The national music scene has changed because of new technology. Websites allow people to access their favorite artists and download their music instantly. Music has become more accessible because of technological advancements, and because of this, live shows for lesser known bands are not as popular as they used to be.

Local bands and live entertainment do not bring large crowds as they did in the past, so local venues choose to hire DJs instead. A majority of students are more interested in dancing at bars to well-known pop music than gathering to listen to local artists.

But no one can argue the music scene is dead in East Lansing, even though it is not as lively as it was in past decades.

This past weekend, East Lansing hosted the 16th Annual Summer Solstice Jazz Festival, which featured 12 jazz performance groups from across the country. This event is widely popular, bringing people from around the state to East Lansing to listen and celebrate jazz music and culture. The city hosts this event to showcase local and national talents, while allowing residents and students the opportunity to enjoy live music. The festival, along with others of the sort such as Common Ground, helps to keep East Lansing’s music scene alive and gives local artists the chance to perform.

ASMSU, MSU’s undergraduate student government, and the Residence Halls Association, or RHA, work to bring more well-known performers, such as rap artists Childish Gambino and Mac Miller, to campus for the enjoyment of students and residents. These performances allow students to see bigger names in entertainment on campus and help to keep East Lansing’s music scene from disappearing completely.

Although MSU helps to bring more well-known performances to campus, local artists struggle to gain local popularity because of the lack of opportunity at East Lansing’s bars and venues. It is disheartening that East Lansing no longer promotes a live entertainment culture as it used to, but the desire for live acts has diminished nationally, not just locally. Knowing that artists such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tupac stopped in East Lansing during their early tours before they became superstars brings a certain pride to this city that, unfortunately, could be squandered because of the lack of motivation among students and residents to see live entertainment.

It might not thrive at the level it once did, but East Lansing’s music scene is far from dying. Student groups help to bring well-known artists to campus, and East Lansing helps to host music festivals for local and national artists, keeping the local music scene somewhat alive.