Youth Spotlight: Mitch Achten

My name is Mitch Achten, I'm 24 and I live in Emerald.

I got involved with 3MDR halfway through year 12. I wanted to learn how to mix audio and the studio was looking for new people to learn. About 6 months later, I joined 3MDR’s youth show Fresh Air alongside a team of other young people.

While doing this I had plans for Not Quite Midnight. The idea floated around for two and a half years and on New Years Eve 2016, Not Quite Midnight aired for the first time. There was an awesome crew of people at 3MDR to back me up, sending me music and helping me run the live music sessions.

The show really exploded once I was joined by my co-hosts Trent and Hayden who have added their own creativity and ideas each week since late 2018.

I don’t think there are words for what music means to me! I was fifteen or sixteen and introduced to acts like My Chemical Romance, The Amity Affliction and Breaking Benjamin when I really started paying attention to music.

I think finding those bands really kick started my interest in mixing and trying to create those sounds in a live setting. I hope to increase the number of live bands playing in the studio and put more shows on in the future. Who knows, towards the end of the year we might even attempt a local festival?