenced a lot in my life,” Lambert said. “I also dive into how when they both died, things just got worse … it just helps me heal a little bit.”
When his Grandpa Dean died, Lambert was in the hospital for issues with his parathyroid, and when his Pop Pop died, Lambert watched as political tensions skyrocketed outside his family's tragedy. Most prevalently, he was astonished at the lack of compassion for the unhoused population in his own community, and distraught at the inaction to support and care for their needs.
More recently, Lambert felt heartbreak as the Nov. 1, SNAP cuts hit, and the urge to share his song – reflecting on personal grief and social issues – returned.
“(Music) can inspire people to make a change in their community - we keep complaining about how nothing is changing, that things that get worse in this country,” Lambert said. “But instead of complaining, we should be actively doing something about it.”
According to Herrera, acts and audiences don’t shy away from vulnerability in the performances. They said they appreciate that students are authentic and inviting in the open mic space as they aim to help students find community.
As open mic nights see this type of vulnerability from students onstage, AMP staff say they see community and friendships develop offstage too.
“I think especially for people who are super artistic but maybe don't have that ability to express it or have a hard time talking to people, it's really hard to bridge that gap,” said Olivia Burrow, AMP’s marketing coordinator. “This offers space for everyone to appreciate each other's talents and make those connections without having to come up to someone and talk to them first.”
Throughout the performances at open mic nights, AMP staff and student performers alike cherish the opportunity to connect with community artists. According to Burrow, open mic nights see a diverse and unpredictable array of performers, and she values witnessing the creativity and storytelling of open mic attendees.
“I've always said that my greatest strength is being a storyteller,” McArdle said. “I just really enjoy being able to share my love for performing and creating stories and arts with other people.”
Rosalie Johnson (she/her) is a campus life reporter for The Front this quarter. She is a second year journalism major on the news/editorial track and aims to finish a minor through Western’s Honors College. Outside of reporting, she enjoys watching new movies and exploring Bellingham with friends. You can contact her at rosaliejohnson.thefront@gmail.com.
