A Pellissippi State Community College student is putting into practice everything he’s learned in Audio Production Engineering to put on a music festival in Maryville this month.
Addison Clark has organized the LIVIN’ LIVE Music Festival that will be held Thursday, April 11, from 4-10 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre, 127 W. Broadway Ave., Maryville. Bands include Siren Sounds, The Analog Kid, Tennessee Love Connection, Saddle and Milk Man & The Big Band.
Organizing the event is Clark’s capstone project before he graduates with his Associate of Applied Science in Media Technologies with a concentration in Audio Production Engineering. He is serving as promoter, production manager and sound engineer for the festival.
“I wanted to do something that would catch people’s eye,” Clark said. “Go big or go home.”
Audio Production Engineering students complete a capstone project before they graduate to “harness all the knowledge they’ve accrued,” said Associate Professor Mischa Goldman, program coordinator. They can work for Panther Records, Pellissippi State’s record label, or pursue a project that means something to them personally.
“The objective is to have a body of work to show off their capabilities, to be a resume or portfolio builder to show to potential clients or employers,” Goldman said. “Our goal in all our Media Technologies concentrations is to help bolster students’ career trajectories. Each class reinforces the next class. Each project prepares them for the next. The difference with the capstone is that they get to focus on the interests they want to showcase.”
Clark found his focus in his hometown of Maryville, where he attended the Foothills Fall Festival and saw big-name musical acts perform between 2000 and 2014.
“There are plenty of amazing local artists and assets right here, and I wanted to get local businesses and the community involved,” said Clark, who booked bands from Cedar Bluff, Greenback, Knoxville and Maryville. “ML Sound has happily donated the PA system, and we’ll also have a local food truck, REO Cheesewagon.”
Students from Audio Production Engineering’s Production Logistics Management and Live Sound Production classes will help Clark with the concert along with other classmates who are completing their internships and capstone projects.
Tickets are available in advance or $12 at the door. To learn more about the bands, see the lineup or purchase tickets, visit www.livin-live.com.
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