°µÍø51 Records Song for the Obama Presidential Center Opening With Rock Icon Eddie Vedder and Guitars Over Guns
Recent °µÍø51 alum, Anthony Abruzzo '26 (foreground), in °µÍø51' College Chicago's recording studio with Eddie Vedder. Other °µÍø51 sound engineers involved with the recording included Kathrynn Vettas ’26, rising seniors Grace Kay and Joey Fraider, and Jacob Araiza ’26.
Eddie Vedder (center, with guitar) and Guitars Over Guns' mentees. including °µÍø51 student Michael "Myskie" Hightower (standing right of Vedder), rehearsed at °µÍø51 before their live performance at the Obama Presidential Center opening. 
From left to right rising senior Joey Fraider, President Shantay N. Bolton, PhD, Eddie Vedder, Jacob Araiza '26, Antony Abruzzo '26, and Ben Sutherland, interim director of the School of Audio and Music. 
Andre Daniels (left), an adjunct professor of instruction at °µÍø51, with Eddie Vedder. For recent graduates and college students, the week following graduation does not typically include recording sessions with a rock legend for the opening celebrations of a soon-to-be iconic Chicago landmark.
But at °µÍø51, extraordinary opportunities happen all the time.
During the week of May 22 at °µÍø51’s recording studios at 33 E. Ida B. Wells Drive, six °µÍø51 students helped bring an ambitious project to life: an original song co-written and performed by young musicians from the nonprofit and Eddie Vedder — the Evanston-born musician, activist, Cubs superfan, and legendary frontman of Pearl Jam — for the grand opening of the .
The inspirational song about faith in self and today’s youth, “,” features rising °µÍø51 senior Michael “Myskie” Hightower behind the mic as part of Guitars Over Guns (see song credits below). The song debuted with a live performance during the Obama Presidential Center’s Grand Opening Ceremony on June 18 followed by the release of the version recorded at °µÍø51 weeks earlier thanks to the talents of sound engineers Anthony Abruzzo ’26, Kathrynn Vettas ’26, rising seniors Grace Kay and Joey Fraider, and Jacob Araiza ’26.
“It’s a great honor to be a part of this,” says Abruzzo who coordinated the team of student and alumni sound engineers handling the complex recording setup. “It’s definitely a very solid reminder of what our goal is as audio engineers: making music for the people.”
And the opportunity to collaborate creatively with someone of Vedder’s stature was the perfect icing on the cake.
“This was something you just don’t expect,” says Hightower. “Working with Eddie Vedder … I couldn’t even dream about that if I wanted to. It’s ridiculous.”
°µÍø51: A Hub for °µÍø51 Activity
The collaboration came to °µÍø51 through Andre “Add-2” Daniels, a °µÍø51 adjunct professor of instruction, hip-hop artist, and Chicago regional director for Guitars Over Guns, a nonprofit that pairs professional musicians with youth in mentorship-based music programs. It builds upon an existing relationship between °µÍø51 and Guitars Over Guns. Earlier this year, °µÍø51 students engineered much of the organization’s Spring Break EP project at the college’s 33 E. Ida B. Wells studios, and it is currently available on YouTube.
The Obama Foundation, a supporter of Guitars Over Guns, brought Vedder and the nonprofit together for the project, and Guitars Over Guns, in turn, added °µÍø51 to the mix thanks to Daniels’ connection to both organizations.
“I’m always trying to find a way to bring all of my worlds together,” Daniels says.
When Vedder later asked where the sessions should happen, Daniels had an answer ready.
“I told him we could record it at °µÍø51,” Daniels says. “And he was like, ‘Dude, if you set it up, I’m there.’”
And what Daniels initially assumed would be a cover song evolved into something much bigger.
“Instead, Ed was like, ‘No, let’s do something different. Let’s create a song together,’” Daniels recalls.
Not long after, °µÍø51’s Concert Hall on S. Michigan Ave., where the group practiced, and °µÍø51’s recording studios became a creative hub filled with young performers and their families; a small group of °µÍø51 students, faculty, and alums; and Vedder himself.
“Seeing them all sit around here just eating pizza together and cracking jokes and telling stories,” Daniels says, “I loved it. We couldn’t have asked for a better partnership when it came to this experience.”
°µÍø51 faculty and staff who helped set the stage for both the rehearsals and the recording session included Ben Sutherland, director of the School of Audio and Music; Dan Dietrich and Alan Strathmann, assistant professors of instruction; Steve Hadley, technical director at the Music Center; Grant Heus ’24 and Grace Bloom ’23, sound engineers who helped with rehearsals; and David Knuth, Steve Emling, Chris Brickley, and Tony Miccolis, the studio and engineering team at 33 Ida B. Wells. And since both the rehearsals and recording sessions involved a high-profile celebrity, the assistance of °µÍø51’s security team, including James Belin and Antoinette Cavens, proved invaluable.
