Live music is a wonderful thing. When you witness live music, you get to witness what I believe to be the closest thing humans can come to creating real magic. Good music takes chemistry and talent, and those two things can be very rare.

Here at Mississippi State, we are so fortunate to have the student-run organization Music Makers. This group of students works to bring live music to not only the campus, but to all of Starkville and the surrounding areas. 

This group has brought major names across all genres including: Bob Dylan, Sugarland, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Fun., and Pretty Lights, just to name a few. I cannot imagine how hard they have had to work to bring such big artists, many of whom boast Grammys, to the relatively small town of Starkville, Mississippi.

Most recently, the Music Makers brought legendary musician Jack White, formerly of the White Stripes, to our campus. Jack White currently has eight Grammys, and he is nominated for four more this year. He will be the headliner at Coachella, one of the biggest music festivals in America. I have been a long time fan of White, and when I heard the news that he would be stopping to play a show in Humphrey Coliseum, I was elated, to say the least. I mean, how often does an Alt/rock legend play shows this close to me? (I will tell you: not often.)

I was sadly disappointed to see that the venue for the Jack White was not full. I was heart-broken, actually. I first became mad, going on my usual “if it isn’t country or rap, most people here just don’t care” rant, but then I realized that I was at a once-in-a-lifetime show, and I was just going to enjoy it. 

It turned out to easily be one of the best shows I have ever been to. Jack White didn’t care about the crowd (which filled up significantly, thank goodness); he only cared about the music. From the first chord Jack’s insanely gifted hands played, until the end of the show when I got to chant the popular “Seven Nation Army” with the whole crowd as he sang the last verse over us, the music that I so loved completely enveloped me, and I was reminded why I so craved live music. There is something so addictive about literally feeling a drumbeat in your chest and singing along with your favorite singer while surrounded by strangers that become your temporary best friend.

My point in telling you about my Jack White experience is this: though I am not a fan of country music, I would like to think that I would support any major act that came to this university. Live music is so important in ways I could never explain, and if we as a student body do not show up and show out at every show that comes here, major acts will ultimately not be as attracted to this area.

So, in closing, whether or not you are a student at a university or simply a person in a smaller setting, if there is someone or a group of people working hard to bring not only live music, but live music on a large scale to your area, support it. Expand your mind to different genres, because you might just be surprised.