Thursday’s issue of Creative Loafing features one of St. Petersburg College’s student success stories, “The Real Clash.”
Under the guidance of Professor Alejandro Arenas, this group of talented SPC Music Industry Recording Arts students have put together a powerful combination that has a great groove and infuses positivity into their message.
“This being the second time we were mentioned by someone at Creative Loafing, it feels amazing and surreal,” said Jay “Jay Acolyte” Wilson, the band’s producer and lyricist.
“I didn’t imagine all of the years that I had been performing and writing that I would be featured in a famously read periodical with the best group of talented people I have ever worked with,” Wilson said. “We are all excited and have been since we found out that this was happening and couldn’t be more happy to have the support of the MIRA program and St. Petersburg College. We are motivated to keep going until there is no more to go for and beyond. Thank you for giving us the tools and encouragement. We are proud of ourselves and appreciative.”
From the Creative Loafing article:
“The Real Clash grew out of SPC’s two-year Music Industry Recording Arts (MIRA) program, which is dedicated to delivering real-world training to its students, all within a collaborative environment. MIRA students gain relevant skills and insight into real world experiences, not to mention free access to three versatile state-of-the-art audio production suites/classrooms. Originally, the plan was to follow the school’s already-existing model for rock and jazz ensembles: establish the curriculum for hip-hop, then pass the torch to a new group after a semester. But they wanted to write their own material. ‘That’s what made us different from the jump,’ says frontman/lyricist Rashad ‘Shadcore’ Harrell . ‘All the other ensembles do covers; we wanted to do original compositions.’ Months later, they’d written, played and recorded some first-rate material, delivered buzzworthy performances around the SPC campus and were trying to figure out what to do once the semester was done and credit earned. Their creativity was still flowing, chemistry swiftly growing, everyone was having a good time, so why quit? ‘You will be doing yourself a disservice if you cut it off after this semester is over,’ Rashad remembers Mark Matthews (MIRA Chair) saying after he saw the ensemble perform at a campus event. ‘You should take it outside of these four walls.’ Matthews’ encouragement solidified the band’s decision to make The Real Clash a full-fledged (off-campus) group.”
Visit Creative Loafing to read the issue.
The MIRA program helps students develop “real world” skills that artists need to thrive in a diverse and competitive music industry. It offers educational experience to student musicians, composers, producers, DJs, live-sound reinforcement enthusiasts, broadcast audio engineers, and post-production technologists and emphasizes creative processes, technical training, business practices and entrepreneurial skills in a collaborative environment.
The next performance for The Real Clash will be at the Typhoon Haiyan Benefit Show, Saturday, Dec. 7, 6 p.m., at Local 662, St. Petersburg. There is a $5 suggested donation. Follow The Real Clash on Facebook and WordPress.
You also can listen to The Real Clash and donate $1 to the relief fund of Typhoon Haiyan.