Whanganui UCOL's contemporary music students will be rocking the Riverside Bar this week.
On August 28, the students will perform a night of covers and original music, with a focus on urban/funk music.
Contemporary music performance programme coordinator Elizabeth de Vegt, a well-known local composer and musician, said urban/funk was one of the eight genres the students studies during their 34-week programme.
"Students regularly go out into the Wanganui community for live performances, giving them an opportunity to get valuable experience in public while adding colour to the local music scene," Ms de Vegt said.
The programme focuses on practical contemporary music performance and also has an emphasis on music theory (ear training, harmony and music notation), technology, including theory of sound and microphones, song writing and recording, she said.