King Me: FSU's music programmer wins big at COCA

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If you wanted further proof that Fanshawe College has the best staff running, look no further than Pat Maloney, Music Programmer for the FSU. This summer, Maloney won Best Full—Time Programmer from the Canadian Organization of Campus Activities at their 2011 COCA National Conference in Whistler, British Columbia.

Maloney's win sees the award back at Fanshawe for the first time since John Young won it in 1994.

Having been in the role at Fanshawe for four years, Maloney has definitely gotten to know the ins and outs of the job, organizing music and entertainment here on campus. He also has invaluable insight from experience; it wasn't all that long ago that Maloney was in bands performing on the campus circuit, a former COCA artist himself.

"Nothing really comes as a surprise, because I've played so much," Maloney agreed, adding that it has facilitated his own work. "It helped me know how to deal with bands, how to treat them properly and understand what needs they might have."

Even now he finds a balance between work and music as a member of Two Crown King, an act with very strong Fanshawe ties thanks to multiple members having graduated from the Music Industry Arts program among others.

"We have a fondness for that, for sure," he said of the band's connection to the college. "Through MIA I met a lot of the people that have helped to launch the band, and Fanshawe College and the Student Union have been a huge support, which really puts us in front of a lot of people." Maloney graduated from Fanshawe's MIA program in 2006.

"There are a lot of bands that come out of the program but don't really do much with it, so it's exciting to be a part of one of the stronger groups coming out, it's really cool to be a part of that community."

To say that the band has been busy recently would be an understatement. Having released their self—titled EP on July 1, Two Crown King enjoyed a string of summer performances that included a gig at the SCENE Music Festival in St. Catharines, an acoustic set at Grooves to launch their release on vinyl and a CD release to a crowded house at Rumrunners to list a few.