Margaret River students shine at live music event

Music students from Margaret River TAFE combined their talents for a celebration of their music and hard work at the River Hotel recently.

The gig drew a crowd of more than 200 people, and the students rose to the challenge of playing live for the first time on a stage that John Butler had performed on only a week earlier.

Music ranged from hip hop and electronica to rock, classical and pop, with some students playing as a band for the first time.

Lecturer Chris Archibald said this was perfect timing in what had been a difficult year for the music industry.

“While the nervous energy of playing their first gig – and also being assessed – ran high backstage, there was little that showed under the lights in front of the audience,” he said.

Chris said the students were committed to making the night a success and the strong community support helped them rise to the challenge.

“We also had amazing support from the cookery, digital media and hospitality students, who put in a big effort.”

Chris wanted to thank everyone who supported the event including the River Hotel, engineer Soundy, stage manager Gary Burness, Hospitality and Commercial Cookery Lecturers Gita Hofmann-Ketharanathan, Kelly Dickinson and Amanda Smith, and Digital Media Lecturer Fran Jackson and Liam Moore, who photographed the event.