A group of Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) music and audio production students have gone on tour, performing four free concerts around the south, with their rock and pop covers band SIT Soundz 2023.

Student musicians Hamish O’Donnell (drums), Lachlan Hickford (guitar), Daniel Aldersley (guitar, saxophone), Megan Hay (vocals), Noak Thomas (vocals), Amee Hope-Johnstone (vocals), Haydn Dyer (vocals, bass), Quillan Percival (keyboard) are all in the final year of their respective degree courses.

Aldersley said the experience of putting together and executing a tour would be a great opportunity to improve his organisational skills.

He was also looking forward to becoming more comfortable with my instrument, and being able to play for a long period of time with a setlist of his favourite songs.

O’Donnell said he was looking forward to playing live in front of an audience and getting to do the tour with his friends.

SIT Music Programme Manager Antonio Mercuri said the free concerts have been arranged through a combination of connections, timed with events and where the students would like to play.

“The annual tour provides an invaluable real-life education for those students who are serious about committing to music as a career,”

The students will be graded on their organisational process as well as some of the live music, Mercuri said.

The band will be playing at Te Anau's Redcliff Cafe (1 Jun), Twisel's Razza Bar (2 Jun), the Silverstream Hotel in Kimbell (3 Jun), before finishing up at Oamaru's Steam Punk Festival at Kings Birthday Weekend (from 4 Jun).