Industry backing sets SRC music degree students up for success
5th Jun 2023
Filling the gap between the creative industry and the education sector is Southern Regional College’s brand-new degree in Creative Music and Audio Production. Southern Regional College is the only college in Northern Ireland’s further education sector equipped to deliver this course programme, subject to validation by The Open University.
The degree is open to applications from anyone currently working in the sector, from musician, songwriter, engineer, producer, technician, teacher, promoter, or manager. To launch the degree, the highly successful bluegrass and folk band Cup O’Joe returned to their Southern Regional College origins to see where it all began and check out the Armagh campus’ state of art facilities. The College boasts one of the largest recording studios in further and higher education in the UK. No expense has been spared in equipping studio space, with over £100,000 spent in bringing the latest technology to students.
Current student Rory Harte from Newry is planning to progress onto the course. Rory commented:
“The degree will help me establish a financially realistic path to music, from being a session musician, teacher and opening avenues while continuing to perform live music. It will enable me to develop my portfolio and equip me with the right industry contacts. In the day that I’m in College, my skills will be developed, with the remainder of the week used for doing gigs and making connections in the music industry. It’s the real next step towards getting a job in industry. I would advise anyone to come to SRC”.
Prospective students can expect to be paired with industry clients and work on projects aligned to their own talents and interests. The degree was developed following consultation with music industry professionals who identified gaps in current education provisions. Students can expect to have their skills honed as they gain relevant experience whilst networking with industry professionals; one of the many benefits to the degree.
The innovative industry centred degree will be delivered one day a week over two years. This flexibility allows students to fit study around work commitments. Plus, low tuition fees of £1,178 per year make the course practically a steal compared to full time yearly university fees of £4,700 in Northern Ireland and £9,250 in Scotland, England, or Wales.
Students will be tutored by experts in their field, namely Paddy Craig and Matt Duke. Both lecturers have a long list of musical accomplishments to their names, from musical performances, live sound engineering, studio productions and compositions for radio, TV, and films. Their work has appeared in many outlets including BBC Radio, RTE Radio, Today FM, BBC One, Channel 4 and E4. There is no doubt that students are in the best hands, with these industry experts. Something which Cup O’Joe were quick to note.
Commenting on the new degree, Paddy Craig, lecturer at Southern Regional College commented:
“The degree is a fantastic opportunity to develop your career in music and create something new and exciting with one of the best equipped colleges in the UK!”
Declan Legge, Producer & Artist Manager of Jealous of the Birds/Atlantic Records, further commented:
“The SRC music department has produced some of the best young musicians and technical crew, I have worked with in Northern Ireland. The teaching staff, many of whom still work within the music industry, help to nurture a sense of professionalism and creativity that can only help us to continue to punch above our weight.”
To find out more about the degree, visit: https://bit.ly/41DntL7
Pictured:
Paddy Craig alongside SRC students in the Music Department’s state of the art facilities
