Topics

More

Penn State Student Produces Album EP Benefitting THON

Thousands of Penn State students contribute to THON each year. There are so many ways to chip in, even on top of clubs, organizations, or committees. In short, there’s a reason its the largest student-run philanthropy in the world.

With tons of fundraising options, why not get a little creative? Junior Mike D’Avella chose music production over canning.

davella
D’Avella and his band “The New Feel” performing in The Hub.

D’Avella, a broadcast journalism major, is your average music junkie with a passion for creating tunes and lyrics. It all started with his infatuation with Backstreet Boys when he was four years old.

“I remember watching concerts of theirs on MTV and Nickelodeon and I remember one concert at the Bryce Jordan Center. I wanted to be on that stage more than anything as a five-year-old.”

He found a love for drumming in middle school, where he learned the ropes from his neighbor in eighth grade. After a lot of practice, he auditioned for a spot as a drum set player in his school band. He competed with and beat out older students and he’s never looked back. He developed an affinity for the GarageBand app and a knack for recording and producing music.

 

The aspiring musician’s dreams came true when he had the opportunity to perform with his band The New Feel at the THON’s Got Talent Competition last year. This ignited a passion for THON intertwined with his music.

12768318_10208414846753690_2149797104481564188_o
D’Avella performing at THON 2016.

“When I got to perform with my band at THON, it was an experience like no other. The crowd was so welcoming and excited,” D’Avella said. “I was nervous to play in front of 20,000 plus people, but I don’t think we could have gotten luckier with the way the audience welcomed us to the stage.”

He’s newest project, EP Late Nights, has been in the works for months and was finally released last week. It’s live on iTunes and Spotify, and all the proceeds go right to Penn State’s Dance Marathon.

Late Nights is D’Avella’s first wave of music, and he is currently working hard on the second half of the full length project. The EP includes the song “That’s Ur Queue, How U Feel,” which was written with D’Avella’s friend Matt Fell, former THON Entertainment Captain. He recorded all the instruments by himself on a software called Logic Pro X and a focusrite 2i2 USB interface, using a Rode NT1A condenser microphone, a guitar, bass guitar, MIDI keyboard, and beat pad.

late nights epLooking to the future, D’Avella sees himself in the music industry in some capacity. Though he’s thought of being a sports play-by-play broadcaster, his true dream job would be a music producer.

“I would love to couple my love for sports and music by licensing songs for ESPN in the future. I want to make a difference to be honest. I want to make an impact.”

His dreams include making a notable impact, but D’Avella has already made a splash in the THON community and on campus through his time with Movin’ On and the Student Programming Association (SPA).

IMG_1439

“I knew I wanted to benefit THON before I started recording any of these songs. I had seen people do it before and I always admired artists who put the community before themselves,” D’Avella said. “I am a big believer that things will work out for the best, so I’m not really concerned about the money right now. Families that have life threatening expenses to take care of — they need it much, much more than I do.”

Your ad blocker is on.

Please choose an option below.

Sign up for our e-mail newsletter:
OR
Support quality journalism:
Purchase a Subscription!

About the Author

Carolyn Popescu

Current senior studying Advertising and Visual Arts, Carolyn has a passion for entertainment and music. She also loves photography, film, graphic design, social media, and all things in between. She's the current Sony Music Marketing Representative for State College, so be sure to reach out to her with any local music scene questions, ideas, proposals, or if you just need someone to geek out about music with.

(Contact her through [email protected] or [email protected])

Penn State Students Revolutionizing Sales Tax Audits With AI Company

After under a year of working on their company, two students have raised over $35,000 for their software company.

Judge Issues Injunction To Halt Penn State Board’s Planned Vote On Removal Of Trustee

The board was scheduled to vote on Barry Fenchak’s status as a trustee on Thursday.

Drew Allar Named Finalist For Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award

The award is given to the top senior or underclassmen quarterback set to graduate with their class.

113kFollowers
164kFollowers
61.3kFollowers
4,570Subscribers
Other posts by Carolyn

Finding Your Penn State Beyond Penn State: Carolyn Popescu’s Senior Column

“But when that one face of a “stranger” lights up to greet you with a warm ‘WE ARE!’ and smile of recognition? You can find your Penn State there, too.”

Your Fiesta Bowl-Bound Playlist

Your Official Friendsgiving Playlist