LIPA | Leeds Met | Gateway

LIPA

Haydn Bendall reports...

JAMES was invited by LIPA (The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts) to put together a panel of four JAMES working group members. Haydn Bendall, Dave Harries, Tony Platt and Dennis Weinriech made up the panel and discussed their various views and experience with the LIPA students on Thursday 1st. Feb. The panel travelled to Liverpool the evening before the seminar and was accommodated at the well-known "ADELPHI" hotel; its charm has not changed over the last 30 years!

We were shown around the very impressive facility by LIPA’s Jon Thornton and actually had a great day talking to the students. The theatre was put at our disposal and it was quite a thrill to be on the same stage that Charles Dickens had once given a reading from. The discussion was very open and was expertly moderated by Tony Platt, who had designed a format for the day. The conversation ranged from the panel’s opinions on how the training and disciplines of producers, engineers, studio designers and owners have evolved over the past thirty years to the royalty rates one can expect from digital downloads.

What impressed the panel was not only the facility but the extremely enjoyable and intelligent students themselves, who asked searching questions and made the day very useful to all participants. We think that what impressed the students was the fact that four old guys could rattle on quite as enthusiastically as they did!

LEEDS MET

Dennis Weinreich reports...

As a follow-up to their recent course Accreditation by JAMES, the 14th March saw Tony Platt, Simon Van Zwanenberg, Mick Glossop and myself supplying a JAMES panel seminar to Leeds Metropolitan University.

Steve Parker and Martin Briggs, Principle Lecturers at Leeds Met made us very welcome and went to great lengths to keep us entertained, even arranging for Jimmy Saville to be at the Indian Restaurant on the evening of our arrival!

The sessions were held in Lecture Theatre E in the James Graham building that accommodates 165 students. Pleasingly, the morning session was about 80% full with the afternoon session at “standing room” only. It seems that word had spread that the guy who engineered AC/DC’s “Back in Black” was in the building, as the row of seats directly in front of Tony Platt was absolutely packed. This was also true for Mick Glossop’s audience!

The room was very interested in matters relating to the process of making records, how technology impacted on the process and the mind games that go into dealing with record companies and artists. Tony Platt, as usual played devil’s advocate, aiming to stimulate thought about the overall business and how this model is forever changing.

I chaired a discussion on Innovation and Enterprise where matters of business were energetically discussed. As usual, the after-session where students get a chance to talk to us “one on one” was very interesting. The students I spoke with were motivated, passionate and realistic about their potential future within the audio industry.

The facilities at Leeds Met were frankly superb. Their two large Munro Associates Studios would not be out of place in any professional facility. In addition, they boast another four Munro controls rooms and four more live rooms, two of which are dedicated to Foley and ADR. 



Our visit was very much appreciated by the staff and students and reinforces in my mind the quality of course and student that Leeds Met are producing.

Comment from Steve Parker - I've had a very positive reaction back from the students, from 'awesome' to 'fantastic' and ‘a great day'. In particular, one guy said. “In my opinion the university’s money was very well spent. I found the day informative, inspirational and it gave me a little hope that some day I could be doing what I want if I can just adapt the right attitude and work ethic.”

GATEWAY

Phil Harding reports...

The relocated (Kingston to Clapham) Gateway School of Recording hosted a panel of JAMES working group members. Melvyn Toms, Phil Harding and Harry Leckstein made up the panel and discussed their various views and Music Industry experience with the Gateway students on Friday 16th Feb.

Daren Pickles and the team showed us around the excellent Gateway facilities, proving that you can still find great spaces in central London. The Gateway team has fantastically executed the move of equipment during what has been a difficult time for them (deciding to downsize student numbers during the process). We had a great day talking to the students, who were enthusiastic and engaging throughout the seminar, which covered a range of subjects from the Art of Music Production through to the marketing and business of music in 2007.