Guilford Technical Community College entertainment technology students take center stage at North Carolina Folk Festival

“Working at the Folk Fest gave us the opportunity to practice our craft, make more connections, and learn how to work in the industry that we love.”

More than 45 artists from a myriad of musical genres recently performed at the N.C. Folk Festival in downtown Greensboro, but all shared a commonality: Their shows were supported by members of Guilford Technical Community College’s entertainment technology program.

“Arguably, our students are the ones who run the show,” said Mark Dillon, an instructor in the entertainment technology program. “Our students were working on all stages.”

The N.C. Folk Festival, a free three-day event, celebrated its 10^th anniversary this year, with almost 90 performances across seven stages. More than 30 GTCC entertainment technology students, alumni, and faculty manned those stages from the first act at 4 p.m. Friday to the final one at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

For the first time, the GTCC students had their own stage where they were responsible for each performance from the beginning of the festival until the end.

Dillon said there were “25 to 30” current students from the Entertainment Technology program who worked the festival. The students’ responsibilities during the festival covered a wide range, Dillon said.

“They were stage managers and stagehands. They did stage mixing and monitor mixing. They helped load in and load out,” said Dillon.

One GTCC Entertainment Technology student who worked the event shared his thoughts on the program and getting hands-on experience.

“We are a family in this program, and making connections has been really easy,” said GTCC student, Max Marin. “GTCC prepares us for when the opportunity comes, and we’re ready with the experience that we need.

“Working at the folk fest gave us the opportunity to practice our craft, make more connections, and learn how to work in the industry that we love.”

Dillon has worked all of the N.C. Folk Festivals since its inception. He emceed a stage again this year, in addition to providing support to the entertainment tech students. He was not the only GTCC instructor involved. GTCC entertainment technology instructor Liz May ran the sound on the main stage. Also, Colin Cutler, an adjunct English instructor at the college, performed several times with his band Hot Pepper Jam.

Dillon said it is a point of pride for the program to provide so much support for the N.C. Folk Festival, but it is just one of many big events entertainment tech students work with each year.

“Our students are well-versed in the complexities of actually doing this,” said Dillon, noting that students in the program regularly work shows at venues like Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts and Greensboro Coliseum. “I think it would be shocking for people to know how many of our students are going to work for shows in the area regularly.

“One of the interesting parts in comparison to many other entertainment programs on the East Coast is that there is a theoretic part, but ours is hands on. Students who just started in the program two weeks ago will be working a stage this weekend. They are immediately under fire.”

“Guilford Tech has been a great place for me to build and network. I’ve made great relationships here,” shared Justin “O’Malley” Lowery, GTCC student.