ACM@UCO Partners with Plaza Fest for 26th Annual Festival

Oklahoma City’s Plaza District partners with the University of Central Oklahoma’s Academy of Contemporary Music to host its annual festival, Plaza Fest, which took place this year on Sept. 27 to celebrate local, visual, and performing artists.

The festival includes 20 musical performances across 2 stages, over 30 local vendors and community partners, a family area, and local storefronts and restaurants to explore. This year, the ACM had eight student musicians and bands perform on its stage.

“We’re not Dallas, we’re not LA, we’re not Boston, we’re not New York. We are not putting on these big, big pop-ups. There’s not a ton of art showcases everywhere. We don’t have that. What we do have is community,” said Maddy Swanagan, an ACM@UCO graduate and vocalist for the local band DIVA, who performed at the ACM@UCO stage.

“The coolest thing about that is just seeing how vibrant the community is and how diverse and broad it is, and how many talented musicians there are in Oklahoma, ’cause otherwise, you wouldn’t really know about it without festivals and shows like this,” said Dillon Polston, a guitarist for DIVA. 

Drennan Downing, bassist for DIVA, is a current student at the ACM, juggling his schoolwork and dedication to the band. He says that connections he’s made as a student follow him into the professional world, “Walking down the street, I just see people I go to school with, or I did go to school with. It’s just nice to be able to talk with them and know I have those connections out there.”

With around 400 full-time students, ACM@UCO gives them the opportunity to learn from award-winning faculty and guest lecturers.

“You gotta put your time back into it. And it’s a lot of hard work, and it’s a lot of late hours, and it’s a lot of networking, but I got so much out of school,” said Swanagan, emphasizing that the ACM is rewarding for students who put effort into their education. “You kind of have to go in there with the mindset of, I want to get it out as much as I can. I wanna play as much as I can. I wanna be in every single band ever. I wanna do all these things.”

“Go to festivals, talk to your local artists, work with designers, work with artists for your album cover. Or with local photographers. Go be involved in the scene because you are going to meet all these people in a different life, or they’re gonna know somebody that you also want to know, and they’re gonna be happy to put you in there,” said Swanagan, offering advice to student performers aiming to get involved with the community.

“It’s such a fast-growing community and such a loving community. That’s the most important part of festivals like this, getting involved with people in different art forms that can help you along the way.”