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The Battalion
Page 3 • Wednesday, January 28, 2004
blunteering at Northgate Music Festival gives students free food, music and experience
By Will Knows
THE BATTALION
% | Heather Prestridge decided to give something back to the Aggie
OM community by volunteering for the Northgate Music Festival in its
mugural year, 1998, and is now the event’s coordinator,
id“The festival was started back in 1998, and at that time I was still
1| Jimdergrad at A&M,” Prestridge said. "I was sort of involved in a lit-
le bit of the planning, and I helped out at the festival. Since then it has
1 in passed down to other A&M students.”
-I The first Northgate Music Festival was planned, coordinated and
:oiducted by A&M students with nothing but an incredible love for
live music and the desire to bolster the sputtering A&M music scene,
iBistridge said. Today, these same student volunteers are looking for
, ■ next generation of music lovers to carry on this tradition,
li ■ , V 0 ' im,ccrm r ) ls a P art °f the festival — we would not
""I able to have the event without the volunteers,” Prestridge said.
‘We even have two people heading up the volunteer committee
i ih syear because it is such a big job — we will have about 150 to
H 0 volunteers."
■ 01 c °urse. lhat is jusl an estimate for what Prestridge hopes will be
Jrl Teat turnout of students looking to volunteer their time and effort.
* l,R le festival is continually looking for people to help out w ith loading
the bands in and out. checking wristbands at the door, selling tickets,
wristbands and merchandise and even working security.
I One of the two directors of volunteers is Juan Rivera, a recent grad-
w uale who still works in College Station. His initial motivation for vol-
anteering hits pretty close to home for most students.
® 1 "The real reason 1 (volunteered) is because 1 did not want to pay the
^•flmey for the tickets and so I just volunteered — 1 just had such a
g( od time that 1 stayed involved with it,” Rivera said. ”1 got involved
fo ir years ago as a general volunteer, and 1 just stayed on and eventu-
l U[, i'’"i y became a venue manager.”
lot oil People could be provoked to volunteer for many varied reasons,
laveilvera said. Some might want the free food and show' tickets, while
m iKwers might be looking to give something back to the Bryan-College
Station area. Most importantly, anyone can lend a hand.
wefcB "Volunteers are anyone from the community, because basically this
ear? is charity for the community.” Rivera said. “You don’t have to be a
:( ■idem to volunteer — if you want to volunteer for the festival, help
? inaAt a good cause or if you just want the free wristband for a show, we
n h w11 go ahead and set you up."
St.l “Mainly it is students but sometimes, like this year, one of our char-
ssck in is will help out by sending some volunteers to the festival,” Prestridge
unnttBid. “Those volunteers get a free pass into the festival for working one
1 to: |ni h. It is a good deal, you know, you get to see behind the scenes at the
milits feTwal, you get to meet some of the musicians, you get to see the show
|P Beato III • THE BATTALION
Jack O'Neill (left) and Cary Pierce of Jackopierce play at Shadow Canyon during the second day of the 2003
Northgate Music Festival. The festival is recruiting volunteers now for its upcoming event.
from really close up and you get to
help out a gotxl cause helping out
the charities that the festival has
chosen this year.”
The range of qualifications nec
essary for volunteers is as wide as
the spectrum of music styles that
the festival brings in.
“We are looking for people
w ho have some kind of interest in
music, someone who wants to help
out a good cause ... anyone who is
interested in working with music
should definitely get involved,”
Rivera said. "It is a good way to
learn more about the business, a
good way to meet a lot of people.
Basically we need people who will
be excited — people that will be
interested and enthusiastic — also
people that are hungry, because we
feed them each day.”
Volunteers' involvement can be
equally as varied. Casey Bell, co
director of volunteers and a junior
political science major, was a gen
eral volunteer last year.
"I was in the festival last year as
a volunteer, and it was my first
year — 1 just decided 1 wanted to
me a little more involved — now I am the co-director of volunteers."
Sometimes reasons for volunteering may have as much to do with
future plans as simply wanting to participate in a great event. Bell and
Rivera are both banking on a career in the music industry.
"1 want to make a career for myself out of music, so I figure any
thing that is associated with music or the business part of music is for
me.” Bell said. “Volunteering gives you experience with bands and
helps you realize what is actually involved.”
‘ Rivera said he has always been interested in music and planning
events around it.
“1 got my foot in the door — learning how you plan concerts or
how you should coordinate sound,” Rivera said.
The Northgate Music Festival might be that stepping stone for any
one looking to break into the industry.
“1 think that the Northgate festival is one of the best things to get
involved in if you are interested in music because there are so many
different bands there, there is such a variety of people there,” Bell said.
“If you are at all interested in music this is the best thing you can do.
It just opens your eyes to so many different things. Before, 1 never real
ly knew what was out there or how things worked by being involved
with this — especially this year.”
Although the response has been great, there are plenty of spots left
for people who want to help out.
“Even the first day that applications came out, people were volun
teering. People shouldn't be afraid to volunteer, even up to the last
minute. People should never be afraid to volunteer. We can always use
more help,” Bell said. "(The festival) is just a really great opportunity
to bring live music to College Station, and (volunteering) is just a great
way to do it.”
Those who want to volunteer for the Northgate Music Festival have
two options to go get involved: Download the application online at
www.northgatemusic.com, fill it out and mail it or just sign up online.
Tickets go on sale Feb. 15 at the Northgate venues and tickets prices
are $20 and $25 at the door.
For a list of venues, headliners and upcoming news including band
lists and schedules, check out www.northgatemusic.com.
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