Whether you’re a seasoned artist or just write songs as a hobby, finding an outlet to perform and share your music can seem near impossible. Luckily, for Point Park students who are thinking of giving performance a shot, Pioneer Records’ Talent Agency gives students the resources and opportunity to put on a show and display their art.
This Thursday, March 14, see students from Pioneer Records’ Talent Agency as they take the stage at the Rauh Theatre in the Pittsburgh Playhouse at 7:00 p.m. With performances from five student artists over the two-hour concert, see for yourself what Pioneer Records has to offer.
“They’re all very talented artists that we have gotten to see perform throughout the year and truly enjoy,” said Sandamini Sinley, student director of operations at Pioneer Records. “You can expect to see different variations of indie pop ranging from rock to bedroom to alternative. It’s going to be a wide variety show with many different personalities letting us into their creative minds and an all-around good time.”
Pioneer Records was founded in 2014 by Ed Traverseri, a former music business professional with over 35 years in the industry. It gives SAEM students a chance to garner hands-on experience in the music industry.
Every year, students compete in a music competition to find out who will be crowned a “Pioneer Star,” for a chance to record music in a professional studio at Red Caiman Media and to perform at Stage AE. But for students who couldn’t quite make the cut or don’t feel confident in performing, the Pioneer Records’ Talent Agency is a way for them to showcase their music in a smaller setting and gain valuable support from the student-run label.
“The purpose of the Talent Agency is to provide artists aside from our Pioneer Stars with performing opportunities,” Sinley said. “It’s for artists who didn’t make the cut to be a Pioneer Star, but we still believe are talented, or for artists that aren’t ready or confident enough yet to apply to be a Pioneer Star.”
While the lineup for Thursday is only five artists deep, it is jam-packed with talent from our very own Point Park student artists. Freshman Brynn Elena is a singer-songwriter who is skilled at guitar, creating melodic indie-pop. Senior Jake Boone is an artist who creates original music in the alternative genre, with piercing guitar and strong vocals. Sophomore Deidre Cronin and freshman Akisse Morton are third and fourth on the lineup. Closing off the night is Marshall Benton, a freshman who has a background in theater but performs original alternative music in his time off from the COPA Theater Program.
“My hope for the Talent Agency is that it grows into a staple agency for Downtown Pittsburgh to come to and get our artists on stage outside of Point Park University,” Sinley said. “For Pioneer Records as a whole, my hopes for the future are that we become more well-known on-campus and in Pittsburgh. The attendance and participation in Pioneer Records gives us so much more opportunity to grow and give students fun events to attend and learn from.”
Even if you can’t make the showcase, there are still other events and performances to look forward to from Pioneer Records this spring. The Pioneer Star Showcase is coming up on April 10 at Stage AE, displaying music from the 2023-2024 Pioneer Star winners. They also frequently partner with local businesses like Creative Coffee Supply to host karaoke nights.
If you want to get involved with Pioneer Records, as an artist or as part of the staff, go to thepioneerrecords.org. To stay in the loop, follow them on Instagram @pioneerrecs.
