It appears that summer semester at Salt Lake Community College is going out with a bang after the sixth annual Bearfoot Music Festival this past Thursday.
Held at SLCC’s South City Campus, the festival helps provide exposure to local musicians in the Utah music scene. This year’s event brought in a diverse set of performers such as The Jordan Brothers, The Vandigue, Taylor Miller, RCS, French-Canadian Princess, the duo of Ben Rogerson and Harrison Schaefermeyer, Love B.O.T. and a surprise appearance from Petr Czubak.
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— Resonance_SLCC (@Resonance_SLCC) July 18, 2019
The Bearfoot Music Festival is primarily produced by the Resonance Club and students enrolled in the music production group course at SLCC.
“[SLCC] creates so many opportunities to help out with these sorts of events,” says George Straley, a music recording technology student and the master of ceremonies for this year’s Bearfoot Music Festival. “By the time of year that [Bearfoot Music Festival] rolls around, you can feel comfortable in knowing that you already have all of the prior experience needed to put on a good show.”
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Thomas Baggaley, an associate professor of music and the advisor for SLCC’s Resonance Club, has been involved with the Bearfoot Music Festival since its inception.
“[Six years ago] we had a vision for an eclectic music festival,” Baggaley says. “We wanted to give our students a chance to learn how to run a festival and to be more involved with Utah’s local music community.”
The Bearfoot Music Festival has expanded and diversified over the six years it has been in operation. Once a small festival that had to approach local talent to perform, the event is now seen by local artists as a sought-after opportunity to perform in front of the crowd.
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Hope For The Day sponsored this year’s festival. The organization specializes in bringing awareness and hope to people who are suffering from mental illnesses.
Steve Horton of the music department describes the creative environment of the Bearfoot Music Festival as a mixture of Nashville, Los Angeles and Hollywood.
“It is one of the greatest opportunities that I have ever imagined,” Horton says. “Many have said that I am experiencing my second childhood, but I disagree, I am having my first.”
