A low murmur of anticipation rippled through the crowd as the audience waited for the performer to come on stage. Sure, the concert was in the Greenleaf, the crowd was roughly 25 people, and the performer was first-year Noah Schinasi, but there was definitely a murmur of anticipation.

The Greenleaf released a compilation album on March 24 and held a mini-concert to celebrate. The album features five Guilford students and one alumnus all playing original music.

Greenleaf employee and Guilford musician Andy Freedman explained the reasoning behind the compilation’s creation while he decorated CDs by hand.

“There are lots of musicians at Guilford with lots of music to share,” Freedman said. “We wanted to come up with a format for those musicians to be heard, and a CD is a great way to do it.”

Employees of the Greenleaf did all the work on the album from song selection and cover art to distribution and sales.

“We wanted to do it ourselves: something low-budget, but heartfelt,” Freedman said.

The album features tracks from Will McKindley-Ward, Josh Shelton, Connie Carringer, Noah Schinasi, Joanna Kelly, and local band Piedmonster, featuring Guilford alumni Nama Hampton and Jonathan Henderson. It is available for $5 in the Greenleaf. Freedman said that if the current stock sells out, more copies will be produced.

The majority of the album has a singer-songwriter feel. Seven tracks on the album feature McKindley-Ward, Shelton, Carringer or Kelly playing acoustic guitar and singing. Schinasi plays his own brand of bluesy pop on keyboard and sings on two tracks.

Piedmonster definitely stands out among the other artists on the album. Not only are they the only band, they have a unique sound that is difficult to categorize, marked by indie-rock sensibilities with punk and dance influences.

All in all, the album is solid. It provides a nice sampling of the music Guilford has to offer. Each artist on the album brings their own sound, and no two tracks sound exactly the same.

Two of the artists included in the compilation performed at the release party on March 24.

“It was great,” said sophomore Lily Moselle. “It’s nice that everyone got together to listen to the music. I can’t think of a better way to start a weekend.”

Carringer was the first artist to perform. Carringers’ audience was small but enthusiastic. Some of the audience members showed their dedication as fans when they shouted requests for their favorite Carringer songs.

Schinasi was the second and final performer of the evening. The crowd had grown during Carringer’s performance, giving Schinasi a larger audience. Schinasi played songs that he had written himself for keyboard and vocals.

“I think Noah is hella talented and Connie has a beautiful voice,” said junior Lauren Demarest. “It’s awesome that the Greenleaf is putting out this CD. From what I’ve heard so far, it’s good stuff.”

David Jackman, a friend of Schinasi’s, agreed.

“I’ve seen Noah perform three or four times now and he continues to amaze me every time,” said Jackman. “Even if nobody buys the CD, it’s a great way for people to their music out there and get a little exposure.