Montclair Students Present Inaugural First Mountain Music Festival Feb. 13

A new collaborative initiative spanning four courses in Montclair State University’s College of Communication and Media and College of the Arts is giving students the opportunity to produce a live music festival. Tickets for the show on Friday, Feb. 13 are free through the Kasser Box Office for Montclair State University and Bloomfield College students with a valid ID. 

The First Mountain Music Festival will transform the Memorial Auditorium into a student-run concert venue for a one-night showcase of local indie and alternative artists. The lineup features Marauder, Alessandra Foti, Roe Knows Best, Ellie Beder and Alexa Tabbacchino, who will perform original music and selections from upcoming releases. The concert will run from 7-10 p.m.

What sets First Mountain Music Festival apart is the scale of student involvement. 

“From audio engineering to video production, stage design, lighting and live event management, students are managing every aspect of the event while gaining real-world skills in an industry that is actively hiring,” said Anabella Poland, adjunct professor for Concert Production and Promotion and General Manager of WMSC 90.3 FM. 

Students leading the initiative are enrolled in Concert Production and Promotion, Introduction to Music Production: Broadcast Music Production, Television Production Company and Theatre Production courses. Their work is supported through collaboration with the Department of Theatre and Dance, WMSC 90.3 FM and Hawk+, the university’s student-run streaming platform, which will stream the event.

“Being part of producing the First Mountain Music Festival for the first time has been an incredibly valuable experience,” said Cameron Shepherd, a senior Communication and Media Studies major involved in the project. “Working under a tight time crunch makes the process feel realistic and highlighted the importance of adaptability, collaboration and problem-solving in the music industry. Serving as a talent coordinator gave me hands-on experience working with artists and managing logistics, and seeing everything come together has been incredibly rewarding.”

The First Mountain Music Festival marks the first time students have fully planned and produced a large-scale live music event through cross-disciplinary collaboration, reflecting the College of Communication and Media’s emphasis on experiential learning. It also sets the foundation for future concerts that allow students to gain professional experience through active participation.

Festival lineup

• Marauder, high-energy indie rock with emotionally driven songwriting
• Alessandra Foti, country-pop storytelling with intimate vocals
• Roe Knows Best, genre-blending indie with catchy hooks
• Ellie Beder, indie pop focused on melody and mood
• Alexa Tabbacchino, folk-pop Americana singer-songwriter

Tickets

All attendees must reserve tickets through the Kasser Box Office.

• Montclair State University and Bloomfield College students: Free with valid ID
• General public: $17, including handling fees for online and phone orders

Media Contact: Keith Green, greenk@montclair.edu 973-655-3701

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About the College of Communication and Media: The College of Communication and Media (CCOM) offers a range of dynamic programs to a talented and diverse student population of over 2,000. Offering degrees in advertising, animation and visual effects, communication and media studies, film and television, journalism and digital media, social media and public relations, sports communication and an online, asynchronous MA devoted to strategic communication and media, the College prepares the next generation of communication and media practitioners and leaders. Founded in 2012 and housed in world-class, state-of-the-art facilities just 12 miles from New York City, the College is the only program in the country that offers the following opportunities for students: a radio station (WMSC), newspaper (The Montclarion), strategic communications agency (Hawk Communications), sports network (Red Hawk Sports Network) streaming platform (Hawk+), digital newsroom (News Lab) and studio, and a social media listening center (Joetta DiBella and Fred C. Sautter III Center for Strategic Communication). The College also has a Student Success team, including dedicated Career Services and Advising professionals who prepare students for the internship and job search process. Student projects and programs have recently received national recognition from PRSSA’s Bateman Competition, an Edward R. Murrow Award, several Marconi Award nominations, and College Television Awards (“Student Emmy” awards) from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The College is also home to the Center for Cooperative Media, which serves the public by working to grow and strengthen local journalism and media. Through $7.1M in grants awarded over the last five years, the Center focuses on collaboration in journalism, media equity, media coaching and training, civic science and research. The Center is also home to the NJ Civic Information Consortium, the largest funder of media and journalism in  New Jersey, granting more than $10M over the last five years to support independent local media, journalism and training initiatives.