Through Josh Marais –
The new studios at Chesterfield College provide music production students and local musicians with a professional space to practice and record, using industry standard equipment.
The studios are the latest addition to the college’s new music department. They are designed to enable students to develop the technical and creative skills they need for their future careers. At the same time, they will also provide a useful resource for Chesterfield musicians to use as a collaborative recording space in the evenings and on weekends.
The new facilities provide the perfect blend of practical and academic spaces for a combination of classroom learning and hands-on experience in creating and recording music. They are made up of three elements. These include a traditional classroom space with a suite of macs for learning and editing, a control room including a mixer and analog equipment, and a “concert hall” designed for music. traditional collaborative musical creation. The concert hall is packed with features designed to mirror acoustics and help musicians perform better together.
After spending the first week of the term using the new facility, level 3 music students Josh Clark and Connor Cartledge told us about the difference it made to them.
Josh who is a rapper, singer and songwriter with an interest in production said, “I am very happy to have the opportunity to walk into a real studio and work with my peers. The course gives us the chance to learn a lot of different skills and practice on different equipment that I don’t have at home. Glad to know how I can use it next. I hope to record my own EP using the facilities we have here. I am really looking forward to it. “
Connor, who wants to be a producer or sound engineer, said, “It’s made a huge difference now that we have this equipment. When we leave college to pursue a career in music, whether as a producer or as a musician, we will have the knowledge we need. We have top of the line microphones and a full studio, which means any missions and projects we work on will sound a lot better. Last year we had to record on everything we had because we couldn’t be in college so it’s going to make a big difference. We have a lot to learn about how to run and work the studio, but it’s good to have it ready for the start of the new academic year.
Music teacher and musician Jonathon Salisbury said: “The music studio provides us with a professional environment for students to come in and use. You don’t necessarily need this level of equipment to make great music, but if you learn how to use this type of setup, you can still adapt to whatever you need. It is fundamental for students to understand how a professional studio works and to get used to this kind of environment. This will help them build an incredible portfolio of recordings that will launch them into whatever they choose to do after college.
“The studio is designed with analog equipment, so it works best for traditional collaborative music creation. You can put an entire group in one space. There is real magic that happens when you bring musicians together in the same room. All the old big groups worked that way. Students who have used it so far have been amazed to find themselves in this professional space making music with other people. They are definitely inspired by the quality of what they can produce in the new facilities.
A local band has already used the space to record parts of their album, and the college plans to rent the new music studios to more local bands and musicians. They are especially keen to offer the space to those just starting out and looking for a resource like this on their doorstep.
To find out more about hiring music studios, contact [email protected]
To learn more about studying music at Chesterfield College, visit https://www.chesterfield.ac.uk/music/
Chesterfield College supports the marketing and economic growth of the city through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 190 organizations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.
