By Jacquelyn Letizia Staff writer
Senior Rob Barkley, a theatre studies major, held a performance in Charlie’s Coffeehouse in the lower level of Degenstein Campus Center on March 23, where he performed a collection of original music. Sophomore Nick Forbes opened for Barkley.
Barkley explained that he started with singing and songwriting but realized he did not feel he had as much of a talent for singing and instruments. From there, he ventured into spoken word and slam poetry, which eventually turned into rap.
He added that he finds the process of writing and performing his music stress-relieving and therapeutic.
“My favorite part about writing music is the feeling of knowing you have an emotional bond with people that vibe with your songs,” Barkley said. He also said performing and listening to music can be a sort of catharsis for himself and for listeners. Barkley bases his music off his past experiences.
Additionally, he uses his knowledge and experiences with depression and anxiety to inspire him. He also finds inspiration from musical sources including gospel music and from artists such as Curt Franklin, J. Cole and Childish Gambino.
When asked what he hopes his audience will acquire from his performances, Barkley said he wants them to feel whole and supported. “I want people to think, I want them to listen and nourish and I want them to be happy knowing that they are not alone or that they can have a good time,” he said.
According to junior Lucia Garabo, who attended the performance, Barkley accomplished just that. “I thought something unique about Rob’s performance was the way that he interacted with the crowd and got us involved. He genuinely wanted us to have a good experience at his performance,” Garabo said.
She added, “In addition, he challenged himself during the performance by having the audience name a song for him to freestyle to. Using his performance as an opportunity to not only demonstrate his skills but to work on them as well was really interesting to see.”
Additionally, Garabo touched on the importance of showcasing student performers.
“We are all a part of the same community, and that community grows and strengthens when we engage with each other,” she said.
She added, “At Rob’s performance, you could feel it happening. The positive energy and captivating nature of Rob’s performance drew all of us closer together than we were before the performance.”
“Student performers offer opportunities for members of our campus community to engage with each other in a unique way,” Garabo said.
She added, “As audience members, we are there to both support the performer and demonstrate our respect for the craft they work so hard on. Communities thrive when they are built on mutual respect and support, and that is something unique that student performers offer.”
In the future, Barkley hopes to be able to perform on a larger stage and for a larger audience and aims to have at least one million listens for one of his songs.
Barkley will be performing again on Saturday, April 1 at TRAX at the after-party of the Andy Grammer spring concert.
