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MySpace showcases campus musician

by Andrew Struska

Mike HicksMSU student Mike Hicks plans to release his album next summer and promote it on MySpace

At first clance, with its glittery backgrounds and the trendiest, newest YouTube videos, MySpace looks like just another hipster, social networking website, no different from Facebook. But a closer look and you see that it's the music that makes the difference. People can put unique songs in their profiles to that people select to display on their profiles in order to demostrate their individuality and share their favorite songs with others in the community. 

MySpace also helps spread the buzz about new artists that might not otherwise receive the same degree of attention.  While Pure Volume works on a very similar premise, MySpace seems has taken the lead in popularity.

Exploring unknown campus bands on MySpace, I came across Mike Hicks, an alternative rocker and MSU student.  A guitarist since just before high school and a musician even earlier, Mike finds that MySpace offers a strong of a sense of community, as a means to spread his music to the masses.

“MySpace does such a great job of helping musicians reach a larger public because it levels the playing field. A broke college student who has nothing to spend on advertising and promotion can access the same tool being used by bands who are filling stadiums," he said. "You can use the blogs to keep listeners updated, add live videos, there's so much at your disposal and it costs you nothing.”  Mike's music has had more than 18,000 plays, including visitors from other countries. "When my EP is finished, I will already have a small fan base to sell to rather than starting from scratch. It's an unbelievable tool for the average musician to be heard.”

Musicians appreciate the fact that MySpace helps them reach niche audiences.  Through the wonders of MySpace, he can offer several home-recorded demos at www.myspace.com/mikehicks2.

MySpace delivers to both musicians and music aficionados alike.  Ringo, Facebook and Pure Volume have their fans, but for music lovers, MySpace offers a deep and involving community.