The healthy Irish economy has inspired many Irish people to seek to forge their own independent paths to careers in countless disciplines where success quite often depends on whether they have the necessary qualifications. As a result there has been a remarkable expansion in the demand for suitable courses in various music-related subjects and in the frantic competition for enrolments to appropriate courses. Many hotpress readers are thinking ahead to their study plans for next year and onwards.

So if you are one of those now checking your study and career choices, you may be bewildered and confounded by the mind-boggling range of options open to you in an apparently infinite number of permutations. Here, we present a selection of the range of courses available to anyone desiring to add to their education portfolio, not merely to help fulfill career plans but for one's own sense of personal achievement.

According to the latest figures issued in Britain, Irish artists officially account for 7% of the sales of albums and singles in the UK. This remarkable accomplishment is unprecedented, so it's hardly surprising to observe an increasing number of Irish people seeking careers in the music industry either at home or abroad.

Meanwhile the music scene throughout Ireland is more vibrant than we've experienced in quite a while. The lessons taught by artists like Jack L, Kieran Goss and the phenomenon that is David Gray, all of whom bravely decided to hack their own path through the music jungle, have created a knock-on need for self-reliant professionalism right across the careers spectrum.

The non-stop changes in technology, not least as they affect careers in music, has placed education in pole position on the social agenda. No longer is it a matter of avoiding the old style carrot-and-stick routine of school or college. Modern educational techniques have tended to take the boredom from study and substituted the pleasure of innovation and the challenge of stimulating fun.

But whether you seek a career in music, or in any other field, you'll find a ready acknowledgement of the fact that those who fail to keep up are likely to lose out to those who can offer prospective employers and customers what they demand. Education, that's the name of the game these days.

KYLEMORE COLLEGE

Deirdre Costello, director of Westland Studios, is only one of many industry specialists to sing the praises of the Music (Performance and Technology) course at Kylemore College. According to Costello's glowing testimonial, "The course in Kylemore College enables the student to gain a broad and thorough knowledge of the foundations of sound engineering and related areas. It can only be of benefit to anyone interested in a career in the audio industry."

The audio industry in Ireland has shown remarkable development in recent years and now embraces career outlets in local and community radio, sound production and sound engineering studios. So the general intention of the course is to prepare students for a range of career opportunities within the audio industry and in related industries. Potential employees in these areas are now expected by employers to be qualified and competently skilled so as to enable companies to thrive in what is an increasingly competitive and unforgiving marketplace. The Kylemore course has been developed to achieve those ends.

The course lasts one year and successful students receive an NCVA level 2 Award in Performing Arts-Music. A wide variety of subjects are covered, including Music Technology, Computer Applications, Music Theory and Music Industry Studies, and facilities at Kylemore include a full-equipped digital recording studio and work-stations using the latest technology.

Spaces on the course are limited and admission is subject to interview.

For further information: PLC Admissions Officer, Kylemore College, Kylemore Road, Dublin 10. Phone: 01-6265901 Fax: 01-623 4780.

SOUND TRAINING

CENTRE

Located in the Temple Bar Music Centre, the Sound Training Centre (STC) is the first training centre of its kind in Ireland. STC courses and examinations have effectively set new standards for training within the music industry.

Affiliated to City & Guilds (London), the Sound Training Centre syllabus has been developed in conjunction with the needs of potential employers and is regularly updated to reflect both technological advances and variations in employers' requirements.

Because of the very practical nature of the industry, STC places a strong emphasis on the "hands on" element of their courses. Every student at the Centre is given the opportunity to conduct their own recording sessions and, in the case of stage production courses, encouraged to take charge of a live performance situation.

STC is a unique training facility in that students train in an industry environment, working alongside industry professionals, building an extensive client base and networking with potential employers as they train.

The Centre offers a complete and very comprehensive training package: students acquire the knowledge, the skills, the contacts and the right attitude to pursue a successful career in the music industry. As a result STC maintains a consistently high employment rate for successful graduates of the course and has earned a reputation for high standards that has spread far beyond these shores.

For more information contact Eithne Mooney, Course Co-ordinator, at 01 670 90 33 or visit the Sound Training Centre at www.soundtraining.com

COLAISTE STIOFAN NAOFA

The Cork-based Colaiste Stiofan Naofa runs an impressive Music Management and Sound course designed specifically for those intent on a career in the music business. Their course takes one year, but students, (Sinead Lohan is just one of many successful graduates) can go on for another year. As course co-ordinator Chris Ahern told us, "the main aim of our course is to help students to become as familiar as possible with the inner workings of the music industry."

Their course is really for post-Leaving Certificate students, but he also added that there are many who come to the course who have already studied for degrees and there are some who have actually had some experience working in the industry but have determined to add or update their knowledge or some specific part of it.

The Musicianship part of the tripartite course teaches students to play an instrument and to read music. Section two looks at Sound Engineering and uses the College's 8-track studio complete with full midi-sequencing. The third part of the course focuses on Management, relevant aspects of marketing and promotion plus contracts as they relate to recording, management and publishing. Training in lighting, electronics and voice-production are also covered in this wide-ranging course.