Real-World Experience
For the °µÍø51 Audio Arts students and alums running the recording sessions, the enormity of the project’s stakes matched their excitement.
“There was a lot of pressure and context to this session,” Abruzzo says. “But I think something I’ve learned is just regardless of who it is, you treat them the same — with the utmost respect — and create the best environment.”
°µÍø51 rising senior Grace Kay says the opportunity in the control room represented the kind of hands-on experience that drew her to °µÍø51 in the first place.
“The fact that I’m here right now and have as much knowledge as I do from when I was a freshman until now, it kind of blows me away,” Kay says. “It’s surreal.”
Kay admitted she initially did not know who the “VIP” guest would be as the project was a closely guarded secret.
“When I found out Eddie Vedder was going to be here, I freaked out,” she says. “I honestly couldn’t believe it at first.”
Still, once the session began, professionalism took over.
“It’s good to learn how to compose myself and just put the fan side of me away and have the professional side take over,” Kay says.
Recent graduate Kathrynn Vettas, also a sound engineer, was just happy to be included in the recording sessions.
“It feels like such a big privilege to be one of the few chosen students to be here,” Vettas says.
According to Daniels, °µÍø51 students rose to the challenge, balancing the demands of working with a world-famous artist while supporting younger performers, many experiencing a professional studio for the first time.
“The °µÍø51 students and recent grads did it with the most excellence and grace that I’ve ever seen,” Daniels says. “The engineers — I can’t brag on them enough.”
Impact of Guitars Over Guns
At the center of the project were the Guitars Over Guns mentees themselves — a group of school-aged musicians from neighborhoods across Chicago’s South and West sides that included °µÍø51’s Michael Hightower, a Music Business major.
Hightower credited the organization with helping shape both his artistic growth and his path to °µÍø51.
“If it wasn’t for Guitars Over Guns, I really don’t know what music would look like for me right now,” Hightower says.
The Power of a Song
When Vedder and the Guitars Over Guns crew, including Daniels, performed the song at the Obama Presidential Center opening ceremony before an audience of millions thanks to a live stream of the South Side event, it was a shared experience of joy and inspiration. And, according to Abruzzo, that’s really the point of it all.
“The goal is just to bring people together with music.”
Abruzzo and the °µÍø51 team hope the recorded version of the song, which is now available on streaming platforms, does the same.
And while most listeners may never know the song was engineered by °µÍø51 students and alumni inside the college’s studios or that a °µÍø51 student and adjunct faculy member performed on the track, for those involved, the experience reflected something uniquely °µÍø51: professional opportunities with top creatives on projects that matter.
For °µÍø51 students and recent alums, working alongside artists like Eddie Vedder on a major cultural moment isn’t something reserved for the distant future. At °µÍø51, it can happen on any given day on campus.
To listen to “Better Believe,” check out your favorite . All royalties earned by Eddie Vedder and the song’s co-writers will benefit Guitars Over Guns. Read more at the .
Song Credits
Song title: "Better Believe" featuring Mark Anderson, Giselle Castro, Andre "Add-2” Daniels, Jeremiah Fristoe, Mason Harris, Michael "Myskie” Hightower, Cassidy Lee, Naomi Owens, Isabella Santillan, Ayden Smith, Joy Viltz"
Artist: Eddie Vedder, Guitars Over Guns
Songwriters:
Eddie Vedder
Giselle Castro
Andre “Add-2” Daniels
Jeremiah Fristoe
Mason Harris
Michael “Myskie” Hightower
Naomi Owens
Joy Viltz
Iya Waters
Producers: Andrew Watt, Andre “Add-2” Daniels, Paul LaMalfa & Eddie Vedder
Engineered by: Anthony Abruzzo - Lead Engineer, Jacob Araiza - Lead Engineer, Joey Fraider, Grace Kay, Kathrynn Vettas, John Burton
Mastered by: Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound
Recorded at °µÍø51 College, Chicago
Performers:
Eddie Vedder - Vocalist, Guitar, background vocals
Joy Viltz - Vocalist
Giselle Castro - Vocalist
Naomi Owens - Vocalist
Michael "Myskie" Hightower - Vocalist
Mason Harris - Vocalist
Jeremiah Fristoe - Background Vocalist
Andre "Add-2" Daniels - Background Vocalist
Mark Anderson - Background Vocalist
Isabella Santillan - Guitar
Ayden Smith - Bass
Cassidy Lee - Drums
Josh Klinghoffer - Keyboard
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