First Mountain Music Festival

Five rising indie and alternative artists took the stage at Montclair State University for the inaugural First Mountain Music Festival at Memorial Auditorium on February 13th. The lineup included Marauder, Alessandra Foti, Roe Knows Best, Ellie Beder, and Alexa Tabbacchino performing original music and tracks from their upcoming releases in a fully student-produced concert event.

Students ran everything – audio engineering, video production, stage design, lighting, and live event management. Seven university programs collaborated to deliver a professional concert experience while gaining real-world skills in an industry that is actively hiring.

“We are seeing significant growth in the live event production careers, and this festival gives our students real experience in an industry that’s actively hiring.” said David Sanders, professor in the College of Communication and Media and the College of the Arts. “By bringing together audio, video, stage management, and broadcast teams, we are preparing Montclair students for the collaborative work they’ll do professionally.”

Students from Concert Production, Intro to Music Production – Broadcast Music Production, Television Production Company, and Theater Production classes handled all technical and creative aspects of the event and worked alongside the Theatre and Dance Department on ticketing stage management and front of house operations, WMSC-FM and Hawk +.