Among the plethora of science and mathematics majors, there are students who dedicate their lives to music. While underrepresented in our stem-based curriculum, they are being given a voice by a contemporary company that plans to put these individuals on a path towards success. Quadio is a university-based music platform meant for up and coming musicians to share their music, collaborate with nearby or nationwide artists and watch as their tracks potentially rise to the top on a national scale.
In an interview with The Statesman, Eve Wetlaufer, director of campus representatives for the app, says Quadio currently encompasses a spread of 110 schools across the U.S. and hosts around 230 campus representatives to spread their cause, with two of these young talents residing in Stony Brook. These numbers may soon be skyrocketing as continuous attention is being shed upon the startup.
Young entrepreneurs and co-founders Marcus and Joe Welch envisioned a scene where musical talent could be found among college students who would one day lead in all facets of society. Quadio ensures that musicians could reach their own by incorporating the capability of communicating with members of universities from across the country. This novel spin on an integral feature of entertainment intrigued experts from various backgrounds, accelerating the Welch’s idea into a soon-to-come reality not showing any signs of slowing down.
While still in its beta-stages, Quadio is offering the opportunity for musicians to gain a taste of its features in its web application. Compared to other streaming platforms that may seem cluttered and tiresome to view, Quadio’s beauty derives from its simplistic, easy-to-navigate organization, along with its modernized color-scheme and accents.
Upon receiving an invite code, you are welcomed to the realm in which the most updated, diverse and prospective operate. Curious to understand its mechanics, I came to realize that Quadio’s interface and features allow its users to explore while simultaneously feeling at home. It captures the essential features behind many music platforms such as profile creation with uploadable photos and biographies, along with a dedicated notification system, while introducing unique specializations such as a category system in which artists can group themselves among guitarists, producers, Acapellists and even graphic designers.
However, what allows Quadio to stand out amongst its competitors is its ability to duo as a social platform in which artists can collaborate, send messages, form groups and create aliases to distinguish themselves from the various groups they are a part of.
In-person events are also hosted by campus representatives such as jam sessions coordinated by drummer Erik Quentin and EDM musician Gabriella Catapano. These are exciting ways to be able to form in-person connections with artists who can help knit the music community closer together. Quentin vouches for Quadio claiming that it will be at the forefront of the new age’s music scene. Collaborating with musicians on the platform has been on his agenda since December, he reveals that the full launch of the application will feature “.wav file” collaboration. The purpose is to create new songs with artists all in real-time, streamlining the common inefficiencies encountered through online communication.
While users may be hesitant to become a star musician, Quadio is determined to put them on the map by directly connecting them to local, campus-based musicians, then moving to state, regional and national charts where anyone can rise to the top. With subscription-based applications like Soundcloud and Spotify, starting off as a “drop in the bucket” is the unfortunate circumstance. In an interview with The Statesman, Wetlaufer gives good reason that “artists are given the chance to be localized and help garner a new audience.” She said that with almost 5,000 members, featuring members from community college to Ivy leagues, they are breaking down boundaries to create an equal playing field for students from all walks of life.
Quadio is dedicated to remaining free of charge. So do not be intimidated by the “request for access” step necessary in making an account, as personnel are quick to reply even in a day’s time with an invite code to get you started. Aimed to launch towards the end of February, why not be the first to jump on-board this expanding community with peers who share a common interest.
