Eight students from the WRCU radio station and Colgate Activities Board have taken what they learned at a major conference in Texas and adapted it to their organizations on campus.
The group attended the South by Southwest Music and Media Conference in Austin, Texas, which is actually a triad of three separate festivals: music, film, and interactive.
The trip was a culmination of several months of planning and preparation by the students that that resulted in a truly unique experience.
While in Texas over spring break, the students learned that technology plays a big role at SXSW. From the mobile Wi-Fi hotspots set up all over downtown to the afternoon panels about blogging and social networking in the conference rooms of the Austin Convention Center, it was a digital-minded festival.
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| Sixth Street in Austin, Texas, was bustling throughout the South by Southwest Music and Media Conference. |
The group from Colgate fit right in with its own blog, flickr photo galleries, and Twitter page.
Even with the ubiquitous technology, the power of human connections also was apparent.
“I found it surprisingly easy to approach band members, venue managers, and agents throughout the trip, which I know will be invaluable for CAB and for booking shows at Colgate,” said Ceci Menchetti ’11.
The presence of thousands of people with a similar passion and love for music provided the Colgate group with some memorable encounters.
Liz Le ’09 met the manager of a small southern California jazz-metal band. “Just talking to her about her experience managing was one of the most helpful things I did.”
David Ryan Pokorny ’10 had the opportunity to meet with representatives of other college radio stations. He spoke with them about their experiences and sought to get inspiration for WRCU. Pokorny also attended meetings regarding Internet marketing and promotion and plans to use information from those sessions to start a new student group on campus aimed at promoting Colgate artists.
Each day of the festival saw the crowds meandering down Sixth Street get thicker and more raucous. By the time the sun set over central Texas, the festival couldn’t have been more different than at the beginning of the day.
The morning atmosphere of panels, speakers, and small band showcases gave way to street carnivals with dozens of bands playing simultaneously around the city.
Moving from one venue to another, it was clear that SXSW is a very unique festival in that bands with little touring experience were performing alongside some of the biggest names of today, such as Kanye West, and even some seasoned veterans, like two of the festival’s biggest headliners — Devo and Metallica.