By Brian Brink

On Saturday, March 24, WXTC held their third annual Music Festival to benefit the VH1 Save The Music Foundation at Thiel College featuring Nevada Color, Frank Marzano and four student performers.

The student performers that began the festival were senior Deanna Shaw, international student, Jiyoon Kim, freshman Sophia Kostoff and freshman Talia Jackson. They were followed by math professor, Frank Marzano. The headlining act of the night was Pittsburgh’s own, Nevada Color who played two sets in all.

In previous years this festival has happened in the Lutheran Heritage Room. However, due to a mistake with booking, this year the festival was held in the Rotunda Bistro. This mistake turned out to be a happy one, according to Marzano, Nevada Color, and professional audio technician, Jim Brink, who all agree that there are better acoustics in the Bistro.

Donna from the Bistro also liked the music fest out of the LHR because she and the rest of her staff enjoys listening to the music. She also said there was a slight increase in sales that would’ve been higher if not for the spaghetti dinner happening in the LHR. She said she enjoys seeing the students having fun while eating and wishes that something like this could happen once a month.

Nevada Color has been performing together mostly in Pittsburgh for the past six years and have been coming to the music festival for all three years it’s been happening. However, this is their fourth time performing at Thiel College. They said that they keep coming back because of the hospitality and to have fun. If one wanted to book them or see where they are performing next one can find them on their Facebook page.

This year was also Marzano’s second time performing at WXTC’s music festival. He described the change in venue as a big improvement because he said in the LHR he couldn’t hear himself playing. One can find his music on his website frankmarzano.com along with Spotify, iTunes and Facebook. He said that he would come back next year in a heartbeat if asked because he enjoys the audience is so receptive to him.

Shaw began the night with her cover of Carrie Underwood’s, Jesus Take the Wheel. She said she started very nervous but gained more confidence throughout her set. She had members of the audience dancing to the music and people from the spaghetti dinner coming out to listen to her.

Kim was second to perform and began with Camila Cabello’s, Consequences. She sang six songs during her set, three of which were Korean pop songs. She said that her friends coming to listen helped relieve her nervousness. She even laughed during her set when they began to sing along.

“It went much better than I anticipated,” said Kostoff after her set was over. She was the third to perform beginning with Birdy’s, Skinny Love. She also said that although it was very nerve racking she would definitely do it again next year.

Jackson was the last of the student performers to go on and sang a complete set of showtunes. This makes sense for her though as she said she would be a music theatre major if Thiel offered it. She also said that she would perform again next year and that she would stick to the showtunes.

The entire show was filmed by the students from TCTV and will be up on their YouTube channel, ThielTCTV soon incase anyone missed it live. Professor Ross Nugent, faculty advisor of TCTV, said that the event was a great way to have the television and radio stations work together. He also said it is a way to have the students think about everything that goes into putting on an event like this.

Professor Peg Watts, faculty advisor of WXTC, agreed with Nugent saying that the event teaches the students about the components of putting on a live show along with teaching leadership and teamwork. She said she wasn’t nervous at all about the students being in charge. “The board of directors have done this before and know what to expect,” Watts added.

One audience member, Katie Miller, is a perspective student of Thiel College and might be starting in the fall semester. She and her parents stayed through the entire show. She said that she would be majoring in Environmental Science and interested in doing marching band and being part of WXTC.