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American Idol Star Brings Talent to Hartwick

Drew Angus ’11 is bringing his guitar back home to the Hill.

“The thing I learned most at Hartwick was how to persevere,” he said. “I really learned how to see dreams and ideas through, and I’m doing that now.”

The “Broken Heart Last” singer and 2016 American Idol finalist will host an intimate evening of stories and songs at Foothills Performing Arts Center on Thursday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m.

“Foothills has been a venue on my list to come back to for a while,” he said. “I got to play there with the Hartwick Rock Orchestra a few times when it first opened.”

Earlier that day, he’ll return to Hartwick to host a workshop for students and share his entrepreneurial journey of making a living as a professional musician.

At Hartwick, Angus created a music industry major through the College’s Individual Student Program (ISP) and made his name as a musician with the band Bear Muffler.

Hartwick College alumnus Drew Angus '11

“We played in Laura’s lounge, shows in the Anderson amphitheater and fundraisers with my fraternity, Alpha Delta Omega.”

Drew Angus '11

Angus put his studies to good use, creating Wick It Music Group, a student-run record label that signed local artists, including Shasta Flock, the SUNY Oneonta band Really Old Airplanes and M.W. Degan ’11, now a musician living in Boston, Massachusetts.

After graduation, Angus moved to Brooklyn, where he worked as an event coordinator for Tito’s Vodka by day and played clubs, corporate gigs and weddings by night.

Then came the opportunity of a lifetime.

“I had a friend who was friends with a producer on American Idol, and he had them reach out to me to come audition,” he said. “I auditioned with Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.”

Judge Jennifer Lopez called him “A real talent.” Judge Harry Connick Jr. said, “You’ve got a good ear, kid!” And though he didn’t win, the doors were now open for bigger and bigger shows.

“I opened the inaugural “Sound On Sound” music festival with my band, Soundside Fest, in Connecticut and shared the stage with Noah Kahan, Stevie Nicks, The Lumineers and Zach Bryan,” he said. “I shared a green room trailer with Noah. He was a nice guy. Now he sells out Fenway!”

Reflecting on his other unique experiences in the music industry, Angus added, “American Idol was a cool opportunity that I’ve had, and it’s taken me around the country to play for all sorts of different audiences.”

September 9, 2024
Alumni Spotlight, ISP, Spotlight

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