Learning the game

It has yet to be released on this side of the Atlantic but by all accounts School Of Rock starring Jack Black (of High Fidelity and Tenacious D fame) promises to be one of the hit movies of 2004. The film centres around Black’s rock-obsessed character’s attempts to turn a class of 10-year-olds into a world-beating rock outfit in order to win a battle of the bands contest. Though the plot might sound a tad far fetched, it does beg the question – can music be taught? Can a rock star be created in the classroom? Is it possible to teach someone the rudiments of being a performer?

“You can’t make a rock star,” says Matt Kelligan, of the Ballyfermot College of Further Education (often known as “The Rock School”), but you can bring out skills in someone and make them aware of the things they need to know to make a career as a musician or performer. Having the talent is just one part of the equation. If you don’t have the knowledge you can get lost in the rush.”
The results are there for all to see. Mundy, Damien Dempsey and Elaine K are graduates of the music course in Ballyfermot’s “Rock School”. Several members of Ireland’s biggest export The Thrills learned their chops at Newpark Music Centre. Sinéad Lohan attended the music course at Scoil Stiofain Naoifa in Cork. Most of the new generation of the country’s top sound and lighting engineers learned their trade at places like The Sound Training Centre, Pulse Recording and Dun Laoghaire College of Further Education.
Almost everyone you meet in any branch of the music industry has at least some form of specialised formal training. The fact is – if you want a career in the music industry – you’ll almost certainly be in competition with those who have such qualifications under their belt.

Going to Rock School in Ballyfermot
The highly regarded National Diploma in Popular Music at Ballyfermot is aimed at students who aspire to become professional musicians and who want to learn about the music industry. It creates a working environment in which students can develop skills of self-expression, musical composition, presentation and performance. Live performances in the college and at city centre venues are an exciting and integral part of the course.
“Apart from the formal training it’s a great place for bands and musicians to network and make contacts with other musicians,” says Matt Kelligan. “We have a lot of very promising singer-songwriters coming through at the moment.”

Newpark’s A Thrill
The Professional Musician Training Course at Newpark Music Centre in Blackrock, Co Dublin, is specifically designed to prepare participants for a career as a professional musician. The course is structured to equip them for the many different tasks that a professional in today’s music world is expected to perform.
“A lot of people think the course is purely jazz oriented but it’s not genre specific,” says Course Director Nigel Flegg. “We take students through every style – from pop, jazz r&b, soul, jazz & Latin.”
The course is structured in three teaching terms and runs from September to May. In addition to ten hours teaching per week, instrumental practice, composition and assignments’ hours are also required.
“You would need to have a reasonable level of ability on your principal instrument,” says Flegg. “But we would often get people who had only been playing a couple of years who do very well on the course. We would be more interested in potential and a good attitude than proficiency.”
According to Flegg employment opportunities are excellent for graduates of Newpark Professional Musician Course.
“Ben Carrigan, the drummer from The Thrills is one of our past pupils and we have a lot of ex students who go into recording, production and teaching.”

Understanding the craft at Colaiste Stiofain Naofa, Cork
As in Newpark and Ballyfermot, the Music, Management and Sound course at Colaiste Stiofain Naofa in Cork aims to provide participants with hands-on experience, training, information and advice on all aspects of the music industry. On the course, each student specialises in live performance, engineering studio recordings and live performances, studying music law (e.g. contracts and copyright), songwriting techniques, instrument tuition along with marketing and promotion of music as a product.
Songwriting is a major feature of the course – past pupil Sinéad Lohan is one of the school’s success stories.
“Even if people don’t write songs themselves, we look at the craft so that people can understand things like melody, harmony, structure, development, arrangement and production,” says Course Administrator Chris Aherne.
Students obtain work experience working with local bands and visiting bands, local recording studios, venues and PA.
For more info contact Colaiste Stiofain Naofa Tramore Road, Cork Phone: 021 4961020

