From Classroom to Control Room: Take One LIVE

On Friday, December 5, students, faculty, and prospective students gathered at Red Caiman Studios for Take One – The Studio Sessions LIVE!, a large-scale event that was equal parts live performance and real-world production experience.

Hosted at the professional recording facility owned and operated by Assistant Professor of Music Technology Jesse Naus, the event was executed entirely by students under the guidance of music technology faculty Thomas Kikta (Executive Producer and Performer), Luke Boegel (Front of House), and Shawn Jackson (Video Production), with Naus coordinating event logistics. Once the concept was finalized, the production came together over two days. Load-in, system setup, and dress rehearsals all happened on the first day, and the second was dedicated to, sound checks and live performance.

The event featured performances by two sections of the Recording Studio Ensemble, directed by Alex Price. They performed two concerts for an in-house audience, with both shows broadcast worldwide via the IEMMA Broadcast Network. The program included music by Rush, Lionel Richie, Tears for Fears, and more, along with two original works written and performed by Thomas Kikta.

While the performances unfolded on stage, students simultaneously managed every aspect of the production behind the scenes, designing and installing the sound system, mixing front-of-house and monitor audio, operating cameras, producing the live video stream, and managing the broadcast workflow, while many also performed as musicians.

Guitarist Andrew Ripper (junior, B.M. Music Technology) credits the event with showing him how hands-on learning in the sound recording program prepares students for professional work. He explained: "The broadcast was such a great environment for learning different areas of audio, whether that be the act of performing in front of a real audience, mixing live sound, or dealing with radio broadcast. The professors made it a great learning experience, and though there were mistakes made, we could quickly learn from them and fix them. Though I had multiple roles during the broadcast, the busyness helped me confirm that this is definitely why I'm here and what I want to do with my life!"

The event also did double duty, acting also as a Music Technology Preview Day. Prospective students and other audience members were invited to tour the facility during the performance and observe these systems in action, offering a behind-the-scenes view of how performance and production function as a single, integrated process. The event provided a firsthand look at the collaborative, hands-on nature of the music technology program at the Mary Pappert School of Music, demonstrating how classroom learning translates directly into professional-level production and performance experiences.