HawkTV and WMCX held their annual Rock n’ Raise concert on Friday April 5, in Jules L. Plangere Jr. Center for Communication and Instructional Technology.
Tickets were $5 and all proceeds were donated to the American Cancer Society.
The concert was held in the HawkTV Studio and then following the bands’ 20 minute set, the artists went upstairs to WMCX and had a brief interview with WMCX General Manager and senior communication student Ali Nugent. The production was broadcast live on YouTube and also simulcasted over the radio.
Nugent said, “I think it went incredibly well! There are so many moving parts with live broadcasted events and HawkTV really handle it with ease. And they raised so much money!”
Four local bands performed for the benefit concert; Idle Wave, Sonic Blume, Well Wisher, and Jade Lilitri of Oso Oso. Idle Wave wanted to contribute to the set goal of $1,000 to the American Cancer Society by selling their T-shirts for $10 each; selling over 15 shirts.
In addition to the $5 entry, there were also raffles held to help reach the goal. Prizes included gift cards to local restaurants such as Amy’s Omelet House and Scala’s Pizzeria, and tickets to several concerts on the Stone Pony Summer Stage.
Students raised almost $1,500 for the American Cancer Society?
Donna Dolphin, professor of communication and advisor for HawkTV, addressed the HawkTV and WMCX crew by saying, “You did excellent work and it was evident all day long. Well done!”
Rob Scott, professor of communication, also gave praise, “Congratulations to the Rock-n-Raise producers and crew for an exceptional show. Your extensive planning and week of rehearsals were well worth the time. The production ran smoothly and, more importantly, looked and sounded great. This was the first year that I heard during the event from alums who enjoyed the live stream. You should all be very proud of creating great television while raising money for an important cause.”
Another aspect of Rock n’ Raise was the set design. Professor of digital media, Dickie Cox’s, responsive media students worked hard to create an interactive stage, complete with digital multiplex (DMX) lights that were programmed to change with sound, custom animations for each band, and more. This collaborative effort with HawkTV and WMCX became the focus of Professor’s Cox’s class for majority of the semester.
When discussing the set design Scott said, “The visuals from Professor Cox’s class made for a more dynamic set, and introduced new possibilities for future productions.”
Guy Battaliga, the vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter for Idle Wave said, “It’s really good to be a part of this. To be on the same bill as Oso Oso is really cool.”
Steven Roque, a senior communication student and member of HawkTV said, “Rock n’ Raise went amazingly. We had some awesome bands come and help us put on a great show for an even greater cause.” Roque acted as the technical director during the simulcast.
To become a part of either WMCX or HawkTV, meetings are held every Wednesday at 3:15 p.m. HawkTV meets in Plangere 138, and WMCX meets in Plangere 236.
PHOTO COURTESY of Rob Scott