A world-renowned music production facility that’s served as rehearsal space for such headliners as Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Maroon 5, Lady Gaga, U2 and Sabrina Carpenter sits just nine miles north of Lancaster, Pa. Recently, 30 Montgomery County Community College students and employees in the Sound Recording and Music Technology (SRT) program visited the site to learn the basics behind how to produce live performances on the biggest stages. 

Students Logan Roselli, Ethan Coldsmith, Dave Joseph, Chan Kim, Scout Woodhouse, Hutch Brecht, Gabriel Jenkins, Lucas Challes, Quinn Szente, Kyle Ziebis, Matthew O’Brien, Daniel Degrossa, Matthew Benner, Doug Ellis, Robert A Manto, Xavier Nathans, Matthew Lochner, Jakob Stein, James Joseph, Brian Hopely, Steven Noga, Brandon Phan, Kenneth Stanko, Tyler Funk and Tyler Detwiler attended the “Experience Live at Rock Lititz” conference Friday, Nov. 8 at the 108-acre, 10 building music and live entertainment campus in Lititz, Pa. The trip was paid for using funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, provided by a federal Carl D. Perkins grant.

The event is billed as a “unique one-day showcase of how to create large scale live productions, such as: concert tours, theatrical shows, amusement park interactions, experiential marketing, sporting events and e-games,” according to its website. The campus has been hailed recently by industry professionals as setting the “standard in the touring industry … to meet audience desire for a thrilling experience.”

The event is held twice a year, with a fall session geared toward college students and young professionals looking to break into the live entertainment industry. Industry professionals are on hand for networking opportunities and to begin to show students the ropes.

“Rock Lititz was an experience not to be missed,” said SRT Director David Ivory, a GRAMMY-nominated, multi-platinum engineer and producer. “It deepens the students’ understanding of music production, sound engineering and the broader entertainment industry and provides insight into the technical aspects of music production like recording, mixing, mastering, lighting, stage design, engineering, sound reinforcement and touring that are difficult to appreciate in a classroom setting.”

Additionally, the opportunity to meet industry professionals and learn from them provides students with mentorship and networking opportunities, allowing them to gain clarity on a potential career path in the industry, he said.

“Rock Lititz inspires personal growth,” said Ivory, “and fosters a sense of confidence in students pursuing music-related careers by seeing real people like them in the industry and telling their personal stories on how they arrived there.”

Other employees and students who attended the conference gave glowing reviews.

“It was incredible to watch our students engage with a wide range of industry professionals,” said Professional Tutor Colin Foley. “What stood out to me the most was seeing the sheer scale and complexity involved in producing large live shows, from logistics and technology to working with artists and various specialized roles. It was eye-opening to realize just how many different career paths exist within the industry, from management and creative roles to engineering and performance.”

“Experience Live was a massive and positive experience for someone like me who is relatively unfamiliar with the live performance industry,” said student Gabriel Jenkins, “ranging from audio to visual design, lighting, electrical and mechanical engineering, along with many others, and how all of these tools, skills and procedures come together to make something truly special happen.”

“Folks spoke a lot about having a good attitude, being persistent, being curious, asking questions, and also having a healthy amount of emotional intelligence,” said student Scout Woodhouse, “all of which have been reiterated in my classes at Montco.”

Student Brian Hopely said he learned that for each role out on a tour, there are about 50 roles happening behind the scenes to make it all possible.

“Every student should seize the opportunity to visit Rock Lititz,” he said. “It will open their eyes to a multitude of career paths that our Sound Recording Technology degrees have prepared us to dive into.”