Las Vegas, N.M. – The Highlands University Department of Music presents its Original Music Concert April 6 at 7 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom, 800 National Ave.
The concert features original works written and produced by Highlands University music students in the Music Technology Program and special guest musicians from the Las Vegas community.
Highlands music professor Edward Harrington directs the Music Technology Program and will direct the concert.
“The headliner for this concert is Abe García and his band, called Strings Attached,” Harrington said. “Abe is an extremely accomplished local musician who performs in Las Vegas, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque. He just completed his 2018 album, called Strings Attached, at the Highlands University recording studio after beginning the project in Santa Fe at Stepbridge and Kitchen Sink studios.”
Harrington said the April 6 concert will be the second CD release concert for the Strings Attached album.
“Highlands students participated in recording and editing the Strings Attached album and will also set up and operate the audio system for the concert. They place microphones for the drum kit, guitars and performers, as well as run the mixing board and processing software. This is great collection of experiences that students gain and then apply to their own creative endeavors,” Harrington said.
Highlands University music majors will perform for the first 90 minutes of the show and include Chris Barela, Sebastian Jaramillo, Cassidy Kear, Derek Washington, Reyes Montoya, Miguel Martínez, Daniel Sharp, and others. The musical styles include a wide range such as pop, rock, hip-hop, blues, gospel, and Spanish.
General admission tickets are $5. Admission is free for Highlands University students and other students.
Harrington said many of the students performing in the Original Music Concert play multiple musical instruments as well as sing. Some of the instruments include piano, guitar, bass, and drums.
Music technology students study songwriting, composition, orchestration, and digital audio editing.
Harrington said students majoring in music technology have 24/7 access to the Department of Music’s facilities, and often bring their musical instruments for a week or more as they record. There are two recording control rooms, studios “A” and “B” in the music building, as well as 10 additional digital audio workstations in the lab.
“Studio ‘A’ is built around Pro Tools HD, the industry standard for audio recording hardware and software,” Harrington said.