Signal Flow Concert Showcases SUNY Oneonta Audio Arts 

By DAKOTA KEATS
SUNY Institute for Local News
ONEONTA

A student-run concert showcasing live performance, hands-on audio production and emerging experimental music will take place Friday, April 24 at the Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center as part of the Signal Flow Concert Series. 

The event, hosted by the Audio Production and Engineering Club at SUNY Oneonta, is both a public performance and a fundraiser for the student organization. The Signal Flow concert series is designed to highlight student creativity while providing real-world experience in live sound production. Organized by APEC’s student leadership with guidance from faculty adviser Nathan Asman, this week’s show represents a significant step forward for the club as it works to reestablish itself and expand its role on campus following a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The concert will feature student performers, including the electronic duo OverKrekt, whose music blends experimental techniques with pop-influenced electronic dance and trance elements. The group described their work as “engineered electronic dance trance” built on improvisation and analog production methods. 

“We just wanted to stop thinking and produce something that lives in the moment,” the duo said. 

OverKrekt—made up of Magnus Chenel and Adam Albright—said performing in Oneonta holds special significance for them. 

“We started here. It means everything,” they said. “This performance is really a showcase of a new experimentalist Oneonta music scene.” 

The April 24 concert also coincides with the release of the group’s new EP, “actualize,” tying their artistic debut to the broader mission of showcasing student-created work. 

Beyond on-stage performance, the Signal Flow concert serves as a live demonstration of audio engineering principles. The series takes its name from a foundational concept in sound production: the path that audio signals travel through equipment from source to output. 

APEC Audio Chair Elliot Barrett said the event planning process is driven largely by student interest and educational value. 

“We kind of want to cater to what people want to do,” Barrett said. “That takes precedent when we’re planning.” 

Barrett acknowledged that organizing the concert came with challenges, including coordinating schedules and securing performers, but said those obstacles were outweighed by the opportunity for experiential learning. 

“We’ve had more interest in events that are focused on teaching people the process,” Barrett said. “People are learning a lot from the events that we do.” 

Students involved in the production gain experience with sound equipment, stage setup and live engineering—skills that complement coursework and help prepare them for professional audio environments. 

APEC Vice President Lauren Weir emphasized the collaborative nature of the planning process. 

“We discuss the type of show we want to create and potential performers,” Weir said. “From there, the e-board collaborates to decide on dates, reach out to performers, and secure a venue.” 

Weir said finding artists who work in experimental and electronic styles can be difficult, but interest among club members remains high. 

“Many gain motivation and confidence,” Weir said. “Whether it’s pursuing live sound or becoming more comfortable performing.” 

For Nathan Asman, a musician and assistant professor of music, the concert series functions as an extension of the classroom. As an instructor in SUNY Oneonta’s audio arts production minor, he views Signal Flow as a way for students to connect theory with practice. 

“In a concert, they get to see it all come together and how it actually happens in the real world,” Asman said. “They get to see the behind-the-scenes—sound checking, engineering, and performance.” 

The concert also serves a practical purpose as a fundraiser for the club, helping APEC gather money for future activities and events. 

“This is a good opportunity to turn the concert into a fundraiser so they can have funds for activities and build a budget,” Asman said. 

Hosting the show at Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center strengthens connections between SUNY Oneonta and the broader community. Moving student performances off campus, Asman said, creates new opportunities for engagement. 

“It’s another venue, another opportunity to play,” he said. “Being out in the community makes it more special.” 

Looking ahead, Asman hopes to establish Signal Flow as a recurring fixture in Oneonta’s arts scene. 

“Signal Flow is a concert series that I’m trying to do at least once a year, ideally once every semester,” he said. 

By blending education, performance and community outreach, the Signal Flow Concert Series aims to give students meaningful, real-world experience while spotlighting the evolving creativity of SUNY Oneonta’s audio arts community. 

The event is being held in Foothills’ The Loft space at 24 Market St. Doors open at 6 p.m., with music beginning at 7 p.m. Admission is $5,oo for students and $10.00 for the general public. 

This story was created by student reporters through the OnNY Community Media Lab, a program of SUNY Oneonta and the SUNY Institute for Local News.