Students from the Music Industry Recording Arts (MIRA) program at St. Petersburg College will present the 2016 MIRA Emerging Artist Series Fall Showcase on Monday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m. at the Palladium Theater Side Door.

What the MIRA Showcase is all about

This twice-a-year event, free to SPC students, faculty and staff with ID, not only displays the talents of up-and-coming musicians from SPC’s MIRA program, but is a music industry event as well. Producers and engineers from the MIRA program coordinate and execute the event, from backline and staging to live audio mixing the show. Additionally, representatives from local industry scouts looking for performers and tech crew for gigs in the arts and entertainment field are in attendance.

MIRA Showcase performers

MIRA students are active in the Tampa Bay area music scene. Many are already established artists and bands, including AB Positive, Adverse Elements, and Miroux.

These groups, performing original music ranging from high-energy indie to krunk jazz to alternative, have appeared at prestigious festivals and venues throughout Tampa, Clearwater, and St. Pete. The MIRA Rock Ensemble and R&B Ensemble are under the direction of Alejandro Arenas, recipient of a Creative Loafing “Best of the Bay” award for his bass work with jazz group La Lucha. Members of these MIRA bands have taken part in the Voice and have been featured at venues such as the Capitol Theater, the Mahaffey Theater and the main stage at Hard Rock Cafe.

The performers featured at the MIRA Emerging Artist Series Fall Showcase have become sought-after acts, representing the diversity, excellence and innovative spirit of the MIRA program at SPC. The music program at SPC focuses on empowering students through creative studies and professional experience.

Recycled Tunes donation drive

SPC is proud to partner with the Gasparilla Music Festival on their Recycled Tunes project, a collection drive to place music instruments in the hands of Tampa Bay area youth. Community members who donate instruments at SPC locations Nov. 14-18 as part of the Recycled Tunes project will receive free tickets to the 2017 Gasparilla Music Festival, as well as the MIRA Showcase on Nov. 28 at the Palladium Theater.

On Saturday, May 21, the Music Industry Recording Arts (MIRA) program at St. Petersburg College hosted Crossover: The Multi-Genre Music Festival, for K-12 students and teachers from around the state.

The festival was a Florida Music Education Association (FMEA) event and was held at SPC’s St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus. Participants were students ages 6-18, performing on guitar (electric and acoustic), bass, drums, keyboards and other electronics, vocals, and rap. Each group had to perform one original song and one cover song in front of a panel of judges, who then conducted an educational clinic session with each band.

In all, nearly 30 students in six bands participated. In addition to performance and clinic experiences, festival participants also had the opportunity to attend educational presentations on electronic music composition as well as music sampling and production from MIRA students and faculty.

Crossover Festival to become annual event

The 2016 Crossover Festival was the first of what is to become an annual event. It was a privilege for MIRA and the St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus to be selected by FMEA to host the inaugural event.

Festival sponsors included EMIT, the Gasparilla Music Foundation, Sweetwater Sound, Inc., Morrisound Recording, and the Hard Rock Cafe.