The life of a student is one of many tensions; whether it be mountains of classwork, managing long working days or finding the time to make connections with peers, finding time to enjoy oneself amidst the everyday chaos can be a struggle. For many students, music is that outlet of personal freedom that can be weaved between and during tasks to help maintain a sense of personal peace. For some students, that love extends further than the constraints of their headphones and earbuds, and the desire to hear a live performance of their favorite artist or band grows.
With the growing popularity of concerts and venues in recent years and the ever increasing cost of tickets alongside that, many students see these events as “out of reach,” too expensive to be integrated into their college lifestyle. However, in the world of live music, affordability and enjoyment are always just at the tips of your fingers, and you too can enjoy the live experience without breaking the bank with just a nudge in the right direction.
When most students who haven’t been to a concert try to picture the vibes of a venue, their minds will often go to places like Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour or a Woodstock festival, major events with crowds so packed everyone’s faces blur together into a skin-toned collage. While such events are undoubtedly grand, the prices of such events are often out of the reach for the average student’s budget. Instead of trying to focus on the artists that will sell out entire arenas, one great way to get yourself started on your musical journey is to explore more local, smaller scale venues.
While you most likely won’t be seeing faces like Bad Bunny or The Weeknd at these smaller events, these smaller events are both a great way to become accommodated with the environment of live performances as well as an affordable way to see new artists in genres you enjoy or old faces that may have yet slipped your mind. Places like The Fillmore, Franklin Music Hall, Underground Arts and many other lesser venues are regularly hosting artists with standing prices regularly under 40-50 dollars. Not only are these events easy gateways into the music world, but by supporting these venues you could be giving back to the community and helping these places to host more artists more regularly.
If smaller events aren’t quite up your avenue, another great place for students to look is Ensemble Arts Philly. Representing genres from jazz to theater to dance and comedy, events here are often a soothing departure from the business of everyday student life. Events may initially seem to be prices similarly to other larger venues, their Student Circle program helps students to find an affordable way to experience events hosted at their location. Although the initial price of their membership is 30 dollars, with access students can look forward to eligible performance prices at just 8 dollars, a stark contrast to the usual mark ups of larger venues. Similarly, Ensemble Arts Philly offers great community rush prices for shows, so for those who love the feeling of catching a good discount right when it hits shelves, you’ll find yourselves right at home here. With how much their programs seek to make the concert life more affordable for the average student, it would be criminal to not at least check out their site and see if what they offer meshes with you.
Even with all these avenues for affordability in prices though, it’s entirely understandable for a student to just not have much money to spare for such events. For students who are on Medicaid however, that world may be even more affordable than you could imagine; ArtReach ACCESS is a program that has such students in mind, offering reduced prices for not only venues, but also select museums, preserves, and other lovely events to help you step away from your everyday stresses. With prices ranging from the cost of a gallon of milk to absolutely free at some locations, those who are eligible for this program should absolutely take the time to look into it’s many pathways to reprieve. Affording the life of a regular concert attendee is no easy task, but with all these options at the now in your grasp, those dreams of being in the crowd with those who share your passions can come a little closer to reality.
