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Red Rock to host virtual open mic night

FAIRMONT — Red Rock Center for the Arts in Fairmont will hold a virtual open mic night Monday. Performers of all ages and talent can sign up to perform, and an online viewing will take place later in the week.

Katie Koenning, a Red Rock board member and organizer for the event, said Red Rock held its first open mic night early in March, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said she and several other new board members were looking for a way to engage with the younger crowd in the community.

“We gave the format a shot,” Koenning said. “It was mostly students but it was a great show of what was out there in the community.”

The first night was well-attended, with about 30 people and eight performers. Since then, people have been asking for another event to be held.

“We had wanted to do another in-person one in June, but with COVID, we wanted to take precautions so it’s going to be virtual,” Koenning said.

On Monday, people can schedule a time to come into Red Rock Center and record their performance. Koenning said a student has offered to record and edit performances, and another board member will be available to accompany any performance on the piano.

If anyone is uncomfortable coming in, they can record their performance at home and submit it.

The plan is to hold a Facebook watch party over the following weekend, with all of the performances compiled into a virtual concert.

There will be an opportunity for viewers to make a donation through givemn.org, which is linked onto the Red Rock Center website at redrockcenter.org

“It’s really open to any kind of performance art, so singing, instrumental, spoken word, any sort of visual arts performance. It’s really a display of what’s around the community,” Koenning said.

She stressed that the event is open to people of all ages, and noted they have a 6-year-old signed up to perform.

Sonja Fortune, director of Red Rock Center, said they hope to continue with more live open mic nights in the future.

Anyone with questions or who wishes to sign up to perform can contact Koenning at koenning.katie@ gmail.com

Details about the Facebook watch party will be announced on the Red Rock Center’s Facebook page next week.

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