With one of the most popular global music festivals happening in its own backyard, Shure wanted to take the opportunity to leverage its 94-year-old history with audio equipment to educate local music students.
Students from Chicago-area music organizations, including Drum Chicago and People’s Music School, got a behind-the-scenes overview on the different types of microphones, receivers, and other Shure equipment used by musicians at Lollapalooza, along with the unique challenges of maintaining audio quality in an open field with so many stages, performers, and city frequency interference as factors in production.
The students were also able to the meet with and hear stories from Lollapalooza artists Chelsea Cutler and Jeremy Zucker, who each performed separately at the festival.
“As a young person with a dream to be successful in music, it was a surreal experience to hear directly from two artists about what they had to do to get to this point,” said Kaylle Flores, student from People’s Music School. “Before the event I felt my dream was far-fetched and unattainable, but Jeremy and Chelsea made me realize it’s possible to pursue a career in music and encouraged me to find my place in this industry.”
The students not only had a chance to ask questions during a group chat, they also had some one-on-one time with the artists to talk to them more in-depth.
“I had so much fun spending time with everyone at the house,” said Cutler. “I love having the opportunity to connect with young people who are so dedicated to making music.”
The artist event took place at Shure’s “For Those Who Tour” House, a specially-decorated home in one of Chicago’s most iconic neighborhoods, designed to provide an inspirational place for artists to stay when they are visiting the city.
“It’s our mission at Shure to advocate for artists and the communities we serve,” said Brooke Giddens, head of artist marketing at Shure. “The ‘For Those Who Tour’ House serves as a peaceful haven for artists, giving them a place to stay while passing through Chicago on tour.”
The three-bedroom house includes specially-themed rooms and music equipment, including a mini-studio set up for mixing music. The house marks the third location for The Participation Agency’s “For Those Who Tour” program.
“So often, the cost of staying in hotels while on tour can be burdensome to many up-and-coming artists,” said Jessica Resler, co-founder and creative director at The Participation Agency. “The Shure ‘For Those Who Tour’ House is a great way to provide a way for artists to relax in a really inspirational setting, while being more connected to the community in a neighborhood just outside of downtown.”
“It was such a great experience to stay at a place like this and connect with others in the community like these students,” said Zucker. “Shure not only takes care of us on stage with their equipment, they’re supporting us off the stage as well.”
