Arts & Entertainment Panel on 9/30 at Montclair State University Distinguished Entertainment Industry Professionals
Arts and Entertainment Panel Coming to Montclair State University on 9/30
Distinguished Entertainment Industry Professionals to Share Experiences with College Students
I’d like to thank Julia Siegel, a talented college student at MSU, for crafting a press release of the upcoming event I’m producing at Montclair State University.
– Giovanna
To REGISTER FOR THE EVENT, CLICK HERE.
News Release
September 15, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact Information:
Julia Siegel
Montclair State University
Phone: 973-525-9834
Email: [email protected]
MONTCLAIR, NJ – Montclair State University’s CART Career Services is teaming up with Giovanna Aguilar to present the first ever Arts and Entertainment Panel on Wednesday, September 30, 2015. The panel will be held at Montclair State University’s Memorial Auditorium from 3-5pm and will include four entertainment industry professionals*: Grammy Award winning artist Steve Pageot, world-renowned choreographer Maria Torres, producer/musician Roman Rojas, and Latin American musician Karina Colis. Each panelist will share their personal journeys to success and give keen insight on how to advance one’s career in the entertainment and arts industries. The panel is free and open to students of all majors.
Co-producer Giovanna Aguilar has helped to construct the panel by inviting a few of her colleagues to speak about what she calls “one of the most competitive fields in the arts” – the music industry. She hopes that the panel will illustrate key concepts of success for students, such as how professionals put their best foot forward, being resourceful, continuing to follow one’s dreams even when times are tough, coping with rejection when applying for jobs, how to market and network one’s self, and being proactive in one’s field. Aguilar says that these are all “transferable experiences that are applicable to any field,” which is why she is inviting students of all majors to attend. She said, “All majors can benefit from hearing real-life experiences of what it means to follow a passion and build a career around it.”
Aguilar says she created the panel because “working with college students has been one of the most rewarding experiences for me both personally and professionally.” She wants students to have the experience in college that she never had – having a professional contribute as mentors. She wants college students to understand what the future will hold and what “the real world” is truly like. She says that “education is the key to success,” which is why she hopes the panel will inspire students to follow their dreams. The most intriguing part of the panel should be when the audience gets to ask questions to the panelists. Aguilar hopes that this will help “to draw a bridge between the dream of being an artist and the reality of what it takes to be a working-professional artist in the entertainment industry, and that through the conversation students can be inspired to build their path to success with these shared experiences – knowledge.”
Aguilar is a writer, producer, and director of films. She runs Candesco Productions, a multimedia content production company. According to her website, www.giovannaaguilar.com, she is a versatile writer who has developed content for print and digital media. She is currently producing the multi grant-awarded documentary “DreamTown,” which can be seen in short form on PBS’s “Frontline World Rough Cut.” Aguilar is also currently writing a feature-length film script.
According to www.imdb.com, Steve Pageot won a Grammy Award for his engineering work on Aretha Franklin’s “Wonderful.” He is a music composer, producer, engineer and mixer. Steve worked under famed producer Ron Lawrence, whose clients include Diddy, B.I.G., and LL Cool J, which led him to earn a platinum plaque for Krayzie Bone’s “Thug Mentality 1999.” Steve went to score some of MTV’s shows, including Rob and Big and Run’s House. He has composed and produced music for many television shows and a few films.
Maria Torres is an award winning choreographer and director for Broadway shows, television series, and films. According to her website www.mariamtorres.com, she starred in six-time Tony Award nominated Broadway show “Swing!” and appeared in the film “Dance with Me” starring Vanessa Williams. She is a two-time CLEO Award winner for her choreography and a two-time Choreography Festival Awards winner as a guest choreographer on the television series “So You Think You Can Dance.” Maria also worked on the choreography for the Academy Award nominated Disney film “Enchanted.” She is a member of the creative team for the upcoming Broadway musical “On Your Feet” and is involved in co-host Giovanna Aguilar’s podcast “HourGlass.”
Roman Rojas is a music producer and songwriter from Venezuela. According to www.cargocollective.com/romanrojas, he worked for music production company JSM Music, where he headed the company’s Hispanic division. He also wrote music for many companies’ commercials, including Subway and Adidas. His work can also be heard in television shows, like “Real Housewives of Miami,” and the film “Drunk Wedding.”
Karina Colis is a Latin American musician, percussionist, drummer, vocalist, and composer. According to www.cargocollective.com/karinacolis, she has her work portrayed in more than fifteen albums. Her work can be heard the travel and lifestyle television show, “Raw Travel.” She has worked and performed with artists from all around the world.
Aguilar would like to thank Pauline Allen, Melissa Faulkner, Courtney Fitzgibbons, and Montclair State University for the opportunity of producing her first event. She says she will be developing the event “into a broader full-day event with speakers across industries and with relevant workshops that can help students prepare for careers not only in the arts but across a spectrum of industries that are continually reliant on creative minds – creative leaders for innovation.”
The Arts and Entertainment Panel is being co-hosted by Pauline Allen, the Director of Employer Relations at Montclair State University’s CART Career Service. Any further questions about the event should be directed to Allen at [email protected]. All attending students should register to for the event on the CART webpage and bring their Student ID’s to the event.
*Panelists are subject to change.