Earlier this month, the Moorpark College Music Technology program hosted “Come Together,” a three-show performance with a setlist created and led by student musicians on the PAC Main Stage.
While “Come Together” is one of the many shows Moorpark College students perform in, it is a personal favorite for some. The class, taught by Moorpark College Performing Arts Department Chair Nathan Bowen, is a way for students to promote their own projects and get more experience performing on a stage in front of an audience.
The shows ran from April 4-5, with students performing in multiple numbers, either playing instruments or contributing vocals. Some songs performed included “Do I Wanna Know” by the Arctic Monkeys, “Step on Me” by The Cardigans, “The Adults Are Talking” by The Strokes and “Can’t Stop” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
For Dean Woods, a third-year music industry student at Moorpark College, said “Come Together” was a great way to get experience through interning and performing. Woods explained that the performers had only one tech rehearsal before performing on stage for the audience, which mimicked the professional world.
“The environment of ‘Come Together’ was high stakes and fast-paced, but worth it to see all the hard work,” Woods said.
Woods stated that on top of working with the band for his performance of “Newborn” by Muse, he created assignments, delegated tasks to ensure deadlines were met and worked tech to ensure that protocols ran smoothly.
Maiya Mendoza, a second-year music major at Moorpark, said the behind-the-scenes aspect of the production was very intriguing.
Mendoza said that she started performing in “Come Together” in the fall of 2023 when Bowen sent an announcement saying there was an opportunity for students to perform original work.
Mendoza also runs the Instagram account and performed in four performances, including “Coffee,” “Call You,” “Whipping Post” and “Going to a Town.”
Mendoza describes the experience as, “so fun and fulfilling to be part of a group of people that are passionate about music and bringing original work to life.”
Many students participated in multiple numbers, including Naomi Fuentes, a first-year applied music and voice major, who participated in eleven songs. In addition to performing “Take a Hint” and “Locked Out of Heaven,” she was the production’s costumer, concert producer, and flutist.
Fuentes said she spent many hours organizing materials for the performance in the PAC basement and costume closets.
Fuentes shared that the best part of the show “knowing that we pulled everything together in the end, and becoming friends with people I didn’t know very well prior.”
“Come Together” is a biannual showcase hosted every fall and spring semester at Moorpark College. For more information on Performing Arts at Moorpark College or to reserve tickets for the next performance, click here.
