Full Sail’s International Student Society collaborated with students studying show production to host a Latin Music Festival in the Amsterdam backlot. The lively event showcased a variety of student and local performers, with an audience of 50-plus in attendance. The event not only provided the opportunity for Latin students to see themselves represented as artists and creators, but it also served as a hands-on experience for show production students to use techniques from their curriculum in a real-world scenario. The International Student Society decorated the backlot and set up seating, while show production students ran the technical aspects of the show, including audio, lightning, and staging.

While show production instructors were in attendance to supervise, the students oversaw and self-directed the mechanics of the event. Show production course directors Jack Slater and Sydney Cochran observed as students operated soundboards and managed speaker systems in a tent next to the stage. The students also oversaw the “show flow,” coordinating with both the performers and the International Student Society to ensure the event ran smoothly throughout the night.

“Show production [staff and students will] do a lot of gigs throughout the year for Full Sail, but this is a unique one. There is a niche for every student at Full Sail, no matter who you are or where you come from,” Jack said. “This event is a cool one because it is all student-run, and it’s always good when Full Sail does events for students by students.”