Once a month, live music and coffee bring Point Loma Nazarene University students together at Musoffee. Musoffee, which is a play on the words music and coffee, is an opportunity for PLNU student musicians and bands to perform music for their peers in the ARC; free coffee is available for those who attend.
According to Emily Rowe, Musoffee’s current coordinator, Musoffee started as an idea between two friends, Randy Hiroshige and James Bishop, in the early 2010’s. Hiroshige and Bishop wanted to create an event which would involve students gathering to listen to live music during the week.
Along with appealing to their interest in live music, Hiroshige and Bishop hoped to be able to introduce PLNU students to local coffee and tea. The idea was successful, and many students come together to drink coffee at Musoffee each month.
“Over time, Musoffee has been passed down from student to student eventually making its way to where it is today” Rowe says.
Rowe jumped at the opportunity to be Musoffee’s MC because of her positive experiences attending the event her freshman year.
“I was super bummed that last year with COVID it wasn’t really happening,” Rowe said. “I also really enjoy meeting people and thought it would be super cool to get to know a ton of people through this event.”
For Aiyanna Durepo, a first-year environmental studies major, Musoffee is an enjoyable break amidst a busy week. One reason why Durepo loved attending Musoffee last semester was because “all of the performers had a different style.”
Aiyanna enjoyed Noël Tsoukalas’ performance in particular because “the song and her take on it was really unique and I liked the way she engaged with the audience.”
At Musoffee, audience members enjoy singing along with the band and dancing, sometimes even forming mini mosh pits in the audience.
Tsoukalas, a commercial music major, has already performed at Musoffee several times during her first year at Point Loma. “I think that Musoffee is one of the best ways to get yourself out there as an artist on campus,” she said.
Tsoukalas recalls one experience in particular in which she and her band performed a stripped down version of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” giving it a unique twist by only playing an electric guitar and cajon.
“It was the first time that I was able to present who I wanted to be as an artist,” Tsoukalas said.
Tsoukalas believes that Musoffee is a place for everyone, not only performers. “If you are just there to watch, it’s the best environment to just chill and get to know people,” Tsoukalas said. Over 10 years later, Musoffee “embodies the same spirit that Hiroshige and Bishop wanted to create,” Rowe said.
Written By: Abbey Wicks
