MUSIC Matters, a student organization working to advance social change through music, held its annual SpringFest concert at Palmer Field on Saturday. As one of the largest student-organized events at the University of Michigan, according to the MUSIC Matters website, SpringFest aims to bring the campus community together through advocacy, dance, and music. About 200 music lovers within the UM community attended this year’s event.

This year, 10 student music and dance groups performed at the eight-hour festival, which included food trucks and sponsored giveaways. MUSIC Matters has also partnered with other student organizations, including Wolverine Support Network, to provide the ability to connect with a wide range of campus organizations.

LSA junior Anna Lehrer chaired this year’s SpringFest for MUSIC Matters. In her role, she oversees the entire planning process, which began in the summer of 2021. Lehrer said one of her favorite things about the festival is how it introduces students to the music scene in the campus and offers student artists the opportunity to perform.

“We start planning this event in August before school even starts,” Lehrer said. “It really is a year-long process to plan a music festival, but it’s so rewarding. I love seeing our hard work pay off with happy members and happy audiences. We have amazing local talent here in Ann Arbor and it’s so great to appreciate it.

MUSIC Matters has 200 members and is organized into five committees. Although one of these committees is solely responsible for organizing the SpringFest, Lehrer said that all the committees work together in the spring to organize the event.

“At SpringFest, we want to use the unifying power of music to bring the community together and promote local talent and grassroots organizations,” Lehrer said. “In my role, I want to bring everyone together and involve everyone in the club. I really appreciate having a large and diverse community connected through the arts.

LSA Junior Jenna Shatzman is the Membership Development Manager for MUSIC Matters. After helping plan Saturday’s event, Shatzman came as a participant and said it was wonderful to see so many talented students in one place. MUSIC Matters strives to foster strong relationships with campus bands throughout the year, Shatzman said, which helps the event run smoothly when spring rolls around.

“We’ve worked hard to have relationships with student groups on campus,” Shatzman said. “We support and organize other events throughout the year to try to find as diverse a range of groups as possible. It’s so great to feature so many different groups, organizations and vendors.

Architecture senior Lauren Conroy was one of many students who attended SpringFest this year. Conroy said she first went to see her friend, LSA senior Alison Albrecht, play her solo set. Albrecht’s final cover – which was a performance of Lorde’s “Green Light” – got the crowd pumping and filled Palmer Field with cheers at the end. After SpringFest took place virtually last year due to COVID-19 restrictions, Conroy said it was exciting to be back in person with his friends before they graduated at the end. of the month.

“Being a senior, most of my time in Michigan has been during COVID like with most students,” Conroy said. “So this is the first time I can come to SpringFest in person. After two years of virtual events, it’s really cool to be able to support friends and listen to live music.

One of the bands that performed at SpringFest was Gravytrain, an eight-member funk band. Joseph Lauerman, a music, theater and dance junior, plays keyboards for Gravytrain. He said attending SpringFest was a rewarding experience for their group and the perfect way to end the college year.

“Playing today was amazing,” Lauerman said. “The sound was great. The people were great. The audience was engaged and excited. Especially at the end of the school year, it’s so nice to be able to play our music for people live and outside.

Editor’s Note: Justin O’Beirne, Daily Staff reporter, is a member of MUSIC Matters. O’Beirne had no involvement in writing or editing this article.

Daily reporter Carly Brechner can be reached at cbrech@umich.edu.