Through glass windows scattered with event posters, Suite 300 in Colvard Student Union looks like any other office. Workers are talking at desks while sipping soft drinks through bendy straws, a young woman rummages through a stack of papers and there is a general buzz of activity in the air.
However, upon walking in I realize this isn’t just any campus office. These workers are the students running Music Makers Productions, a non-profit organization in charge of booking, producing and promoting large-scale music events in Starkville.
I took some time to explore its office and find out what Music Makers is doing, and more importantly, how they do what they do. What I found was a group of energetic undergraduates who are passionate about bringing live music, and a lot of it, to the students of Mississippi State.
Music Makers is funded by tax revenue from the city of Starkville. Because of this, it feels a need to give back to the community by bringing in the best acts possible. Through these acts, Music Makers brings money back into the city. In the past, MMP has brought such headliners as Jimmy Buffet, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Widespread Panic and more to Starkville.
In recent years, students have been able to see acts like Girl Talk, Eric Church, Robert Randolph and Zac Brown Band thanks to MMP. These students are working behind the scenes to give this town some unforgettable music experiences at the lowest price possible.
Music Makers president, senior biology major Brice Lambert, leads the group with an eager smile and a level head. When Lambert first heard about Music Makers from his older brother while still in high school, he knew this was something he wanted to be a part of.
Speaking to Lambert, his love for this group of people and for live music is plain to see. As president, Lambert dedicates at least 10 hours each week to Music Makers, and even more than that in weeks leading up to a production.
And Lambert is not working alone. He has a team of dedicated and diligent colleagues working right up front with him. While booking and scheduling artists is certainly a difficult task, promoting events is the biggest challenge in the life of a Music Maker. Lambert said that being able to promote events in an innovative way is what makes a great music maker.
“College students are the hardest generation to market to. We need creative marketing ideas, positive attitudes, and a good work ethic,” Lambert said.
He is not lying about the work ethic. In order to make these concerts the best possible experience for their fellow students, music makers work rigorously. A typical concert day for a music maker begins around 6 a.m., when they arrive to build the stage and set up sound equipment with the help of technicians. When the band arrives, MMP works with the roadies to put everything together.
They work to accommodate not only the artist but the entire crew. During the show, music makers act as runners, assistants and security. After the show, the group stays for clean-up, which can last until around 2 a.m. An exhausting 20-hour day is just the final act in the months of work that go into planning and preparing for a show.
The experience is worth it for Lambert though. Through Music Makers, Lambert has been able to see and work with some of his favorite musical acts, including Girl Talk and Yonder Mountain String Band.
On his favorite part of the experience, Lambert said, “I value the intangible. When you’re at a show, you see everybody having an awesome time in the crowd. It makes it all worth it.”
                  That seems to be a shared sentiment among all the music makers. These students share a passion for live music and are working hard to promote this passion among their fellow students and in the city of Starkville. Looking around the office, it is obvious this is a family who is dedicated to doing the best it can to give back to its university.