As the SUNY-ESF Music Society celebrates its 10th anniversary, organization members reflect on how membership has dramatically increased since the group was established in 2007.

The group has attracted an increasing number of students each year. The total group number now averages about 40 to 50 students.

This year, the Music Society grew up to 80 student members — twice the size of previous years.

About a dozen students in 2007 started the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry’s Music Society.

The organization attracts students by creating an open and welcoming environment, said Emma Peister, a member of the organization.

“It’s a very friendly and close-knit atmosphere,” she said. “The organization is very light-hearted.”

With many new members joining Music Society, bonding events are important for the organization, Peister said. The Music Society will take a trip to Green Lakes State Park, she said, and it is an annual tradition for the club to see a performance in downtown Syracuse.

The formation of a new subgroup called String Theory, Music Society’s string orchestra, could be a reason why membership increased, said the Music Society’s executive board in an email statement to The Daily Orange.

Other subgroups within the club include the Ecotones, a co-ed a cappella group; an all-women singing group, the Chordatas; and Sound Team, the sound production crew.

Over the years, Music Society subgroups have come and gone, the executive board said. Those who oversee creating and managing the subgroups are students, so positions can change as students enter the club and graduate, they said.

As the organization grows and takes on String Theory, the organization has also added new officers.

“Our 10-year anniversary happens to be a big transition for Music Society. There are new leaders who have joined our team of officers, and we are ready to make Music Society even better than it was before,” the executive board said.

Music Society is SUNY-ESF’s only club that allows students to express musical skills and talents, the executive board said.

The group is a creative relief from the science-centric culture of SUNY-ESF, the executive board said, even though all groups have a required science-themed name.

“There are many musical opportunities over at Syracuse University, but on our side of the (Hill), Music Society is the place for all those musical interests to be unleashed,” the executive board said.

The Music Society has an upcoming international-themed performance in early October. String Theory will perform a piece by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. The Ecotones will sing in Swahili. Solo acts will perform music from other countries.

It will be the Music Society’s first time performing based off a theme of cultural appreciation.

Published on September 21, 2017 at 12:24 am

Contact Jessica: jlandreo@syr.edu