Class acts

Even the a cursory glance through the Hot Press Yearbook will convince the hardened sceptic that Irish music is healthier now than it’s ever been.
Not only do Irish artists continue to impress on the international market, but more are scoring record and publishing deals. Others are setting up record labels and marketing and managing their music, either alone or with people who believe in their music.
There are more fine records than we have time to listen to, Irish evening radio was never more supportive of decent rock music and every town and village has a revitalized local interest in live music.
Not surprisingly then, more people than ever are attracted to careers in music, and the smarter among them are acutely aware that ignorance is a serious impediment for those with their eyes on a couple of big prizes. No longer is it enough to blunder along with a “let’s see what happens” non-philosophy. Nothing happens unless you make it happen, and the people going over big in the industry now are those who are committed and determined and are prepared to roll their sleeves up. That’s where music education comes in.
The success of our own MIX (Music Industry Xplained) course, now going into its sixth year, shows how the industry has truly come of age.
And it’s not just the big towns and cities either. Cavan town is abuzz with the graduates and students of the music courses at Cavan Institute. As the leading college of further education in the north midlands and border region, the Institute offers the Higher National Diploma in music technology and the FETAC Award in music performance. Cavan Institute gives musicians hands-on experience in performance and recording.
There are plans for a new campus in September and for the redevelopment of existing facilities to cope with the demand for places on the music-related courses.
As Deputy Principal Gerry McKenny told us: “The graduates of the music courses can go on to degree level at NUI Maynooth or in the UK. The Higher National Diploma in music technology provides students with hands-on experience and training in the technical area of sound engineering and production.
Students present, produce and perform as part of a course that is structured to prepare students for the music industry, so it’s ideal for musicians, singers, songwriters and producers. We offer an ideal environment in which each student can use the knowledge he or she has gained on the course to further their career in music.”
According to Sue Donohue, a graduate of the MIX course and head of music courses at the institute: “Students also use sound equipment and music technology in a production environment that helps them develop their musical work to a production level.”
Cavan Institute certainly provided a path of musical discovery for Paul O’Hanlon.
“I was initially interested because of the sound engineering module, but I got much more interested in music and now want to be a music teacher. The course helped me clarify my future direction. I hope to do a music degree, and I do sound engineering work for friends in a band.”
Cavan Institute also provided Darren Prunty with the first step to a musical career: “I am particularly interested in sound engineering. I took this course as a first step in the ladder for entry into other colleges. I found it was helpful as I’m in a band called The Flying Fish Monkies and we play around Cavan. I would like to study for a degree in music and all the courses at Cavan provide me with the option to continue my studies.”
Cavan Institute is now accepting applicants for places on its music courses. For further information contact the institute at 049 4332633 or at www.cavaninstitute.ie
The Bray Institute of Further Education in north Co. Wicklow offers a diverse variety of degree, diploma and certificate qualifications in subjects ranging from marketing to IT to performing arts.
The institute currently has more than 4,000 full-time and part-time students and enjoys a fine reputation for the standard and professionalism of its lecturers. Given that Bray is both on the Dart and Rosslare-Wexford railway route, its location makes it accessible to people from all over north Leinster and even further afield.
Any budding TV producers out there should check out the institute’s media department, which offers a range of exciting courses. The department uses state-of-the-art equipment in multimedia, television and video, sound recording, music technology and radio broadcasting.
The only city and guilds DJ techniques course in Ireland is available with a purpose-built DJ academy ensuring that students learn the best practical application techniques. Upon successful completion of the course, students leave with their own mixed CDs, a CD-ROM portfolio of their own work and flyer designs, extensive experience of scratching and mixing in live venues, and an invaluable knowledge of event management and club promotions.
Our vibrant and expanding music industry has sparked off a rising demand for sound engineering courses and the institute in Bray fully appreciates the need for a high standard of professionalism required by anyone seeking employment in this competitive area of the business.
To that end, the college has installed a fully professional sound studio, enabling students to gain practical experience of the most modern industry standard equipment. Students are also given a thorough grounding in the technical operations of modern sound and music equipment.
If theatre or performance is your dream career, the Bray Institute has an excellent theatre and produces exciting theatrical productions every year. Graduates of its performing arts, drama and dance courses have found employment, not only as actors, but as producers, set designers, stage lighting technicians and in costume design and make-up.
The institute's dance academy offers a two-year course focusing on dance, performance and related areas, including classical ballet, contemporary dance, jazz, history of dance, kinesiology and theatre studies. For further information check out www.bife.ie or email [email protected].
Kylemore College in Dublin offer full-time FETAC level five courses in music technology and music performance and the profile of the college has soared in recent years, thanks to the skills and commitment of people like Gerard Flanagan and Terry Hackett. According to Hackett: “Our music technology course is for those interested in the technology side of music production, like engineering and production, both live and in studio or home recording, radio or TV. ”
The performance course is for musicians, covering music theory, reading and writing music and the structure of the music industry.
Facilities at Kylemore include rehearsal rooms, various musical instruments, a 24-track recording studio and sequencing software.
Hackett is very excited by the current music scene: “The most exciting thing for me is MySpace. There’s a danger that it could become over-crowded, but at the moment it’s really making quite an impact.”
He also believes that music is now acceptable as a real career: “There was a time when, if you showed interest in working in music full-time, you were likely to be told to get a real job. But now you can formally qualify as a sound engineer or whatever. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. People who want a career in music face really tough competition, so the more they know about their chosen career the better.”
And I guess that’s where Kylemore comes in!
Check out the Kylemore College website at www.kylemorecollegemtc.ie
Dun Laoghaire College of Further Education runs sound engineering and event management courses. As the college’s John McFadden told us: “We cover a variety of genres of music, including heavy metal, indie rock, singer-songwriter, reggae and what I call contemporary/traditional Irish. This year the emphasis is mainly on sound engineering, recording and production. But next year we’ll introduce music theory.”
The college has recording and radio studios, and a wide range of computer facilities geared for musicians. The event management aspect of the course looks at the marketing of gigs, and the course students look after the sound production of the events they run. McFadden was the project director for the One Good Jukebox album, a compilation of songs written and recorded by the students at DCFE – this is one course where students not only learn about music and production but get genuine experience at recording, gigging and making their own records. Can’t be bad, that!
Interested musicians can get more info from the Dun Laoghaire College of Further Education website: www.dlcfe.ie.