Music students make their own tracks

Nescot’s newest Music Technology students have made their own tracks in the first project of the academic year.

First-year students on the Level 3 course were each asked to select a genre of music and research it thoroughly, learning about how their chosen type of music could be identified.

Each student then gave a presentation to the rest of the class about what they’d learnt, and then used the college’s industry-standard software to make their own track in the same genre.

“It was pretty daunting at first, because I’d never done anything like that before, but I really enjoyed the project and I’m proud of my work,” said Holly, who joined Nescot last month.

“The tutors are really good at breaking everything down so that you understand each step as you go along, and then making the track brought all the different skills together.”

Tutor Neil Keating, an established DJ and former pirate radio host, said he had been impressed with the students’ work.

“We plan their projects carefully, to make sure they’re being challenged with new technical skills as well as having the opportunity to develop their broader skills, such as research,” he added.

“Projects are always based around the type of work they’ll be doing in the industry and using the same type of equipment and software. We know that’s the most effective way for the students to learn, as well as being the most inspiring and enjoyable for them.”

Nescot offers Music Technology at Level 2 and Level 3, as well as a Level 1 qualification in Media and Music Technology.