MACRoCk in the red
By Dominic Desmond, news editor
Posted on December 7, 2006

For the last three years, MACRoCk has been accumulating a debt that has reached  $15,496.37.

MACRoCk, or the Mid-Atlantic Radio Conference, is an organization that orchestrates an independent music festival, with concerts on campus and throughout Harrisonburg during the spring semester.

Before Thanksgiving Break, MACRoCk attempted to apply for an activities grant, but was denied an opportunity to present its case at the Nov. 15 SGA meeting because of the group’s financial situation.

Andy Perrine, associate vice president for communications and marketing, said those funds would have been crucial for MACRoCk. He also said it’s hard to sign contracts with musicians when revenues are based on attendance at the various concerts around Harrisonburg.

To offset the debt, MACRoCk co-head coordinator senior Harper Holsinger said all options are on the table and that a proactive approach would be best.

“[We’re] considering any and every option,” he said, “taking into consideration what happens if we don’t get the money.”

Holsinger said options include a benefit show and selling the recently made MACRoCk DVD, which is for sale at the JMU Bookstore. He also said the group wanted a solution to the financial situation by the end of the semester.

Perrine became the MACRoCk advisor last year and said the organization never built up a reserve of funds, digging a deeper hole.

“An independent musical festival isn’t a money maker,” he said. “Getting them to break even is a big trick.”

Attendance at the various concerts has been sporadic over the years.

“Some years it was over the top,” Perrine said. “Other years it’d be a rainy weekend.”

The other co-head coordinator, senior Phil Mathews, said MACRoCk has a conflict in interest with the group’s core beliefs of supporting smaller, independent musicians and making money.

“To be truly independent, you have to do it yourself,” Mathews said. “Over the years, it’s grown.”

Holsinger and Mathews are not worried that MACRoCk won’t take place this year — their main concern is addressing their financial situation.

“[There are] still a lot of kinks,” Mathews said, “and a lot to consider. It’s very complicated. There’s a lot more to talk about before a decision is made.”