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UPDATE: This story was updated at 3:58 p.m. EST on Monday, April 20, 2026.

Some patrons at downtown Syracuse’s The Song & Dance are locals. But not Shannon Curcuru, who traveled from Michigan to attend Saturday’s showcase, Spring Madhouse.

Curcuru made the trip to support her son, Sammy, a student in the Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries. Curcuru said seeing the Syracuse community come together for live music made the trip worth it.

“It’s really a great way to bring the Syracuse community together,” she said. “Bringing some talent into Syracuse to kind of, you know, keep things exciting and active, is always a great time.”

The third annual event included performances from New York City natives and brothers Dwany and Gwill and rapper Govanni. The showcase was programmed entirely by Bandier students in BAN 345, “Business of Live Music and Experiential Brand Activation.”

In the class, students spend the semester booking and planning the show. Usually, it’s only for sophomores. But this year, the class was made up of sophomores and master’s students — this is the first year the Bandier program has offered a master’s program.

The class of over 50 students was divided into five teams: digital marketing, content creation, grassroots marketing, production and brand partnerships to produce the show.

Mimi Ambroise, a graduate student in the Bandier program, pitched R&B singer Dwany and reggaeton/hip hop artist Gwill to her class as potential talent. She said she wanted to help diversify the Syracuse music scene.

“(Syracuse is) a very R&B and hip hop driven community, and I don’t think that’s brought up enough when it comes to booking shows,” Ambroise said.

Bandier professor Michelle Santosuosso said managing the class was a challenge at times due to the newness of the master’s program. But she said integrating the master’s students was valuable, with their life experience enriching the class.

The class operates on a limited budget, based on revenue generated by the previous class. Santosuosso said this helps students understand the stakes of live music.

“It’s up for them to decide, and it’s their guesswork, their research, their risk they’re taking,” Santosuosso said.

Reggaeton/hip hop artist Gwill (left) performs with his brother, R&B singer Dwany, at Saturday’s performance. The show also included a live appearance from rapper Govanni. Tara Deluca | Asst. Photo Editor

Sophomore Jake Croce led the graphic design team, helping design the poster and other promotional materials — all in graffiti, street-style. Croce said collaborating with such a big class taught him how to find a middle ground on ideas and compromise with others professionally.

Sophomore David Cheng, who dealt with financials and tracking payments, said working in a large team proved a useful asset.

“It’s definitely a work in progress, but I think the key is building good communication skills and talking to all the different teams,” Cheng said.

Since the event was held off-campus, the class also tried to engage non-students. Though they initially thought it would be hard to attract non-students in the area.

The class posted ads on Instagram and partnered with local organizations to publicize the event, sophomore John Lakeman, who worked on the digital marketing team, said. The team worked with local brands as sponsors, including Collegetown Bagels, Salt City Coffee and The Sound Garden. They also partnered with The Code Orange, an upstate New York visual production company.

Lakeman said reaching non-students was a difficulty the class identified early, but he thought the local partnerships were a successful approach to the problem.

Since last year, the live music scene on SU’s campus has been dwindling, said attendee Morgan Hodge, an SU sophomore psychology and forensics major. Last year, she would often attend house parties with live music, but this year she hasn’t been able to. She said the event, which she attended on Saturday, was a step in the right direction for Syracuse’s music scene.

“I’ve always been such a live music person. I absolutely adore it, and I know last year there was a lot more live music,” Hodge said. “I feel like this year hasn’t been the same story, necessarily, but I would love for it to make a comeback.”

As a student studying the music industry, Croce said Spring Madhouse was a critical opportunity for him and his peers to integrate their education with real-world experience.

Ambroise, who completed her undergraduate degree at SU in sound recording and technology last year, said the planning process was overwhelming at times. However, in the end, she was grateful for the opportunity and it helped broaden her view of the industry and possible career paths.

While this year’s performers leaned toward R&B, reggaeton and hip hop, past headliners have spanned other genres like folk and punk. Croce said this variance is what makes Spring Madhouse so special.

“Every year we get to redefine what the show is going to be while still being able to use the Spring Madhouse name,” Croce said.

Though the event was an educational endeavor, the organizers’ main goal was to create something enjoyable for both the audience and the artists, Santosuosso said.

“We want people to have a good time, man,” Lakeman said.“You know, that’s what it’s all about. We’re sharing our love for music with the community.”

CORRECTION:A previous version of this article stated that John Lakeman said, “We’re sharing our local music with the community.” Lakeman said “love for” not “local.” The Daily Orange regrets this error.

Published on April 19, 2026 at 9:18 pm