Presenting: The 2nd Annual CUNY Beat Battle

By Jamal Weekes and Brian Cortes 

On Tuesday, April 15th we met with the Lehman College Audio Club to learn more about the upcoming Beat Battle on May 7th. The Beat Battle is a yearly event produced by Lehman College, The Multi-Media Center, Hostos Community College, and Laguardia Community College all broadcasted by the BronxNet. The event kicks off with an introduction from the judges and all competitors from the schools involved. Students from each CUNY school then present their team of 6 as they make their way to the Multi-Media Center’s audio room.    

Competing students from both schools have 45 minutes to create a beat using the several samples provided. Sampling is a music technique that incorporates pieces of existing recordings into a new creation. This method has been used since the 70s and is widely renowned in Hip Hop for the countless records and songs that have utilized it.   

This year the Lehman College Audio Club went up against both Hostos Community College and LaGuardia Community College to see who can produce the best beat in the time given. This year, each team is granted 45 minutes to create a beat while deriving inspiration from the ten samples given. In the end, winners receive prizes for first, second, and third place with the first-place winner receiving a special grand prize by SweetWater.  

Before the event,  Giancarlo Esposito, the Vice President of The Lehman College Audio Club, expressed what goals he had in mind for the event, “[I want] to showcase our skills and what we can provide as an exercise to help us network with other artists.” 

Giancarlo went on to explain the future of the Audio Club, “We want to collaborate with other clubs to bring back more on-campus events [for our club] to boost engagement and fun for everyone.” In hosting the Beat Battle Lehman’s Audio Club seeks to gain new members and hopes it will open the door for future collaborations with other clubs for the fall semester. New members are welcome to join with no experience required and will be able to participate in the event next year! 

When discussing the Beat Battle event, Oliver, a senior majoring in Media Communications, along with other members explained their reasons for being involved in the Audio Club. 

“I have a lot of interest in playing digital music and in music production, it's something that I'm very passionate about and I want to be able to collaborate with people who have that same interest.” 

The Lehman Audio Club has worked their craft for a while, practicing and honing their production skills. This Beat Battle event serves as a platform where they can demonstrate what they’ve learned over time and all the experiences they’ve shared. 

When asked what the best takeaway was from being a participant in the event, Oliver responded, “You could say working under pressure [...]  there are so many things going on in your mind. It’s the amount a lot of pressure put on a person to make the best beat possible under a time crunch” 

Finally, while speaking on what a spectator should take away from the experience of attending, Oliver continued, “It's a vibe in a sense. You get to hear different sounds and beats from different genres that you might be interested in and get a behind-the-scenes look at how your favorite songs on the radio are made.” 

The CUNY Beat Battle was an outrageous success. With Lehman College as the winner in the end. An exciting competition from start to finish, with appearances from Hip-Hop legends Melly Mel and Denzil Porter. 

The Audio Club is welcoming anyone with any interest in music or audio production. Even if you aren’t a music major or minor, they create a space where you can communicate, and work with other individuals who share the same enthusiasm for the process. You can support Oliver, who participated in the CUNY beat battle @Ollie050502. Additionally, you can show your support for the other Lehman contestants by following them on their social media @lehman_audioclub.