Pro Sound Experience at Strode

Music Technology students at Strode College experienced a taste of the pro live sound music industry last week when Adam Benton, managing director of ASB Industries Ltd found time in his busy touring and festival schedule to pay them a visit.

He brought with him two digital mixing consoles, a MidasPro2 and a Yamaha LS9, both examples of professional sound equipment used throughout the music industry. Adam discussed how to setup and control each mixing console as well as talking about the pro sound industry, job opportunities and working practices.

Subject leader for music technology, Adrian Smith said “ Music industry links and experiences like this are so valuable for our students so we aim to build in as many opportunities as possible.” 

Music Production and Music Technology at Strode College

Music Events Management @ Strode College - Strode Live / Red Brick Building

'Strode Live' @ the Red Brick Building



BTEC Music Technology and BTEC Music students at Strode College have been putting on a number of music events in partnership with the Red Brick Building in Glastonbury.

 
Here is a selection of gigs from 2014 and 2015...

 

June 11th 2015 - Tech Launch Party

Tech Launch Party is an exciting audio- visual performance event to showcase the music and video work created by students studying BTEC Music Technology at Strode College. Featuring UK Grime artist ‘Fluck,’ DJs Frank and Switchflipz, MC Lou Cid and singer songwriter Tolly Snell, the combination of live acts, visual images, music software, video game music, DJs and VJ mixing creates a compelling audio-visual experience.

Organsied by Matt Fluck and Sam Dean

All proceeds will go to the National Autistic Society

May 2015 - Sound Clash 

Event raised £102 for Macmillan Cancer Research

This event was organised by Justin Martin, Dave Darrall and Sean Jeffries as part of their BTEC Music Technology course. 

They featured a number of talented DJs and MCs from the South West drum and Bass scene. This event was the first D'n'B night to be held at the Red Brick Building. There was a great atmosphere at the event and overall it was a highly successful night. Watch this space...

 

April 2015 - Get Funked Up

Raised £168 for the Rural Music Network

Organised by Rebecca Tatchell and Jay Seaward 

(BTEC Music Technology students)

The night featured an 11 piece funky soul band and local singer song writers Ben Russell and Tolly Snell. With sound duties being taken on by Sofie Hunter the whole night ran smoothly and was very enjoyable.

 

March 2015 - Rock for Red Nose

raised £200 for Comic Relief

This gig is just one of many events organised by Strode Live in the local area to promote local talent and give Strode College students the opportunity to gain valuable real world experience in the live events industry. ‘Rock for Red Nose Day’ was organised by BTEC Music Technology students Sofie Hunter and Theo Ainley as part of their music events coursework. 

 

March 2014 - Eventide

This event raised £500 for the 'AH2O' charity

Organised by Madi Mwanza as part of his Music Events Management unit within the BTEC Music Technology course at Strode College. The Red Brick Building was absolutely packed and the night was a real success. Madi has now gone on to study Music Events in Brighton.

October 2014 - Oxjam
Organised by Gary Smith while studying a BTEC in Music Technology at Strode College. This event has now become a regular fixture in the Glastonbury gig calendar. Featuring many local bands and now being held across a number of venues this event is an effective showcase for the local music scene while also raising thousands of pounds for Oxfam

BTEC Music Technology students scoop awards

We are very pleased to announce that two of our BTEC Music Technology students have been given awards for their work in the annual Strode College awards evening held at Strode Theatre

Music student of the year - Tom Mills-Smith
Outstanding Contribution - Gary Smith 

Tom achieved a D*D*D* grade in the BTEC Extended Diploma in Music Technology and an A grade in the Extended Project Qualification in July 2014. Right from the outset it was clear that Tom had a talent for music composition and that he intended to combine this with his passion for creating computer games. A talented guitar player with excellent music production skills on software and in the studio.

Tom is now studying for a BSc in Games Technology at the University of the West of England, Bristol. Here is an example of the music and sound design work Tom created for a video game trailer. This work contributed to his strong composition portfolio that  included music for video games, TV adverts, a musical toy and a silent film.

Gary gained a D*D*D* grade in the BTEC Extended Diploma in Music Technology in July 2014 as well as completing an Extended Project Qualification. He took a mature approach to all the assignment work and projects set on the course and showed time after time to be highly motivated and a positive influence on the other students in the group.

Over and above his College course commitments Gary became involved in many extra curricula projects at College and the local community. He took on a key role in the team of students that organised a record and CD sale in the College refectory raising money for an eating disorder charity called ‘BEAT’. Gary also organised a video game conference at Strode Theatre with talks from many influential people working in the industry including interviews held on the other side of the world using SKYPE. He worked voluntarily as a sound engineer for music events at the Red Brick Building in Glastonbury and has been regularly featured on Glastonbury FM.

