It is note every day you see a lone woman standing in a dark hall, crooning softly to her Macbook, or an intense virtuoso electric cello performance. Yet both of these appeared at the Society of Women in Technology hosted a concert on April 22, featuring a series of performances by young women through sights and sounds.

Performances ranged from electro-pop to experimental film-piano duets, and featured pianist Rob Schwimmer. Some performances were no more elaborate than a laptop left open in front of the audience, playing the artist’s music over the speakers, while others were more action-packed, even featuring a DJ mixing live music on stage.

Although some of the presentations were esoteric and marred by minor technical glitches at times, the concert commanded the attention of the audience.

The performers hailed from all areas of NYU including SWITCH members and their friends, the music technology department and more. The night’s diversity is representative of SWITCH itself, which is made up of “engineers, scientists, artists, musicians, educators and music industry professionals who strive to inspire and learn from one and other” — giving its members the chance to empower one another through creative endeavours.

Lena Matthews, president of SWITCH, stated that the purpose of the concert was to give women a platform in the male-dominated field of music technology.

“Women are a minority in the technology field and by hosting a concert, we hope to give women in particular have a means to showcase their work, network and collaborate with other artists,” Matthews said.

The group has many events coming up, including lectures and an appearance at the Audio Engineers Society’s convention this fall. Through its future endeavors, the club will continue to be dedicated to its mission statement — to give women a voice.

“SWITCH empowers women to succeed in technology related fields, be it academic or professional, with an emphasis on music technology and the industry and arts professions.”

A version of this article appeared in the Thursday, April 30 print edition. Email Benjamin Mok at [email protected].