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Millersville University’s Commercial Music Ensembles did not miss a beat as they partnered with the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design and the Academy of Live Technology to conduct two noteworthy performances at Rock Lititz, a live event production facility.
Dr. Jennifer Jester, co-organizer of the partnership and associate professor of Music Business Technology at Millersville University, and Sharon Huizinga, the current program director of the Live Academy of Technology at Rock Lititz, worked together to bridge the gap between classroom learning and professional practice. The two were inspired by a shared desire to provide authentic, professional-level performance experiences for students at both schools.
“Combining Millersville University’s robust Commercial Band curriculum with the technical resources at the Academy of Live Technology teams at Rock Lititz allowed students from both institutions to learn, innovate and showcase their talents in a real-world environment,” said Jester.
The participating students acquired new skills and gained experience in their potential music production careers as they worked with advanced production technology. Both teams had an opportunity to work on their soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, adaptability and problem-solving.
“Working at Rock Lititz elevated students’ experiences by providing access to state-of-the-art technology, professional facilities and industry-leading expertise,” Jester explained. “It also provided students with direct exposure to industry standards, practices and professional-level shows, greatly enhancing their ability to not only perform at a high level but [learn] how it works when building a multi-team complex technical production.”
The collaboration involved several companies from the Rock Lititz community. The production partnered with Main Light, 4 Wall, Clair, Tait, Fuse Technical Group, Disguise, Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, Tell School of Music at Millersville University and the Academy of Live Technology at Rock Lititz.
“The involvement of these companies in this project was significant as it validates students’ efforts and provides crucial professional exposure,” Jester shared. “It creates networking opportunities, potentially opens pathways to mentorship, internships or employment and highlights the importance of industry-standard work, encouraging students to perform at their highest levels.”
Moving forward, Jester hopes that more partnerships like this one will shape the future curriculum design to include more experiential learning opportunities, integrating technical production skills with performance education.
“This collaboration was groundbreaking in its ambition and execution. It demonstrated clearly how two educational institutions alongside industry leaders could jointly foster the next generation of talent, providing invaluable hands-on experiences that cannot be replicated in traditional classroom settings alone. This collaboration is the beginning of many more like this,” Jester concluded.
Learn more about Millersville’s Commercial Music Ensembles here.
