On Friday 1st July, UK Music hosted a ‘Skills and Schools’ event at Frome College with a special appearance from local MP David Warburton.
A series of talks and workshops from industry professionals showed students the career paths and apprenticeship opportunities available in the music industry, as well as giving pupils an insight into the worlds of songwriting and music production.
UK Music CEO, Jo Dipple discussed further education and apprenticeships available to young people and was joined by Ninja, lead singer of The Go! Team, electronic music producer Matt Preston aka Phaeleh and music lawyer/CEO Richard Hoare from Hoare Associates.
Each discussed their careers and paths into the industry, giving students first-hand accounts of how to succeed in the business.
Jane Davis, communications officer at Frome College said, “We were honoured to be hosting the UK Music Skills Day. With one in 11 jobs in the UK in the creative industries, we encourage our students to get involved to support the continued growth of this important sector and getting skilled young people into entry level jobs.
“Our students thoroughly enjoyed the event and listening to recording artists and songwriters, and participating in music workshops encouraging them to consider a career in the industry, including performance, management, technical crew, lawyers, rights management and production.”
Jo Dipple said: “Music is a sector which contributes over £4.1billion to the UK economy and supports 117,000 jobs.
“We were delighted to host this ‘Skills and Schools’ event at Frome College, and we enjoyed showcasing the opportunities available to young people as well as offering first-hand songwriting and production experience.
“Growing up so close to the world’s most famous music festival, Glastonbury, it’s great for students in the area to understand all of the paths into music open to them.”
Producer Matt Preston gave a production masterclass using Cubase software to students, whilst Ninja, a Mercury Music Prize nominee, led a song writing workshop sharing her experience and tips on how to write a hit song.
Through talks and workshops from leading industry figures, UK Music hope to ensure that more young people across the UK have access to the necessary information to take their first steps towards a career in the industry.
David Warburton, MP for Somerton and Frome said, “I was very excited to join the event. As a former musician and music teacher, I’m hugely keen on helping to bring young people together with music and the music industry.
“This really was a terrific opportunity for students at Frome College to learn not only about the types of musical careers they can pursue and the different skills required, but to get real hands-on guidance from some of the UK’s leading industry professionals. What an amazing opportunity for us here in Frome!”
