Open mic night series gets new location

The Ridge opened in November of 2012 and serves a student lounge, study space, and venue for social events (photo courtesy of the Office of Housing and Residents Life).

Since its opening in November 2012, The Ridge, located between the Sandbridge and Blue Ridge dorms, has served as a study lounge and a place for students to relax and interact with one another.

The Ridge has served as a prime location for a wide range of functions and activities due to its size and convenient location in the Rappahannock neighborhood.

This semester The Ridge will begin to host as an open mic venue for Mason students.

In the past, open mic nights have attracted a wide-ranging spectrum of artists including spoken word performers, a cappella groups and musicians who perform cover songs and original works.

This semester open mic nights have been moved to The Ridge for the event series called Live @ The Ridge. The event will give students the opportunity to hear the talents of their fellow students. Previously, open mic nights were held at both Pilot House and Starbucks

The recent change in location for the event from Starbucks to The Ridge was made in hopes of creating a more personal experience between performers and spectators.

“We just wanted to create a more intimate environment that would enhance the overall quality of the event,” said Jamal Myrick, graduate resident director of the Rappahannock neighborhood.

The Ridge has the capacity to hold up to 150 people comfortably, naturally creating a more conducive musical environment. The Ridge hosted Invisible Children GMU’s first Folk Festival, which was also organized by Resident Student Association and the Office of Housing and Residence Life.

The Ridge looks to be moving progressively forward by serving multiple functions and purposes. Throughout the course of the next semester, The Ridge is scheduled to host several social events including Live @ The Ridge. The space will also serve as the location for programs hosted by the Office of Housing and Residence Life such as roommate socials to help with the 2013–2014 on-campus housing selection process. These events will be held on Jan. 28 and 30 and Feb. 5 at 8:30 p.m.

The first open mic night will be on Thursday, Jan. 24 at 8:30 p.m. in The Ridge and will be held every month for the remainder of the spring semester.  The selection process begins with sign-ups orchestrated after the event followed by selective auditions prior to the next event. The event is open to all Mason students wishing to perform.