Two CU Denver Students Land Gig of a Lifetime at Red Rocks
MEIS students Forrest Raup and Zoe Moff performed an opening set at Red Rocks in October.
Megan Briggs | College of Arts & Media Nov 3, 2022
Two CU Denver music students studying in the College of Arts & Media (CAM) landed a gig of a lifetime when they accompanied local folk artist Cous for a concert at Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre in October.
“The show was sold out so definitely one of the coolest moments was when we ended our set and I looked up to the venue and saw thousands of people standing, cheering, and applauding us,” says CAM student Zoe Moff, who plays bass.
Fellow Students Join Local Folk Artist Cous
Fellow student Forrest Raup recommended Moff to Cassie Wilson, the folk singer-songwriter and guitarist known as Cous. Raup played drums during the Red Rocks performance. The trio played a 30-minute opening set for CAAMP’s October 3, 2022 concert. Moff says they started rehearsing in June and prepared five songs as a trio and Wilson played two solo songs.
Seeing the venue from the behind-the-scenes perspective was “unbelievable,” says Moff. While the other two bands performing that night, Future Bird and CAAMP, were loading in and sound checking, Moff and Raup got a chance to explore things most people never see. “We got to walk around Red Rocks, went through the tunnels, signed the walls, checked out our green room and explored everything that was there!”
Moff and Raup are studying various aspects of the music industry in the Music & Entertainment Industry Studies (MEIS) department. Moff is studying Recording Arts and Music Business with an emphasis on Bass Performance, while Raup is focusing on Audio Production. It’s not uncommon for students of MEIS to be doing the kinds of things Moff and Raup are doing—taking opportunities to perform and get involved in the local music scene in Denver.
Making the Most of College
Moff, for instance, currently works as the Live Sound Engineer for Dazzle Jazz Club, Skylark and Hi-Dive Rock Bar in Denver. She also founded the funk/hip-hop group “People in Between” and functions as the group’s main bassist and arranger. Raup has lent his drumming talent to several bands and professional recordings in addition to offering drumming lessons.
Alumni often say that the college experience is what you make of it, and Moff and Raup are making the most of theirs. “I'm always grateful for the opportunities that pop up in my career, for CAM for being supportive and a great motivation to keep moving forward, for friends and family that are constantly there for me, and for all the incredible musicians and fellow creatives I get to share these experiences with,” Moff says.