The vibe at open mic events is usually relaxed and accepting, with guests sipping on their lattes or mocktails. For Dale Duro Latin Dance Company president Ariela Deleon, that’s the perfect environment for the recently formed group to perform.

“It will take the nervousness and stress out of my dancers,” Deleon said. “We’ve been really trying over the course of the past quarter or so to really build up their confidence as performers and not just dancers.”

Dale Duro is one of the acts performing at Supplies for Dreams’ “Jams for Dreams” open mic on Friday, April 26 in the Norris University Center’s Dittmar Gallery, along with NU band Honey Butter, .WAV president Nico Fernandez and jazz quartet Pichardy Fourth. Starting at 7 p.m., the pay-what-you-can event will raise money and awareness for SFD and showcase campus artists.

Lucia Boyd, SFD Northwestern chapter president and Communication sophomore, said fundraising from donations at the event will go toward SFD’s mentoring program, which sends college students to Chicago Public Schools, and their field trip initiative: taking groups of students between third and eighth grade to local museums. In 2017, 676 CPS students visited museums in the area as part of the program, according to the SFD’s annual report.

Medill freshman Camille Williams said she and the rest of SFD’s Northwestern Chapter Local Outreach Committee found the campus artists for the open mic. This is her first time planning an event with SFD, though she has been involved with the organization since coming to Northwestern. Williams will also be performing in Pichardy Fourth, and she said she is excited to see the artists she recruited perform.

Boyd said this was made possible with Northwestern’s impressive pool of talent.

“There’s so many great performers and talented people on campus,” Boyd said. “We just thought it’d be awesome to see everyone coming together to support a cause that we’re really passionate about.”

SFD hosted a different “Jams for Dreams” event in 2016 — a 90s-themed charity concert at World of Beer. But for sophomore Boyd, this weekend’s open mic is the first foray into using music as a community-building fundraiser.

“This is definitely something we’re trying to do more of,” she said. “We’re just really excited to engage the Northwestern community.”

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stephencouncil

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