Interested in Binghamton University’s student music scene? If so, head over to the Undergrounds this Thursday, March 9 at 7 p.m. to check out Battle of the Bands, a student music performance competition in which talented student performers compete for a chance to perform at Spring Fling.

The battle is organized by the Student Association Programming Board (SAPB) with the help of Binghamton Undergrounds Music Presents (BUMP).

Shira Geula, the SAPB concert chair and a senior majoring in business administration, described how this year’s battle will be different from performances seen in previous years.

“Battle of the Bands is exactly what it sounds like — it’s a battle of the bands,” Geula said. “It doesn’t necessarily need to be a band, it just needs to be a musical performer and a student. This year we’ve changed it up a lot, it’s less bands, more of a diverse artistic musical background, so we’re doing DJs, rappers and bands all together so that everyone has an opportunity to be able to perform at Spring Fling if they win, and not just someone in a band.”

SAPB had plenty of submissions to go through before landing on the final 11 performers — a larger group than last year. Of the performers, students can expect three DJs, two independent artists and many bands. This year’s battle will also feature many returning artists who performed last year.

Geula anticipates the upcoming battle to be just as popular as in previous years, and looks forward to a night that will be enjoyable for all who appreciate music.

“A lot of people came [last year], a lot of turn out, so we’re expecting the same thing this year,” Geula said. “We’re just expecting a night of a lot of fun and it’s great because a lot of people come because they appreciate music — and it’s kind of special to have something like this because they’re competing but they’re also enjoying it at the same time.”

Geula also noted that the battle is a great opportunity for viewers and performers alike, bringing student bands together for a performance that exposes viewers to Binghamton’s music scene.

“As we know that there are a lot of student bands that are popular among students, they perform on the West Side but they don’t always perform together,” Geula said. “Usually it’s like a band or two, maybe three, so it’s nice to showcase more of them altogether — seeing basically whoever’s favorite bands at the same time — and it also gives an opportunity for people who are interested in music and the music scene here at Binghamton to see and discover new student artists.”

The winner of the battle will be decided based on the SAPB’s guidelines, paired with crowd appreciation.

“We have a guideline, we go through a checklist, crowd opinions — you know — you can tell when a crowd likes someone, you can tell if a crowd doesn’t,” Geula said. “We’re going based off of the general rubric that we have.”

Check out the Battle of the Bands this Thursday to support talented student performers, and to enjoy what BU’s music scene has to offer.