Students win KSM guitar at competition
Twenty-seven musicians showed up in the Taggart Student Center Ballroom to compete in a string competition Thursday night as part of Science Week.
The event was held last year and was called Science of Sound. This year it was named String Theory.
A variety of artists competed for a guitar donated by KSM Music and other prizes from Best Buy. Most musicians were guitarists, and a few were pianists.
The students were judged by a panel consisting of members of the Science Council along with a guitar performance major and ASUSU President Noah Riley.
Judges rated the performers on lyrics, technique, presentation, listener response, time, vocals, clarity structure and rhythm.
To enter the contest, both the music and lyrics had to be written by the students. It also was only acoustic or acoustic electric, but no electric guitars, said Brittany Webb, Science Senator for ASUSU.
The contest was open to anyone on campus, not just science majors.
“It’s been pretty successful . . . showcasing the talent we have here,” Webb said.
The judges made their decision after more than two hours of acoustic music.
The first place winners, Brantley Henderson and Bryce Wood, received the brand new Fender guitar and the opportunity to play the opening act for Nadine Zahr on Friday night.
Second and third place winners, Libbie Linton and Tony Lang, each received an MP3 player from Best Buy. Musicians Chris Hartwell, Michael Barker, Krissy Rawlings and Tanner Jones each received honorable mentions and gift certificates to Best Buy.
Winners Henderson and Wood are both part of a band called Three Weeks Till Sunday.
Henderson and Wood met in Ohio in a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints performance group and are now roommates.