On a typical Wednesday morning in the Performing Arts building, the sounds of The Beatles’ “Twist and Shout” pour out of PA 154.
About twenty students rehearsed for an upcoming show.
These students are part of, Night Shift, a pop group that performs covers. They play the golden oldies of Motown, and contemporary artists, like Beyonce.
But audiences will catch Night Shift at the Haugh Performing Arts center.
Citrus instructor of commercial music Gino Munoz has headed Night Shift since 2001.
“This is very outside-of-the-box thinking,” Munoz said. “We don’t do the typical concerts, per se. We do actual events, and we do 50 to 80 of them a year. So we’re at hotels like the Ritz Carlton, you know very high end hotels, very high end country clubs.”
Night Shift frequently books weddings and other events.
In the past, Night Shift has performed internationally including in Japan. They perform annually in Hawaii.
“Putting students in a situation where they have to perform every single day, no matter what, is truly a professional type experience,” Munoz said. “The growth that I see in students in the two or three weeks we are gone is exponential in comparison to the entire year.”
Music Instructor Alan Waddington said students not only learn to play shows, but everything else that comes with working in music.
“If you ask any heavy, any professional, what percentage of your career is music, most will say 50,” Waddington said.”So, you know those things, we’re still trying to teach.”
“The group is dear to me. I just think it’s helped so many people grow and move on to higher things. This was a big part of it,” Waddington said.
Students in the Night Shift described a constant pressure to adapt.
Night Shift bass player Max Juarez has been with the group for a year and a half.
He said performing was not easy when he first started because he trained as a classical bassist. Night Shift is a pop band.
“People shove you into this massive fire that is Night Shift,” Juarez said. “Until, you know somehow you fly out of it… It’s a great way to just elevate yourself.”
In his first year, Juarez was still learning the songs in the set list when the lead bassist was made unavailable.
He had a week to fill in on ten songs.
“It just made me say, ‘wow,’ this is some real experience that you get from this class,” Juarez said.
Clinton Hampton is in his second year on the Night shift. He is a drummer, percussionist, singer and a self-titled “most-time dancer.”
Hampton said his instructors have helped him grow as a musician.
“The staff has put in a lot of care to help you cultivate the sound that you need to do the song that you’re doing,” Hampton said. “It’s the greatest help that any aspiring musician can get.”
Hampton said the best moments are at the end of a show.
“It could just be us, because maybe the crowd could be done dancing,” Hampton said. ” I feel that’s when we show out… And, you know, we act like were the headliners of a 100,000 person crowd.”
Former students in Night Shift and the Pop program have headlined shows in front of thousands of people.
Munoz said Citrus alumni have joined notable members of the music industry like Bruno Mars and Neil Young.
