Alton College’s music department has once again fostered the talents of many young musicians, with its recent Autumn Showcase highlighting this.
The gig was a fantastic real-world opportunity for the music students to show off their skills.
This is an annual concert held during the Autumn term as an opportunity for Alton’s music students to demonstrate what they had learnt so far and to support their classmates. This year, there were six bands and one DJ from across the first and second year classes of the UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma in Music Performance & Production.
These bands gathered in Alton College’s theatre for a night of drum and bass, rock, metal and indie music, accompanied by their family, friends and staff at the College.
The gig was headlined by 4NM and Goblyn, two bands composed of second year students. These bands were formed in their first year at Alton, meaning that both 4NM and Goblyn have a lot of experience at playing gigs both on and off-campus. They have played gigs in Alton, Guildford and Bordon as part of their course, which focuses on providing students with genuine industry experience and developing their skills.
Students were joined by family, friends and peers in the audience.
They were supported by the newly formed bands of first year students – Tangled Leads, The Incidentals, Rising Ashes and Her Perfect Nightmare, as well as a DJ, Gander. Each band played a 30 minute set in the theatre, and were joined on stage by their peers who were supporting them with cheers and dances.
For the first years, this was their first official gig in their bands, and a great way to introduce them to the art of live performance in a genuine theatre setting.
The performance was also attended by Lily Howitt, an A Level Photography student at Alton, whose photos of the gig have accompanied this article.
Since this in-house showcase, the College’s music students have gone on to perform at The Lounge Bar in Alton, a venue that often hosts Alton College events. The Lounge Bar is the perfect location for Alton’s musicians to hone their skills whilst providing the joy of music to the local community.
Andy Booth, a Music Lecturer at Alton, was very proud of the performers, saying:
“The vibes at the gig were great! It was very well attended and a fantastic opportunity for our students to show off their skills. Studying music at Alton is a great way for aspiring musicians to get valuable performance experience, and we are looking forward to seeing these students develop even further.”