WASHINGTON, DC (March 5, 2012) — Most college students will agree that in the long run, an all-nighter is not the best idea. But it was the perfect idea for the more than 25 young music makers who gathered in a small College Park, Md., radio station one January weekend. The assignment? Create an original, 10-track music project in 72 hours.
The 72 Hour Project is a barrier-breaking experience orchestrated by Kevin L. Alexander, a DMV-based mixing engineer and entrepreneur. A beautifully chaotic collective of egos and art, the project comprises artists, songwriters, producers and musicians and places them in rare circumstances – creating an album from scratch in one weekend.
“It was made to challenge us,” says Alexander, an alumnus of the University of Maryland who called on some of the DMV’s most talented undergrads and young alumni to make the project a reality. “It takes two to three weeks to a year and a half to work on a project. To do this with thirty people who don’t know each other, plus put together something of quality, is beyond us; it’s taking us to another level.” The music – spanning the genres of hip-hop, R&B and pop – was created, written and recorded in a 72-hour window, all captured on camera. The result is both an original music project and a video exposé of what happens when many different creative minds gather, against an insane deadline, to do what they do best.
The project features musician and producer Johnny Graham, singer-songwriter Kriss Mincey, rapper Ike Da Kid and singer Seph Ade, among an array of other talent. The first single from the project, “Good Day,” is now available online. “Just another day, living like I should, just another day around the way…” There’s no denying the honey-like vocals of Brittany Harrison and Kayla Taitz, laced over fire-spun verses from emcees Stylez Kriswell, Ike Da Kid and Eyedeal Bayano, forging what DMV locals are calling “fresh,” “chaotic,” and “high-energy.” The song captures all the things that make days memorable. “Good Day,” produced by TASK Productions, encompasses the lazy feel of the everyday, the bold bravado of the hustle and its rewards, and the easy confidence of being young.