In the hotseat

With a beer on the stool behind him, Chad Nordhoff strums his guitar and in a surprisingly deep and husky voice and launches into his bluesy set with lyrics of "women done me wrong" and "love gone bad." He is a lone figure on a stage, armed with only an acoustic guitar, singing to a half-crowded bar. The 22-year-old Bloomington resident is one of many local musicians who have the guts to unleash their singer-songwriter talents on open mic night.\nWhether playing for fun, for practice or as the foundation for a professional career, musicians can be heard at local clubs and bars in the laid-back style of open mic performances. \n"Open mic is good practice to play in front of people," Nordhoff says. "There's still some pressure but still loose enough to let go. You have nothing to lose." He has been doing open mic for several months. By day, he does maintenance for the Department of Natural Resources. \nOpen mic gives musicians the audience and atmosphere to gain confidence in pursuing their musical endeavors, all within about a 20-minute set. The crowd is encouraging and the surroundings are casual. There is definite respect for those who bare their all and harsh feedback is lacking.\n"It's a comfortable atmosphere and the people are completely supportive. No one is judgmental," says Andrea Augustine, a regular performer at the Cellar Lounge. "We are in the same boat, just trying to be heard."\nMany of the performers at open mic are experienced musicians who have aspirations of making it professionally. Augustine, a 23-year-old employee at the Indiana Memorial Union, says it's been a lifelong dream to be a professional musician. She attended IU as a violin performance major and has been a musician since she was 4 years old. \nAs Augusine's passionate voice accompanies her powerful guitar ballads, it's hard to believe that she just picked up guitar a year ago. She heard about open mic at the Cellar Lounge from a friend and likes the chance to perform and play her original material, which she is writing all the time.\nAdam Meehan and Tony Sereno also like to play their original work and like to mix it up with some covers of '80s favorites and 1970s classic rock. Sereno, 24, and Meehan, 25, have been playing together since high school. They jam on guitar together with harmonizing vocals in T-shirts, jeans and baseball caps. The two are keeping their eyes out for other musicians to form a full band. \n"You get to talk to so many fellow musicians at open mic," Sereno says. "There's a lot of good people and a lot of good musicians that come out. I don't have a band yet, and I'm kind of searching around. Open mic is a great place to find people to play with."\nSenior Rory Sandhage says networking with other musicians and getting your name out in the music community is a plus of open mic night. He played a band open mic at the Bluebird Nightclub last year and was recently looking for a new guitarist for a band he has just formed. He put out fliers, but says he should have gone to open mic nights.\n"Open mic is a good place for singer-songwriter types," Sandhage says. "It's where a lot of them hang out. You run into good musicians, even members of established bands who are looking for an outlet, something else to do musically."\nOpen mic is also good for musicians just starting out, senior Josh Jenkins says. Jenkins has played his share of open mic performances during the past two years with his friends J.D. Clark and Cory Williams, also seniors. \nThe trio occasionally plays at the Cellar Lounge. Their stage presence is reminiscent of an MTV Unplugged performance. They invite their friends to come see them play, as many of the performers do -- friends and family fill the crowd at open mic nights. The event never draws a huge number, but it turns out to be a good crowd because performers invite viewers. \nHaving familiar faces in the audience may lessen the fear factor of taking the stage. While some artists say they live for the spotlight, others admit that it's a bit nerve-racking to do what they do. Most agree that getting up there is the hardest part, but once the music starts they become comfortable.\n"Absolutely, I'm nervous! But, you just get past that first song and you're all right," Augustine says. She adds that whether there's one person in the crowd or 100, it's equally challenging and equally exciting.\nThe crowd doesn't faze Nordhoff either. \n"If I enjoy the crowd, I try to please them, but I'm just as happy if they don't like me," he says. "I'm just doing what I like to do."\nLike Nordhoff, many performers appreciate being able to do their own thing as an advantage of open mic night performing. There are no requirements, rarely a set list, and if playing alone, they get to make all the decisions. It's the ultimate free forum for music.\n"We just go up there and have fun and see what we can do. It's definitely a good time," Jenkins says. "I would suggest open mic to anyone thinking about doing it"