4 minute read
Alpha Nu Mashup
Imagine that song you love to sing in the shower being broadcasted and sung across the world. Taking the stage in front of screaming fans and traveling the world sounds like something that everyone has dreamt of. Jack Harris and Ryan Corman, Alpha Nu (Ohio State), realized that dream by performing at the annual Wonderstruck Music Festival in Cleveland, Ohio. Even as students, they are still looking to achieve their dreams both as a group and as individuals.
The two Ohio natives took the stage in Cleveland, a little over two hours from their home in Columbus. Wonderstruck began in 2017 under the name, LaureLive. It became Wonderstruck in 2019 as one of the more popular music concert series for natives and tourists alike. The two-day event offers more than just music from local talent. It is a pick-me-up for the community, especially in the trying times of the past year and a half.
Some of the artists that Corman and Harris performed alongside were feature artists and bands like Walk the Moon, Third Eye Blind, Lennon Stella, Tate McRae and many others. Jack Harris, lead singer and guitarist teamed up with his fraternity brother Ryan Corman, whose stage name is DJ Anto. The aspiring artists performed several songs, including their own single, “Thousand Degrees,” which is available for streaming after its July 2021 release.
Harris has been around music his entire life in many ways. “I sang in school choirs, took piano lessons, played violin and drums,” he said. It was that longtime support that pushed him into a production and performing capacity. When Harris began to play guitar in high school, he finally began to realize his potential, and his journey started to take a unique turn. Many gamers reminisce trying to recreate their favorite tunes with friends on titles like Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution. Harris drew inspiration from another popular game, Garage Band. These times with friends that usually just become stored in our memory banks became the beginning of something special for Jack Harris.
He started publishing on streaming platforms in 2019 and continued to expand his experiences by performing live. “I love being on stage and performing for people. This past year has been a big developmental year.”
It wasn’t until May 2021 that the two joined forces and this powerhouse partnership would create its first single, putting them on the map. Harris wanted a full band to help him perform during Wonderstruck, but then he went with a different approach. “I just got this feeling that a DJ would add a unique energy to my set. I see myself keeping a DJ in the mix and possibly adding some extra live musicians too,” Harris said. This approach gave him a new perspective to create music he had never experienced.
Ryan Corman has been interested in music since he started playing guitar at four years old. “Writing and playing music is my biggest passion in life, so I really want to apply myself to make this a full time, successful thing,” he said.
“In a few years I would really like to be an established producer, hopefully playing at big music festivals around the world! I know it is going to take a lot of hard work, but I love this stuff so much that I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen,” Corman continued.
It was Corman’s passion for dance music that convinced him to try out being a disc jockey. From there, DJ Anto was born. Corman took jobs at local nightclubs after starting production in 2020 eventually leading him to teaming up with Harris at Wonderstruck.
Corman and Harris met at Ohio State and are current collegiate members of Alpha Nu. They have the support of a Power Five university as well as a fraternity that spans the entire nation. Corman said: “Being a Pi Kapp has opened a ton of opportunities for me in the music industry, and I am going to use it to my full advantage. I have had guys from other chapters reach out to me and ask if I wanted to play a show at their school, and they would even help set up connections for me! Locally, all my brothers come out to a ton of my shows and are ALWAYS front row with a crowd of 20 or more night in and night out.”
As for the future, these talented musicians have two more tracks that they want to be ready for release soon. Corman described the tracks as “two really fun, upbeat, dance pop tracks in the works. Hopefully those will be out within the next month or two for everyone to listen to.”
Ryan Corman (left) and Jack Harris (right) pose at the Wonderstruck festival.
The two have a unique chemistry through their friendship, which makes creating music together more enjoyable. Harris is working on an album, and Corman has developed a remix for Harris’s song “For the Night.” These two are looking forward to a world of opportunity coming their way as they explore through their love of music.