Gary organised the first ‘Oxjam’ music event in 2013 at the Red Brick Building as coursework evidence for the Music Events unit. This event has now become a yearly fixture in the local music calendar raising over £1,500 in 2014 across multiple venues and showcases almost all the bands and artists in the area. Gary is passionate about music and is a valued member of the Strode Live team supporting and promoting Strode College music artists.

The music team were extremely pleased and proud when Gary gained employment at Strode College in the post of ‘E Learning and Information Resources Co-ordinator’ working with the Learning Resource Centre Team.

http://www.mrkeepcalm.co.uk/

HE course in Music Production at Weston College University Campus

We took a group of students to visit the University campus of Weston College recently.

Tony Hobden ran a studio recording workshop and showed everyone around the amazing facilities.









The BTEC and A Level courses at Strode College offer students the opportunity to investigate some of the many options available to them when they finish their course.

Weston College is only a short distance away and offers a 2 year Foundation Degree in Music Product.

Recording Workshop
Great facilities and great equipment

Our students got involved in a vocal recording session for a local blues band.

Ex Strode student Ben Notley is now studying for a degree at Weston College. He is enjoying the course and demonstrated his excellent studio skills on the day.

O2 Academy Bristol and Professional Music Technology visit - somerset music industry links

  Music Technology students from Strode College visited the O2Academy in Bristol this month for a technical tour of the venue. 

The sound and lighting manager Matt Royston-Bishop took the group backstage, on stage and behind the main mixing console. 

He explained the features of the digital desks and how the sound is sent all around the venue from the stage.

 The students had a chance to operate the mixing console and ask questions of a highly experienced sound engineer. This is part of a wider focus on building awareness and creating links in the local music industry. Music tutor Adrian Smith commented “ We have now established a link with the O2 in Bristol and built this visit into the live sound and technical stage management areas of the course.”

 Matt discussed a typical band 'rider' using the actual documents sent in by the 'Kerrang' tour playing the day after we visited. Earlier, the students had all crammed into the small and slightly smelly band dressing room backstage and got to step into the, even smaller, amp room that houses the 25,000Watts of power that make the sound system in the O2 so powerful.The 15 bass bins sounded very cool.

After the visit we all stopped off at Bristol's biggest and best music retailer - PMT "Professional Music Technology' to check out the guitars, basses, drum kits, keyboards, studio kit and synthesizers on sale. This is a truly awesome shop and well worth a visit.

Its not every day you get to try a £4,000 guitar!

BTEC and A Level Music Technology at Strode College - We have a number of  students who have gained work in live sound including Dave Perry who works at the Octagen in Yeovil, Ollie Chamberlain who works for Vortex Events Ltd and Bruce Macdonald who is currently touring the UK as sound engineer for an up and coming metal band. He is also studying for a Foundation Degree in Live Sound down in Plymouth. 

 

Sofie Hunter (Shepton Mallet) is currently studying the BTEC Music Technology course. Alongside her studies she works for a local live sound company running the sound and stage for corporate events and festivals including Farm Fest in Bruton. 

Here she is running the Yamaha digital sound desk at Strode Theatre during a recent Strode College concert. 

Music Technology students learn skills for employment in the industry

Our BTEC students at Strode College are learning to setup guitars, troubleshoot amps and tune drum kits. They are developing skills that help gain work in the live events industry as stage crew, guitar techs, drum tech and sound engineers. As well as this they are learning how to manage and promote music events and develop their own business ideas and portfolios so they are ready to apply for work or a place at University.

We have links with industry including local music shops, studios, venues and festivals. This has resulted in a number of students gaining real work and work experience. Every year we visit the O2 Academy in Bristol to be shown the sound system working. We also visit industry shows and local studios including Real World and Orchard Studios. Here are some of the gigs booked and managed by our students this year. 

Gig List
12/03 'Rock for Red Nose' - Red Brick Building in Glastonbury
23/04 'Rural Music Network Launch Night' - Red Brick Building in Glastonbury
14/05 'DJ Soundclash' - Red Brick Building in Glastonbury
16/05 'The Sound of Glastonbury' - King Arthur Glastonbury

 

For more information about the courses we offer please contact Adrian Smith asmith@strode-college.ac.uk

Course Info: 
http://www.strode-college.ac.uk/course_galleries/music_technology/103
 


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