Profile/feature essay
Outré is presently one of the biggest entertainment bands in Massachusetts it is comprised of young artists, each of whom really fits in the group perfectly with the purpose that he serves. Outré is well known for inspirational music, as well as entertaining music diversifying the numbers that enjoy and associate with their music. The members of this band are all learned, and therefore understand the culture and the interests of people from all walks of life. They therefore do their music with a purpose and this is just one of the factors that makes this group a case of success.
Rafic Ghandour an outgoing young man with an extraordinary personality was the founder of the band. He is a determined person, who well knows how to keep his priorities right. It is no wonder that he is just a musician, in spite of the fact that he is a graduate. Most like him would consider making use of their diploma in pursuing a career relating to what they did in their universities. Rafic had this knowledge before embarking on starting the band. It is his ability to fully utilize his abilities in life that has helped him to become successful musically. He was able to quickly learn and identify that he could work well with the other band members to make good music, which is a major necessity for a band to be formed. The lead singer, Cherine Tobaishi is well known for the communicating the themes in his music just by the mere use of his voice. A good performer, he always communicates the idea he intends to put across, by merely holding the microphone. From his face, the audience is always able to read the message he intends to deliver through the song he intends to perform. Cherine collaborates with the fellow band members to produce what can only be described as beyond quality.
The success that goes with the band can make it seem like the group has had a smooth ride in their endeavors musically. However, this is not the case. A group made of students who had nothing to rely on to make money could not make it to the top easily. It took determination and persistence for the band to stand tall with other musical bands and artists. Support from fellow students and the community at large has been a major contributing factor to the success that the group enjoys. It is fundamental to note that the band of students has always been able to get equilibrium between music and academics, and there is no case of failure associable with the work that the band does. The group is advantaged by the fact that they do not use their music to make financial gains but to raise money for the unprivileged class in the society.
Information about this band could not be fully verified as factual, by making conclusions from the information that was provided by people who knew about the group. Information from the actual people was necessary and an interview was conducted, to provide the informative information that was required. The people available to be interviewed were the lead singer and the group founder, who represented the rest in informing about the success and challenges that the group had encountered.
The interviewer involved in the conversation sought to identify the year in which the group was started, and the reason why the group was started at the specific time. Ghandour informed that the band was started in 2008, in the dorms of Bentley University. It was made clear that the each member of the group had an interest in music. Ghandour quoted, “All of us had childhood dreams on pursuing the same at some point in their lives.” It was therefore not a wonder that when the young people met, interest in working together was automatically generated. They would sing popular songs in harmony, and this is what made the Ghandour realize the talent in each of them. The suggestion that they should create a song together was welcomed with great desire from all members, all of whom were willing to do anything to see a band they created succeeding. With the cooperation given by the other members, Ghandour was able to create Outré. Outré, whose meaning bears the concept of diversity, is the appropriate name for the group, not only as a stage name but also considering its components. The group consists of members, all who hail from different walks of life, in terms of race, financial background, cultural and religious beliefs. One of the members is Lebanese, while the other three members are African, British and Arabian. The uniqueness that lies in the facts about this group helps the members to continuously generate ideas to compose songs about. These include racialism, gender inequality, children rights, among other topics that affect the society. All this is efficiently done, owing to the fact that each members provides information on what happens in the societies in which they were brought up.
Tobaishi was resourceful in informing about the challenges that the group had experience in their rise to fame. He made it clear that from the beginning all the members were cooperative in seeking to find the resources required for the group to run efficiently. Considering the fact that all members were students by the time the band was started, it was almost impossible for the students to get enough money to start recording their own music, sell and distribute their records, and still raise enough money for the campaigns that the band wished to facilitate. This method was found ineffective for serving the purpose for which the band was created. This necessitated a better means of doing the music to earn money from the music. The second, better option was performing music in concerts and making money from it. That was the option that the group chose and it was the alternative that aided the group in succeeding. However, even in concerts, not all people would be willing to contribute and raise the amounts needed. This therefore meant that the money raised would not be sufficient for funding the charity projects that the group wished to finance. Tobaishi also informed that the group had a problem when finding a specialist to produce music for them, without demanding for great sums of money for quality work.
The other major challenge that the group had to fight was the lack in self belief that some of students had about the group. This was especially depicted by the students who only perceived music as an entertainment tool. They would find no reason for the band to make music to aid charity programs, rather than entertainment to make monetary gains. The members of the band had to be convincing to their target audience that there were no other intentions behind doing music, other than charity programs. Still, some people believed that the group would start as a non-profit making musical band before changing their motives after gaining popularity. This still remains a challenge for the band to date. However, this still acts as a motivation for the group, as they have a reason to work hard musically, to prove their challengers wrong.
There are many motivations that the group acquired over the years. Apart from the few who aim to challenge the themes depicted in their songs, a compact majority of students and the members of the society are very supportive to Outré. One such way of showing their appreciation towards the music is by attending all the concerts that Outré holds, within and out of the institutions. The students have also been significant in popularizing the band, by making it known in social networking sites and through media coverage. This has always been helpful to the band, considering the fact that the band knows the student body as an audience to rely on when a problem arises. The band also received recognition for their great efforts in 2009 by a boutique graphic art film, Creative Medium LTD. Such recognitions are helpful to the band as they the members realize that the society is appreciative of the efforts put in.
The two members interviewed also provided information about a famous donation they made towards Haitians in need during the massive earthquake that affected their country in early 2010. By doing a concert in Bentley, the group raised over $ 3100, all which went to the aid of the people affected by the quake. Cherine and Ghandour informed that through music, they were able to convince the multitude to raise money for the charity programme and were able to help many families, by purchasing foodstuffs, clothing and new shelter. This was a great act of kindness, and the group did not go unrecognized. The popularization that they got from embarking on this project generated interest among people and they are currently enjoying a great audience for the music that they do. It will soon be possible for the group to make sales of albums and sales, and this will increase the amount of money they raise for the projects in which they embark.
Work cited
Hustmyre Chuck. An Act of Kindness. New York: Berkley. 2007
Bartkowski John P. & Regis A. Helen. Charitable choices: religion, race, and poverty in the post-welfare era. New York: NYU Press. 2003
