By Chet Green
CCC Journalism Program
BLACKWOOD – The music of Spring Fling played throughout the day on April 24 by both the Rock Ensemble and the radio station.
Spring Fling took place on the Blackwood campus of Camden County College from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 24. The day had a large turnout and the weather was clear with temperatures nearing 70 degrees. Students could help themselves to free food and activities as well as visit tables that were hosted by the clubs on campus.
Students were also treated to music by the Rock Ensemble and 91.5 WDBK, the school radio station. On stage first was Professor Mike Billingsley’s Rock Ensemble class, which opened with a song by Radiohead and then proceeded to play selections from The Beatles’ album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The band will perform this album in its entirety at 7:30 p.m. May 6 in the Dennis Flyer Theater.
At Spring Fling, the Rock Ensemble performed eight of the 13 songs on the album, including “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “Lovely Rita” and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Reprise.” When asked how the day’s performance went, Billingsley said, “I thought the performance was great. The students had only a few weeks to learn the material and the fact that they played it, without me on stage nonetheless, made me really proud.”
This was the first year the Rock Ensemble performed at Spring Fling and if asked to perform next year Billingsley said, “I think I might ask the school to put more of a focus on our performance and absolutely not have other music playing while we play.”
The Rock Ensemble wasn’t the only group that played music at Spring Fling. After the Rock Ensemble finished, the school radio station, 91.5 WDBK, hooked up a radio to the loud speakers and started playing music. The radio station played a mix of music that represents the variety the students play on their radio shows. Many of the students at the radio station play classic rock, which explains why the first song played by the radio station at Spring Fling was “American Girl” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
When asked about the music that was played, Jamie Myerson, the radio station manager, said, “I’m really pleased with how the music portion of the event is going.”
The Rock Ensemble performs “With A Little Help from My Friends” at Spring Fling. By Chet Green, CCC Journalism Program