The sixth annual UF MusicFest, hosted by the Asian American Student Union, the Hispanic Student Association, Student Government and Health Educated Asian Leaders, will be on Flavet Field on Sunday.
MusicFest was created with the slogan, “Good Vibes for a Good Cause,” and it’s evident from the organization’s passion to support local musicians from throughout the Florida and Asian American community, as well as their drive to benefit Gainesville philanthropies, they’ve lived up to their motto.
Nikki Nguyen, a 22-year-old UF sociology senior and first-time director of this year’s MusicFest, said she intends to use her leadership skills within both the university and the AASU to create an event that will encourage others to give a helping hand to those in need.
“Through the position of director, I would not only use my leadership skills to encourage others to become more involved, both on an extracurricular and philanthropic level, but I would also elevate an event in a way that would set it apart from others on campus,” Nguyen said.
MusicFest was originally created in 2012 by prominent AASU members Hai Huynh and Christina Chan-Pong with the intention of giving back to the Gainesville community by bringing attention to both local talent and charity organizations, Nguyen said.
“They both had a passion for music and saw that there was so much local talent in Gainesville and wanted to find a way to give artists an outlet to showcase their talents,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen was initially exposed to the event because of a friendship with co-founder Chan-Pong, and seeing firsthand the true purpose of the concert influenced her to get more involved with the organization and ultimately get the opportunity to direct the festival.
“My end goal is to execute a high-quality show that will undoubtedly bring out an ever-increasing turnout from previous years and set the foundation for a show that will continue to grow even more in years to come,” Nguyen said.
MusicFest, which hosts a variety of talent ranging from solo artists, musical groups and dance teams, generally has an average of 500 attendees, and its turnout has gradually increased every year, Nguyen said.
She said she believes her passion to give back to the Gainesville community will ascertain a successful event that will most definitely emanate “Good Vibes for a Good Cause.”
MusicFest sticks to its humanitarian roots by hosting a clothing drive to support the St. Francis House, an organization that provides the basic necessities to help the homeless and less fortunate in the Gainesville community.
“For each article of clothing that is brought, participants will be entered into a drawing for prizes such as MusicFest tank tops and Beque Holic gift cards,” Nguyen said. “Last year, MusicFest collected over 600 articles of clothing, and this year, I only hope to donate more.”
By providing a platform in which students can showcase their talent in an accepting environment, MusicFest brings more attention to UF’s abundant music scene, which Nguyen argues could use more awareness.
She said the university could create this awareness by creating more opportunities for people to express their gift with others, whether through programming more open-mic nights or even highlighting student musicians through UF’s social media.
“The art and music scene is so diverse here at UF, with the presence of organizations such as Hip Hop Collective to various different cappella groups, and this richness in the students’ experience with music is something that the university should take pride in,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen said she intends to use her director position to create an event that will not only bring this exposure, but also continue the organization’s remarkable trajectory into the future, where they can continue to support local acts and causes.
“I want everyone who goes to MusicFest to have a relaxing evening before finals start taking over and that everyone is there for the same purpose: to give back to the Gainesville community that has given all of us so much,” Nguyen said.
The free festival will be from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Flavet Field and will include interactive booths, prize raffles and free food.
