Solent graduates on stage and behind the scenes for McFly show at St Mary's Stadium this weekend

Drummer Rai Owen will perform with his band at St Mary's Stadium on Sunday to support McFly, while fellow graduates Ruby-Mai Stratford and Charlotte Maynard will be there as the band's management team.

The band, Myriad, secured the support slot after winning Battle of the Bands, a competition celebrating bands and artists from Southampton and the surrounding area, at the final last month.

For Rai, who graduated from Solent's BA (Hons) Popular Music Production course in July 2024, Sunday's show is the result of constant development since leaving university and a demonstration of what practice-led education can produce.

His Course Leader, Toni Diaz, says the achievement is remarkable but no surprise:

"During his time on the course, Rai took on every opportunity to develop his drumming skills in a range of live and studio settings. With his tutor, Ted Carrasco, he broadened his knowledge of a wide variety of music, and it has been a joy to hear him develop at Solent. We always expected he would play in front of stadium crowds, but to do it within two years of graduating is phenomenal."

Rai credits his time at Solent with giving him both the technical grounding and the confidence to succeed in the industry. Live assessed gigs and studio sessions were the parts of his course that translated most directly to the professional world, alongside a recording session at Abbey Road Studios, which gave him a direct insight into how the industry operates at the highest level.

"Throughout my time at Solent I was constantly developing as a musician. Each module I studied has given me different skills which I will continue to use for the rest of my life,” he says. “I'd say that University put me in situations where I didn't always feel comfortable, but in the end these situations were the ones that really developed me the most."

Behind the scenes, fellow graduates Ruby-Mai Stratford and Charlotte Maynard, both from Solent's BA (Hons) Music Business degree, are the management team who have been working with Myriad through their EP release, putting into practice everything their degrees prepared them for.

The pair were introduced to the band through their course at Solent and chose to co-manage the band as a team. "There are still not enough women in management roles within the music industry, so it felt empowering to build something together and support each other while helping to develop a band we genuinely believed in," Ruby says.

For Charlotte, Sunday's show marks a significant moment in both their careers. "Watching Myriad progress from supporting The Summer Set, to The Hunna, and now McFly has been incredibly rewarding. Every opportunity seems to be bigger than the last, and it's exciting to see the momentum continuing to build."

Course Leader for Music Industries, James Hannam, says the experience reflects exactly what Solent's music business course is designed to deliver:

"Ruby and Charlotte have done a brilliant job working with local band Myriad this year. It's great to see how much they have both learned from the experience, which shows the importance of students undertaking music industry work experience alongside their studies. We wish Ruby and Charlotte well in their careers, following their graduation from Solent in July."

Southampton Solent University offers a range of music and music business courses built around real-world learning and industry experience, equipping students with the skills, confidence and connections to build careers from the moment they graduate.

Find out more about music courses at Solent here.