Five of City College’s very own students from the songwriter’ class took the stage in the Fe Bland Forum on Sunday evening for the music department’s Harold Dunn Memorial Concert Series.

The lights dimmed a little after 7 p.m. and Calvin Sanger came out to start the show.

He appeared relaxed, as if he was singing all alone in his room.

While performing his song, “He’s Not Coming Back,” with Tess Erskine, he forgot the lyrics a few times but laughed it off.

It didn’t take long for him to get back in the groove of the song and the audience showed support the whole time.

Sanger’s effortlessness with the guitar overshadowed his subtle voice, with alluring strums and powerful tones.

His performance got the people engaged and it was apparent the crowd wanted to hear more.

Later on in the show, the whole mood changed when Joseph Stransky took the stage. With the prior performances being relaxed and bold, Stransky’s theatrical touch on things spiced up the night.

He initially seemed nervous as he prepared his gear. He started off in a bent over, timid position, but that all went away as he got to the microphone.

He broke the silence with an uptempo beat and a boisterous voice.

Stransky’s original song, “Belly of a Whale,” made me feel as if I was traveling the ocean in search of my next quest.

His five song set felt like five short plays, with each one being just as visually stimulating. The sound of his voice accompanied with his loose and sporadic movements kept the audience hooked.

Immediately after Stransky was done, Tess Erskine took the stage once again. This time she performed a five song set of her own.

Her second song, “Bottles,” illustrated a relationship being ruined by a partner choosing alcohol over love.

The theme of her performance seemed to be a twisted take on love and heartbreaks. Her voice had a unique and elegant awe-inspiring sound.

When Erskine sang, two distinct tones could be heard depending on the note that had to be hit. When combined they stressed the deep messages of her songs.

Erskine closed out her performance by introducing the final act, Michael Martel.  Her last words to us were “be prepared to be amazed,” and Martel did not fail to do so.

His impressive skill on the piano combined with the smooth sound of his singing was almost hypnotic.

Martel’s only solo song out of the three he had prepared was called, “Syringe.”

The song compared love to a dangerous drug, referring to himself as nothing but another syringe. With his emotional lyrics it was clear why he closed out the show.

Although it was a small turnout, it was a impressive night that kept the whole audience stimulated.

Correction: Sept. 27, 2016 
An earlier version of this story misnamed Joseph Stransky as Calvin Sanger. Both Stansky and Sanger participated in the event, not just Sanger. The Channels regrets the error.