Wide range at DLCFE
The demand for courses in recording, engineering and production shows no sign of abating and this area still provides plenty of employment opportunities. Dun Laoghaire College of Further Education offers a wide range of courses at PLC, Professional and Post Graduate Level.
One of their most popular courses is the Certificate in Sound Engineering. This one-year course provides a combination of practical and theoretical tuition in all aspects of digital sound engineering and event production, from the operation of a fully-equipped digital studio to live performance recording. It also covers radio production, music industry studies, event production, info and communications systems, media analysis and digital imaging. Course content includes:
• Sound Engineering and Production
• Event Production
• Radio Programme Production
• Music Industry Studies
• Information and Communications Systems
• Communications
Other popular courses at DLCFE include Certificate courses in Creative Audio Visual Production, Print Journalism, Theatre Production and Management and Media: Print, TV, Video and Radio.
Dun Laoghaire College of Further Education will be hosting an Open Day on Wednesday 4 February 1.30.pm – 4.30pm. Here prospective students will have the chance to speak to course co-ordinators, teachers and students.

Developing skills at STC
One of the most highly regarded of all music related courses is The Sound Engineering and Music Technology Course at the Sound Training Centre (STC) in Dublin’s Temple Bar. The aim of this course is “to give students the necessary expertise, through hands-on experience and to provide them with the technical knowledge and business acumen required to gain employment as a Sound Engineer.”
“We try to develop the students as artists themselves,” says Leslie Stapleton Head of Music at STC. “As well as technical skills – they’re brought through a programme in music theory.”
So what does a prospective Sound Engineering student need to make it at STC?
“We’re looking at people with a reasonable Leaving Cert but we’re dealing with aesthetics here so we need to speak to people,” says Stapleton. “We like them to present a portfolio of work and to show some kind of commitment to the subject.”
Based in the largest professional training facility of its kind in Europe, the Sound Training Centre boasts an impressive placement record for ex students: Graduates of STC are working at RTE, Channel 4, Windmill Lane, Warner Brothers, Sony, Today FM, 98 FM, The Church (Dave Stewart), Westland, The Helix, Robbie Williams, Witnness and many more . . .
The courses at STC which also include Lighting and Stage Production are delivered by a team of experienced industry professionals, all of whom are acknowledged experts in their field. Additional specialised areas of the course are taught by a panel of guest lecturers. Part time courses at STC include Sound Engineering and Music Technology (Part-Time 32 weeks, two evenings per week) and Music Technology and Recording Techniques (Part-Time 15 weeks, one evening per week)

Certified Pro Tools Training at Pulse
Knowledge of Pro Tools is vital in the world of audio production. Whether it’s composition, recording, sound design, broadcasting or post-production, Pro Tools skills are essential in the modern Pro-Audio world.
The creators of Pro Tools, Digi-design, have created a complete multi-part training programme with stringent requirements as to the level of expertise and equipment required by any organisation wishing to provide their approved course. Pulse Recording College are currently the only training organisation in Ireland to have met these requirements and are offering a number of Pro Tools courses. The Pro Tools 101 Course focuses on the foundation skills needed to learn and function within the Pro Tools environment at a basic level. The aim of the course is to help individuals to start working on their own projects on Pro Tools. Pre-requisites for anyone wishing to take part in the course include basic computer skills, some audio recording knowledge and some Pro Tools familiarity.
Topics covered in the course include: System Capabilities Hard Disk Basics, Understanding the Pro Tools File System, Recording Modes and Techniques, Basic Editing Skills. Pro Tools 201 focuses on the foundation skills needed to operate a Pro Tools TDM system in a professional environment. Pre-requisites: Completion of the Pro Tools 101 Course and online Pro Tools 101 exam. Pro Tools 210M focuses on completing 200-level training with a music focus. Concepts and skills learned in 201 are reinforced with music-specific examples.
Pulse has a 10-year history of excellence in training and continues to provide highly skilled sound engineers for all areas of the audio industry. Students participating on the course this year will be housed in the recently constructed purpose built college which is a modern state-of-the-art facility, incorporating a fully equipped analogue/digital recording studio, computer room, lecture facilities and amenities.
Pulse will have open days from March 5 to March 7 which will consist of tours of the recording studios and college facilities, demonstrations and discussing courses available and career opportunities in all areas of the music and audio industry.