The graduating music school seniors of CalArts are taking over The Troubadour nightclub for a night showcasing their original works.
On Monday, CalArts students will perform at the legendary West Hollywood nightclub for the Soundstream 2020 showcase concert. From electronica to goth rock to Afropop by individual student artists and bands, Soundstream will showcase the talents of NMND, Tauri, My Boyfriend, Bridgette Blank, Skullmatter, Vicken Hovsepian, Makalo, Bart Tholamew and J.Lyn.
Soundstream performers are all students of CalArts’ Herb Albert School of Music who either graduated last semester or will graduate this semester and who have been selected by the school’s faculty for their demonstrated performing excellence across their scholastic career.
“This showcase is primarily focused on more pop-style music but also other styles, and it really showcases our potential in the contemporary and commercial music industry,” said Jaslyn Loftin, student producer for the event. “Each year, the faculty select people who have consistently shown potential and have worked diligently on their projects to showcase their original works.”
Each of the eight performers will have a 10- to 15-minute set. The Soundstream showcase concert, which has been held annually since 2014, is free to attend and is largely aimed at introducing the selected performers to industry figures.
“CalArts is in Santa Clarita which is in Los Angeles County, but we’re still a bit far from Downtown L.A., which is why we hold it at the Troubadour in the heart of Los Angeles, where a lot of industry people come,” Loftin said. “This is also a community show, which is part of why we make it free, since a lot of people in the area like to come out and see what the CalArts students are doing.”
Loftin said Soundstream is a very popular event among CalArts students and that an invitation to perform is considered an honor. Previous Soundstream performers include Asdrubal Sierra of the band Ozomatl and Grammy Award-winning producer Greg Kurstin, who co-wrote Adele’s hit song “Hello.”
“The music that these students are playing is approachable,” Loftin said. “All of these performers are very experimental in their work but because of their experience and talent, they’re able to explore their music in an approachable way that everyone can enjoy.”