Students and community members found some relief from the summer heat Thursday with help from a Salt Lake Community College student club.
The third annual Bearfoot Festival took place at the South City Campus, where attendees were treated to diverse musical performances. The festival is made possible through the Resonance Club, which offers a community for students interested in audio production and event planning.
“[Resonance] helps bring together the art of music and producing events,” says student musician Cambriah Heaton. “It connects the artists, the writers, the sound engineers … to create a cohesion with all the programs that have to do with music.”
Mike Fewkes was one of the students working hard on and off the stage. As a member of Resonance, he spent much of his time scurrying around the venue, making sure the event was running smoothly. He was also involved in pre-production tasks like scouting artists and scheduling.
It wasn’t all work for Fewkes, however. He was able to take a break to play keyboards for synth-pop duo The Backseat.
“I started playing in elementary school because my parents suggested it and I ended up loving it,” he says.
The event also gave student musicians a chance to share their passion with a receptive audience. For singer-songwriters like Heaton, it was an opportunity to let others hear their well-crafted folk stylings.
“I’ve been writing and singing for probably ten years or longer,” she says. “I do this for my love for music and poetry — for the way it makes you feel.”
Festival attendees were treated to everything from rock and roll to techno, with performances by Oregon and the Trees, Brain Detergent, Green Man 7, BLVD and other artists.
While the idea that music is a universal language has become cliche, it is a message that resonates with Fewkes.
“I’m a little socially inept at times, but with music it doesn’t matter,” Fewkes says. “You come, you do your part — everyone does something and they make something great together.”
