School of Rock: The Ballyfermot College of Further Education

A leader in media courses since it first opened its doors in 1979, Ballyfermot College of Further Education has further solidified its place at the top table of the industry with its Higher National Diploma in Music Management.

Since 1998, the course has delivered a programme that is tailored to meet the demands of the music industry. Giving students a grounding in areas ranging from business and marketing knowledge to legal know-how and event management skills, the BCFE course is tailored to maximise the chances of a successful career in the industry.
Indeed, one doesn’t have to look far to find success stories. Damien Rice’s manager Bernadette Barrett was a graduate from the first ever music management course; up-and-comer Rocstrong is managed by one of the current students. Other graduates have gone on to thrive in PR, marketing, promotion – and just about every aspect of the industry you can imagine. Damien Dempsey and Hot Press' Róisín Dwyer are both former alumni...
Joan Condron, a programme Leader at BCFE, says: “Our course equips students to critically evaluate the industry in the 21st century. All of these people have gained sustained success because of the skills learned in Ballyfermot.
“It’s never just one thing,” she adds. “You need the business acumen, an academic background and the practical skills to be able to forge a path in the industry.”
The team at BCFE strike a keen balance between academic understanding and practical application, with an emphasis on hands-on experience. Subjects include The Music Business in the 21st Century, Music Industry Event Management and Marketing the Creative Arts.
There has also been a parade of guest speakers and industry insiders. “You have to keep moving,” Joan says. “The industry keeps changing. It’s still a can-do business, of course, but it’s not like years gone by when a nod and a wink would do. You need qualifications. Things might be available online. However, our course really gets you higher up on the ladder.”
Even while studying, students receive practical grounding in organising, promoting and delivering events. There are also key links with academic institutions abroad, reflecting the global nature of the music industry — and, of course, the level of preparation that the course provides for students.
A partnership with the Herman Brood Academie in the Netherlands has seen undergraduates organising tours for Dutch acts here in Ireland, looking after everything from accommodation and travel to gigs, which the students to coordinate. This year’s visitors, Our Minor Fall, even found themselves playing a Hot Press Storeroom Session (which you can find on hotpress.com).
Past graduates, like IMRO’s David Wilkinson, are effusive in their praise for the course. “It gave me the skill set required,” he says, “and I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.”
Mary-Kate Murphy, currently working her PR magic with Warners Music Ireland, adds that the course “offered great knowledge of the music industry, with a lot of guidance and experience. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to get into this mad music business!” And so say all of us!