DelFest 2024 | ACM, Frostburg students gain experience at festival

May 21—CUMBERLAND — Media students from Allegany College of Maryland and Frostburg State University gain valuable experience working at the DelFest bluegrass and Americana music festival.

The students can often be found behind the many video cameras stationed at each of the three stages at DelFest. Their camera work is fed to the screens allowing it to be seen by thousands in attendance.

Benjamen Wolfhope, 19, of Bedford, Pennsylvania, is a media major at ACM.

"When I signed up for courses at ACM, I wasn't expecting to get to work a big music festival," Wolfhope said. "But, when I learned, I thought that was pretty cool so as soon I heard about it I thought, I better get on that."

The students can also be found moving about the festival filming and photographing the fan experience. The clips are often included in promotional material produced throughout the year for DelFest.

"It's a huge variety of different styles of country and bluegrass and even jazz," Wolfhope said. "It's very cool and the festival atmosphere is great."

Harmony Fetterman, 21, also of Bedford, attends ACM and is a paid intern with Rainmaker Music, the company that manages Del McCoury.

"I was kind of fascinated about what they do and I got to meet Del McCoury and talk to him and meet everybody and I decided I wanted to get involved," Fetterman said.

The footage taken by the students is often edited in short clips called sizzle reels, which are ideal promotional tools on social media. Fetterman does editing of the footage and helps market it.

"I like meeting new people and being part of something really big and exciting," Fetterman said. "It's great that the McCourys do so much for the community."

Sydney Metz, 19, of Westernport, will also work at DelFest this year, which opens Thursday and runs through Sunday at the Allegany County Fairgrounds.

"I enjoy music a lot and really like digital aspect and the video and the photography part of it," Metz said. "I had been looking for a summer internship.

"I had never heard of DelFest before and I have lived around here my entire life. I was surprised at how big it was and all the families that attend."

John Bone, ACM media program director, said DelFest is a unique opportunity.

"In that environment it can be very stressful," Bone said. "Especially in the truck when you are directing. It's intense. But the students can't get that kind of experience anywhere else without having DelFest.

"This group of students is one of the best. They are energetic and willing to go out and get things done."

In addition to ACM's mass media major, a one-year certificate program in social media marketing is offered, which can lead to a paid internship with Rainmaker Music.

Annie Danzi is an associate professor for the Frostburg State University department of communications. She also takes students to work at DelFest.

"It gives the students the opportunity to get an incredible experience in a professional setting," Danzi said. "It's very difficult to get that kind of learning experience from being in the classroom."

Danzi also directed the filming of the documentary "Sweet Appalachia: The Story of DelFest," which debuted at the Palace Theatre in April. The film, which took six years to make, also utilized students in its making.

The documentary will be shown at DelFest at 2 p.m. on Thursday on the Music Hall Stage inside the Allegany County Fairgrounds multi-purpose building.

Greg Larry is a reporter at the Cumberland Times-News. To reach him, call 304-639-4951, email glarry@times-news.com and follow him on Twitter @GregLarryCTN.