For the first time in four years, Niteskool — Northwestern’s student-run music, film and concert production company — will put out a CD compilation of campus musicians.
Niteskool produced the CD annually for many years, but Associated Student Government partially cut the group’s funding in 2001, making it more difficult to cover costs of creating the compilation. Since then, the group has distributed leftover copies of old CDs for free at Niteskool events.
Though Niteskool received additional ASG funding last November, the group found an alternative way to make the CD this year that does not require outside money.
“Basically how it works is I set up the Web site and I set up a PayPal account with links from the Web site to pay $7.00,” said “electronica” director Alex Kemmler. “You can use credit card or debit card and it keeps a record of everyone who will be ordering it.”
PayPal is a method of making financial transactions online directly to and from bank accounts, and it is often used by various buyers and sellers on eBay, the Web site specializing in online auctions.
“The order deadline is May 1. After that date we’ll take all the money from pre-sales and use it to buy CDs, which keeps us from having to order CDs and possibly not sell them all,” said Kemmler, a Weinberg sophomore.
To actually produce the CD, Niteskool is using the Web site www.CafePress.com, a store that creates, buys and sells customized merchandise online. The $7 cost of ordering each CD from the Web site is $5 for the CD plus $2 shipping and handling, a price that allows Niteskool to earn a small profit, provided that the group sells more than 15 copies.
But promoting student bands and independent student musicians is Niteskool’s first priority, said Executive Director Saira Kahn, a Weinberg junior.
Although some NU bands — such as the Foster-Walker Complex and Whitsend — enjoy campus-wide recognition and play shows in the high-powered Chicago music scene others do not have the time or the resources to increase publicity for their performances or to make a big name for themselves.
In years past, these independent and unknown musicians were able to submit their best material to Niteskool to apply for a spot on the annual CD, but since 2001 they haven’t had the opportunity.
“A big reason to have this compilation CD is to give not just bands but individuals a chance to have a CD out there in the hands of random people, to get exposure rather than just sitting on their stuff and never putting it out there,” Kemmler said.
The submission deadline to be eligible for consideration for the compilation CD is April 1. Students who are interested in the CD must place their orders online by May 1. More information about the upcoming Niteskool compilation is available at depot.northwestern.edu/abk772.
Reach Evan Hill at [email protected].
