Club focus: Q&A with the president of the Music Industry Student Association (MISA)

The Music Industry Student Association (MISA) is run by The College of Saint Rose’s music industry students. MISA is known on campus for its various annual events such as a trip to the Audio Engineering Society (AES) Convention in New York City and their own cover show.

The president of MISA is Rosemary Michaud ‘22, a music industry student. We recently caught up with Michaud and to learn more about MISA and how the club functions.

Q&A with MISA President Rosemary Michaud:

What led you to want to pursue being the president of the MISA Club?
I wanted to become President of MISA because I wanted to make a difference in the club and the music industry community. I felt I had many ideas that I wanted to implement into the club. I also have a passion for live sound and engineering and wanted to learn more about it.

If you had to pick one special memory you had with this club, what would it be?
One special memory that we usually have every year is our trip to the AES Convention in New York City. It’s a time where many of us take the time to learn more about new products on the market and the newest techniques in audio engineering. It’s a way for all of us to find internship/job opportunities and to make fun memories with each other. The times we have exploring NYC and being with each other are ones you don’t forget.

What does a regular meeting look like for the club?
A regular meeting usually consists of us starting off with updates and then having an activity. Lately, it’s been Saint Rose Technical Director Sean Wendell teaching a masterclass on different topics of our choosing.

Who can join MISA and where/when are the meetings held?
Anyone can join MISA — it’s not just for music industry students. We usually have our meetings in the William Randolph Hearst Center for Communications and Interactive Media from 6 to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays. But we have a zoom link for anyone who needs to join that way.

What are some of the annual events MISA hosts?
We usually host our trip to the AES Convention and our cover show. Our cover show is where people get together and form a cover band of an artist of their choice and perform their artist’s songs. We’ve had people do artists like Rage Against the Machine, ABBA, H.E.R., and even the Wiggles.

What experiences can students gain from joining the club?
Students can gain a lot of experience and knowledge in audio engineering, mixing techniques, Pro Tools, live sound experience, lighting knowledge, and stage management. Even if you aren’t interested in doing live sound for a career, there are so many helpful things that you can learn and use in any career. Those who have been in MISA have gone on to very successful careers.

Your Facebook page states that MISA members are also Grammy U members, could you tell me a little bit about Grammy U?
Grammy U is a program for students to get opportunities and experiences in the professional world. We, as music industry students, have the opportunity to join Grammy U if we wish, however, it is not required.

Finally, with this year and last year’s challenges due to the pandemic, could you tell me how you guys worked together as a club, and what goals and hopes you have for the future?
It was extremely difficult to run a performance-based and in-person club remotely. As a live sound club, we usually book our own shows, but with performance becoming limited, it was difficult to put on shows. We’ve moved our focus to put on masterclasses and fun activities instead of shows. We are focusing on teaching mixing techniques rather than using our live equipment.