MACON – Mercer Innovation Center (MIC) Open MIC Night this week will feature George Murray II, studio manager and sound and light producer, March 30 at 5:30 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public, and will take place in the MIC, located in the former Religious Life Center on the Macon campus.
Murray started his career as a freelance engineer at major studios in Atlanta, such as Grand Hustle and 11th St. Studios, in addition to legendary music venue The Masquerade. He has worked with more than 800 acts, including Britney Spears, Bow Wow, Keyshia Cole, Frankie Lons, BeBe Winans, Rihanna, R. Kelly, Prince, Mary J. Blige, The Cheetah Girls, B.o.B, 3OH!3, Chris Brown, Street Lotto and Missy Elliott.
He opened a studio in his home in Cumming and later relocated to Macon, where he got a job at Guitar Center to become more knowledgeable about the local music scene. While working during the daytime as a studio manager, he began moonlighting in sound and lighting production.
Murray partnered with Andrew Eck to begin Corner Concerts, a pop-up concert series in Macon, and they later started a separate event production company, called Macon Productions, which has served clients such as Coca-Cola, Harley Davidson, Ted Cruz, Robins Air Force Base. The duo went on to co-found 5/4 Music Space, the city's first band incubator.
Earlier this year, the Mercer Innovation Center began hosting Open MIC Night as part of its programming intended to develop the already rich and thriving culture of entrepreneurism at Mercer, as well as to foster relationships, network and collaborate with entrepreneurs, the local community, other universities and beyond.
The Center plans to continue the speaker series on a weekly basis. To be added to the MIC listserv or to be considered as a speaker for the series, contact Dr. Riley at riley_sm@mercer.edu.
Upcoming speakers will be announced on the calendar of events at mic.mercer.edu.
About the Mercer Innovation Center
The Mercer Innovation Center is an effort by Mercer University, along with community partners such as the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority, Birch Communications and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, to advance a culture of innovation and develop a thriving community of entrepreneurs, with a focus on utilizing technology to foster economic growth, create 21st century jobs and attract and retain talent. The Center is an institutional effort – led by the Stetson School of Business and Economics – that crosses academic disciplines and geographic boundaries to draw from all of the University's colleges, schools, departments and operating units. Community memberships are available, as the Center's activities and resources are intended to be available to Mercer students and non-students alike. For more information, visit mic.mercer.edu.