Chris Ahern encourages the practice of allowing students to interface with key music business practitioners and experts of the stature of producer Declan Sinnott. Hothouse Flower Liam O Maonlai has also shared his invaluable experiences with course participants.

But there are some forthright words of caution also on offer from Ahern who believes that "No course should be perceived as a simple magic wand that'll turn you into a music industry expert overnight, but the outlook is very positive for those who put in the effort and there are increasing opportunities for the students who complete our course."

Contact: Colaiste Stiofan Naofa, Tramore Road, Cork. Phone: 021-961020. Fax: 021-961320.

NEWPARK MUSIC

CENTRE

The Access Course at the Newpark Music Centre is a one-year part-time course designed to prepare students to audition for the Centre's own Professional Musician Training Course. The Access Course costs £800 and includes an hour-long instrument-based tuition session every week, as well as classes in reading skills and ear training. Entry is by audition.

The Professional Musician Training Course is now in its sixth year and costs £1,600. This one-year full-time practical course is intended specifically to prepare participants for careers as professional musicians. It's a certificate qualification on completion of one year. It is also a foundation year for the LGSM (Licentiate Of Guildhall School Of Music, London) diploma in jazz studies. Auditions for potential participants are held in May.

As fellow members of the International Association of Schools Of Jazz, the LGSM and the Newpark Music Centre offer a licentiate diploma course in jazz studies. This is an internationally-recognised qualification and covers instrument tuition, jazz improvisation, ear training, harmony and chord voicings, arranging and jazz history. The diploma is awarded after examinations in June. Admission is through audition or on successfully completing the afore-mentioned certificate course.

Newpark Music Centre is also playing host to one of music's most renowned international schools, Berklee College of Music, Boston. Berklee is visiting from 17th to 21st April 2001 as part of their World Scholarship Tour. During Berklee's last tour in 1999 they awarded £160,000 worth of scholarships in Newpark, so in 2001 they're hoping for the same or more!

Closing date for applying for the audition is March 20th.

Interested parties are also invited to attend an Open Day on 28th March, including an introductory talk at 10 am, followed by a visit to classes and workshops. There's a question and answer session at noon related to the available courses.

For further information contact: Hilda Milner, Newpark Music Centre, Newtownpark Ave, Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Tel: 01-2883740 Fax: 01-2883989 or e-mail to <[email protected]>

BALLYFERMOT

The Ballyfermot College Of Further Education, formerly known to us as the Senior College, caters for a student population of around 2,000, with about 1,400 taking post-secondary PLC courses and over 1,600 part-time participants. The College provides training intended to meet the requirements of modern business, industry and social services, as well as newer areas such as radio, television, animation, computing and electronics. The college also aims to provide part-time courses for the wider community in the professional skills, cultural and recreational areas.

Their Certificate In Popular Music Performance is one of the most popular courses provided by what is affectionately known in the Irish music industry as the Rock School. This course offers a working environment through which students can develop skills in self-expression, musical composition, presentation and performance. Students gain an in-depth knowledge of all aspects of the music industry and have the opportunity to work creatively together. The course also introduces students to the composition of music using MIDI interfacing. Live performances in city centre venues are also an exciting and integral feature of the course.

Another popular course at Ballyfermot is the Higher National Diploma In Music Management And Music Production (BTEC). This course is an integrated programme of learning with the emphasis on developing the personal skills required for professional management in the music industry.

The syllabus covers the domestic and international music industry, the production of music events and the workings of record deals. A wide range of business skills also feature on the course including marketing, public relations and legal studies. Guest lecturers from the industry address the students every week.

For further information: <[email protected]>

SOUNDLINK

Soundlink is a comparatively new training course in Music, Music Business, Radio Production and Sound Engineering. The course is full-time and runs for two years, with certification from the NCVA Level 2 in Music-Performing Arts. (It does not run to the academic year)

Any person over the age of 17 with a disability, specific learning difficulty or a general health issue that has prevented access to mainstream work or training is eligible to apply for Soundlink. There are no course fees. Soundlink is delivered by a dynamic team of Music Industry Professionals and Organisations. The course endeavours to introduce students to key players in the music industry, allowing them to foster their own contacts and develop innovative ideas. This is achieved through visiting guest lectures, site visits, project based work such as CD recording and production, and the organisation of public events.

An in-house digital recording studio, with external training in some of Dublin's leading studios, is available to Soundlink students. The final element in the programme provides assistance for students in securing work placements through the Work Experience module in their specific areas of interest. 90% of past students are currently working in the sector.

For further info contact: Jody Ackland or Finola McTernan at 01-2781500 or [email protected]

Jackie Hayden is the author of The Need To Know Guide To The Record Industry and co-author of The Need To Know Guide To Careers In Music, both available from Foxrock Music Productions at £9.99.