WATCH: Adrian Dickey of Goldie Sound Productions on Back 2 School Drive
WATCH: Goldie Sound Productions owner Adrian Dickey talks about the success of his company’s Back 2 School Drive for kids in the Big Bend.
Rory Sharrock, Tallahassee Democrat
With all the charm of an elementary school talent show but the skill of seasoned performers, Noles Got Talent showcased the depth and diversity of student artistry in Tallahassee. Club Downunder (CDU) and Goldie Sound Productions teamed up to host the free night on March 26 at 6 p.m. The winner, voted on by CDU members, received a studio session with Goldie Sound. The session includes two hours of recording, mastering, and distribution.
The evening featured talent of all levels and skill sets. In grade school talent show fashion, the lineup included a variety of acts, from karaoke-style covers to original — often acoustic — sets. Performances spanned genres including rap, folk, indie and pop, plus two Whitney Houston covers.
The night drew a wide range of performers, partly because of Goldie Sound Productions’ experience working with major platforms and artists such as MTV, Kodak Black, and Sexyy Red. Whether established local artists premiered unreleased music or hobbyist musicians used the evening to revisit a forgotten passion, the event highlighted the breadth of talent within the Florida State University student body.
FSU Noles Got Talent opening performances set a high bar
The night began with professional sales major Francesca Muscarella and her stunning cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.” Muscarella’s performance of the difficult ballad, executed with masterful technique, set a high bar for the following acts.
Local singer William Creamer, a computer science major, followed Muscarella with a folk-esque acoustic set featuring an unreleased original song. His laid-back demeanor and voice — comparable to the artist Rex Orange County — contrasted with his formal suit and tie, adding an elevated aspect to the performance.
Theatre and political science double major Mia Biton then took the stage solo with only an acoustic guitar and her voice. She performed an original breakup song, “Bones.” With an intonation and vocal range similar to Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries, Biton was easily one of the toughest acts to follow. Biton’s performance marked a milestone in her relatively new musical journey.
“I’ve been pursuing music for about one year, ever since I released my first song, ‘Crowded Rooms’. If I’m lucky enough, I hope to keep pursuing it as a career. I just love it and honestly can’t imagine doing anything else,” Biton told the FSView. “The most exciting part is seeing the audience’s reactions to my songs. My lyrics are really vulnerable, so I absolutely love when I can tell the audience has felt those feelings too.”
From stripped sets to energetic entertainment
The talent didn’t stop at vocal performances. A musician who goes by the name “bobbymfwang” approached the stage with a timid demeanor — sunglasses on, collar popped — before producing a song live. Starting from scratch, he layered kicks, snares, and a bassline as the audience watched, curious about where the set was headed.
At the mix’s climax, bobbymfwang threw his coat to the side and transitioned into a high-energy, karaoke-style cover of Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic,” complete with dynamic dance moves. In under two minutes, he transformed from a reserved producer into a seasoned performer and a serious contender for first place. Applied and computational mathematics doctoral student Tanushi Hinduja told the FSView that even as someone without a musical background, she was mesmerized by the talent.
“My favorite part of the show was the audience. Everybody did so well and had such great talent, and I was mesmerized by so many performances,” Hinduja said. “Every time I thought someone was going to win, it changed by the next act. They were all amazing.”
The evening progressed with covers of artists including Hozier, Olivia Dean, Ariana Grande, and Billie Eilish. With a bedroom pop sound, many of the female vocalists pursue music alongside their academic lives. The event offered a spontaneous opportunity to revisit a lost love for performing.
Applied and computational mathematics graduate student Audrey Kayne told the FSView that the event helped her find community. Kayne, who typically only performs karaoke, said the supportive environment soothed her nerves after years away from the stage.
“This is like the one thing I really did in Tallahassee that I was able to meet a lot of like-minded, sweet people,” Kayne said. “For my age bracket in grad school, it’s really weird to meet people, since I’m 20, so this was a pretty cool experience.”
A finale of alternative metal magic
The night concluded with performances by the alternative metal Tallahassee bands Sleep Atrophy and Oh! Fauna. With a distinct experimental sound, Sleep Atrophy performed an original song, “Dream,” and a Deftones cover. The band’s dual vocalists offered a striking contrast. One delivered an intense scream, while the other possessed a deep, gravelly tone similar to Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam.
“I really liked Sleep Atrophy: they were insane, and I was recording it for one of my friends,” Kayne said. “Everybody was exceptional, like there’s no way to even rank it. I don’t know how the judges would decide it.”
After much deliberation, Sleep Atrophy was announced the winner. The audience erupted in cheers as the band returned to the stage to receive its prizes from Goldie Sound Productions.
For the many student musicians who didn’t take home the top prize, opportunities to grow are readily available on campus. FSU’s Audio Production Club hosts weekly meetings with hands-on workshops in music production, offering guidance with industry software for students of all experience levels.
“I feel like it’s great that FSU has these kinds of events going on, because there are people like [Kayne] who don’t want to pursue singing as a career, but it’s a passion that they want to keep on practicing — it’s so good that they get such platforms to do these things,” Hinduja said.
Peyton Wright is a Staff Writer for the FSView & Florida Flambeau, the student-run, independent online news service for the FSU community. Email our staff at [email protected].
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.fsunews.com ’
