Music festival gives students Xtra special experience
Tuesday 15 August 2017
The 2ube Xtra is a student run eight day event staged at the Paul McCartney Auditorium at LIPA at the end of the spring term. It showcases LIPA Music students and alumni. The performances are streamed live online with highlights broadcast on local TV.
Natasha Brooks is a second year on the Management of Music, Entertainment, Theatre & Events degree and was one of The 2ube Xtra’s management team: “We were in complete control from the beginning and given the freedom to get on with it. It’s difficult to get that level of experience or trust by working at a company.”
The festival is the culmination of nine months’ work by Management students, who also run the weekly gig-night, The 2ube. They’re responsible for organising every aspect of the festival from planning, marketing and A & R through to overseeing production meetings, sound checks, event management and box office.
“Doing it start to finish is a great way of learning,” said Natasha. “If you go into a company some of it will already be there, but with this we had to take control from the get-go.”As well as Management and Music students The 2ube Xtra also relies heavily on the contribution of Sound Technology and Theatre & Performance Design and Technology students. Each of the eight evenings features performances from four artists – each with their own sound, lighting and stage requirements.
Abbie Williams was The 2ube’s marketing manager and part of team looking after marketing on The 2ube Xtra, she said dealing with so many different people and departments was a real learning experience. “You can’t afford to completely rely on other people, if you do that you’re really leaving yourself exposed.
“You have to take control. Make sure you know what you’re doing and how to deal with something if it goes wrong.”
The event was streamed live on Facebook with highlights broadcast on local TV station Made in Liverpool, giving students the chance to experience what it’s like to work on a live TV show.
The chance to work on The 2ube Xtra for second years comes ahead of a three month practical placement at the start of their third year. Natasha wants to follow a career in festival management. “In a lot of ways I feel more prepared for my placement, having had the experience of dealing with issues quickly and being able to cope with whatever crops up.”
She also believes it’ll stand her in good stead when she leaves LIPA. “I think it’s given me good experience and lots to talk about. If I’m being interviewed for a role I’ve got a lot of examples of issues that came up and how we managed to overcome them. ”
Natasha Brooks is a second year on the Management of Music, Entertainment, Theatre & Events degree and was one of The 2ube Xtra’s management team: “We were in complete control from the beginning and given the freedom to get on with it. It’s difficult to get that level of experience or trust by working at a company.”
The festival is the culmination of nine months’ work by Management students, who also run the weekly gig-night, The 2ube. They’re responsible for organising every aspect of the festival from planning, marketing and A & R through to overseeing production meetings, sound checks, event management and box office.
“Doing it start to finish is a great way of learning,” said Natasha. “If you go into a company some of it will already be there, but with this we had to take control from the get-go.”As well as Management and Music students The 2ube Xtra also relies heavily on the contribution of Sound Technology and Theatre & Performance Design and Technology students. Each of the eight evenings features performances from four artists – each with their own sound, lighting and stage requirements.
Abbie Williams was The 2ube’s marketing manager and part of team looking after marketing on The 2ube Xtra, she said dealing with so many different people and departments was a real learning experience. “You can’t afford to completely rely on other people, if you do that you’re really leaving yourself exposed.
“You have to take control. Make sure you know what you’re doing and how to deal with something if it goes wrong.”
The event was streamed live on Facebook with highlights broadcast on local TV station Made in Liverpool, giving students the chance to experience what it’s like to work on a live TV show.
The chance to work on The 2ube Xtra for second years comes ahead of a three month practical placement at the start of their third year. Natasha wants to follow a career in festival management. “In a lot of ways I feel more prepared for my placement, having had the experience of dealing with issues quickly and being able to cope with whatever crops up.”
She also believes it’ll stand her in good stead when she leaves LIPA. “I think it’s given me good experience and lots to talk about. If I’m being interviewed for a role I’ve got a lot of examples of issues that came up and how we managed to overcome them. ”
