How to Perform in a Recording Studio Environment
Under our supervision students visit a professional recording studio and take part in sessions learning about:
- Practicing and playing to a click track and temporary track.
- Learning to play with headphones as a monitor.
- Recording individual tracks as opposed to playing together as a group.
- Studio practices and procedures for recording a song.
Song Writing
This is a combination of applied music theory and the development of a student’s intuitive musical instincts to create original songs in any style.
In these lessons students learn about:
- Composing the basic elements of song – lyrics, melody, and harmony
- Structure – form – rhythm - style of a genre
- Scoring a completed song – basic chart writing
- Arranging – instrumentation
How to Perform Live Onstage
What to know and do regarding performance in its many settings, whether large or small. This is a course that looks at the many elements that are a part of performing. Good preparation helps a performance go right and minimises what can go wrong - it is an important part of building one’s professionalism.
The topics include:
- Where to start? Jam sessions – open mic events – auditions - formal gigs
- Your musical equipment – what to prepare for
- Microphone technique
- Rehearsal techniques - drilling your performance material
- The stage environment (sound and lighting) – dealing with production personnel at a venue
- Presentation and stage etiquette
- 'Live tuning'
- How to handle if a string breaks while performing
- How to repair a broken guitar cord
- The importance of evaluating your performance – positive self-reflection – accept good feedback.
Music Careers – Advisory Service
This is an ongoing consultation service that assists individuals with a strong interest in making a career in music, to understand, plan, and map out the steps necessary to achieve their goals in the business – important points include:
- Establishment of a personal admin plan that aligns all future activities.
- Knowing your ‘hat’ in music – performer/songwriter/band leader/instrumentalist/singer/solo artist? What am I?
- Evaluating your Instrumental skills –always keep improving, discovering.
- Music study – how much training do I need? Where can I go to further my knowledge and skills?
- Exactly, what am I selling, and what is my valuable final product?
- Know how the industry operates today in the digital media world. Where is your audience, where is the market place, where is the monetary return?
- Copyright - the agencies that protect intellectual property (original songs etc), and pay out performance and usage royalties across various media.
