Passion, electricity, a little spunk, a righteous cause and a great deal of heart: Just what every on-campus organization needs for success – and one of the newest student groups to bring just that is Electronic Music for Change.
The members of Electronic Music for Change have passion for electronic music and a commitment for positive change. Founded in February 2009 by a group of graduating seniors wanting to leave behind a legacy, EMC strives to show the Davis community the beauty of electronic music and its ability to join people in a carefree environment while promoting a great cause.
Chris Chuang, senior international relations major and president of EMC, said that he felt there was a lacking in an electronic music scene in Davis and that the group wanted to cater to students who had an interest in the genre.
“EMC was founded for several reasons,“ he said. “For one, there was a lack of organizations on campus centered specifically on electronic music. We knew that there was a sizeable student population here at UCD who were into electronic music and who would also be [interested in attending] an electronic dance event.“
At the same time, EMC serves as a unifying base for all students interested in electronic music, especially in terms of promoting EMC‘s message of change.
“By ‘change,‘ we are referring to two things,“ Chuang said. “We want to not only leave a positive change in our community through our philanthropic activities, but also change the image of electronic [music fans] who are sometimes subject to the misconceptions and stereotypes that society has.“
EMC believes that electronica can effectively unite people together in light of certain characteristics. To Chuang, electronic music tends to have a more positive and uplifting flavor in its message and tone, which is why the culture of the genre is one that calls for qualities such as peace, love, freedom, tolerance, respect and self-expression.
The members of EMC share Chuang‘s insights regarding the power of electronica. Junior international relations major Jay Alburez, whose involvement with EMC has been contacting artists to come to Davis, said EMC helps unite all types of people.
“People from all types of different backgrounds, nationalities and interests can come together toward a common goal of providing not only entertainment for the city of Davis, but an image of teamwork and friendship within people from all walks of life,“ Alburez said in an e-mail interview. “We are completely open to all types of people and ideas and are always taking in new members.“
Tu Tran, senior biological sciences major, said that working with the group has been quite an experience within the short time EMC has been around.
“Working in EMC has been great, we all just started as friends wanting to leave a legacy at Davis – and what better way to do it then to throw an electronic dance festival and couple it with a good cause?” he said.
Students interested in EMC can visit the Facebook group page to find out more about the organization and its upcoming event called UNITY, an on-campus electronic dance event that will be held on May 28. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the Freeborn box office. Proceeds will go to UC Davis Children‘s Hospital.
MARIO LUGO can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.
