Testing the limits of budding talent under the spotlight is at the heart of Selkirk College’s Contemporary Music & Technology Program semester-end Showcase Concert Series.
An annual treat for music lovers, the series features eight dazzling nights of performances that showcase the skills of 17 graduating students and their bandmates. Taking place at the intimate Shambhala Music & Performance Hall on the Tenth Street Campus in Nelson, the community is invited to capture the abundance of talent in this year’s cohort.
“It’s our final salute to the whole experience,” says Aaron Pasacreta, who kicks off the series on March 6. “We get to showcase what we have learned, showcase the friends we’ve made, showcase how we feel about our time here and showcase our taste in music.”
The Contemporary Music & Technology Program has provided students the opportunity to explore a cross-section of musical genres since the first notes burst out of the campus in 1989. One of Canada’s most unique music programs, learners build the skills needed for a career in the commercial music and entertainment industries.
Raised in Nelson, Pasacreta is a bit of a rarity in a program that attracts musicians from all across the country and around the world. Arriving to the program straight out of graduating from LV Rogers Secondary, the 19-year-old chose to stay close to home where he has found an inspiring range of peers that help fuel creativity.
“Music transcends age, so it doesn’t really matter if there is a 10-year age gap between people because it is a binding force. It’s not specific to one demographic or another, it’s this everlasting all-encompassing thing,” Pasacreta explains. “I have had the chance to meet people that have a bunch of unique experiences from many different places. It’s a good opportunity to branch out and get out of your bubble while still being at home.”
It’s very likely that local music fans have taken in one of Pasacreta’s performances over the last few years. From masterfully covering Beatles songs at Lakeside Park with his band while still in high school to taking the stage at Finley’s Bar & Grill to playing with his college bandmates at Whitewater Ski Resort, he’s a passionate performer who brings unbounded energy to the stage.
Influenced from a young age by his keyboardist father who packs a solid collection of classic rock CDs in the family’s music library, Pasacreta has grown into multi-instrumentalist who actively plays with a range of peers and genres. Pasacreta has traveled to Vancouver four times in the last six months to play bass for classmate Drew Storey on stage at The Roxy Cabaret, one of Vancouver’s most iconic venues.
For his offering on March 6, Pasacreta and his showcase band will bring a mix of genres to the stage that include indie pop and rock, with a blend of softer edge folk-influenced songs. The half-hour set will feature a mix of originals and covers.
“I want to be able to do it well enough to where people want to consume it and take it in,” Pasacreta says of his post-graduation plans that might include a third-year advanced diploma at Selkirk College or moving to a bigger city to pursue goals of a recording artist. “I enjoy it so much that this is what I want to do be able to do for a living. It’s a very difficult industry to get into, and then to maintain it is even harder. But, that’s the responsibility on me to put that out and there is a process. What you give is what you are given in return.”
The Showcase Concert Series is open to the public with admission by donation. Doors open at 7 pm with the show at 7:30 pm. Each graduating student and their band of peers perform a half-hour set each.
- March 6 – Aaron Pasacreta & Reid Erickson
- March 14 – Daniela Pacheco & Zenaya Semple
- March 20 – Anthony DeFlon & Aaron Zukewich
- March 21 – Sofia Barquin & Elias Flores & Mackenzie Layne
- March 27 – Adam Cripps & Peter Macintyre
- March 28 – Drew Storey & Rocco Kong
- April 3 – Luisa Zúñiga & Mika Moon
- April 4 – Kaes Blommestein & Quin Tanner
Learn more about Selkirk College’s Contemporary Music & Technology Program.
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