Singers Offered Free Recording Sessions At £350,000 Studios
29 October 2012
Students at work in the University's new recording studios.
John Crossley, University Lecturer in Electronics and Sound.
Two lucky bands or solo artists will each win a free recording and video session at the University of Derby's new £350,000 industry-standard studios facility, as part of an exciting music competition.
Two recording studios and three editing suites have just been officially opened at the University's Markeaton Street site in Derby; home to its Faculty of Arts, Design and Technology (ADT). Music industry professionals attended the opening, with Derby graduate and solo artist Jo Lewis performing.
Students on Music Technology and Production, Popular Music with Music Technology and Popular Music Production (Joint Honours) degree courses will use the new facility.
The University is also launching a competition to give two upcoming bands or solo artists a free recording session to record their original song - to include a free video shoot of them working in the studio - with which they could then approach music producers.
To win one of the two sessions acts must upload a video and/or audio clip of themselves performing their own song onto the Facebook page of the University's ADT Faculty. To do this they should go to website link www.derby.ac.uk/win-a-session or the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DerbyUniTech and click on the 'Win A Session' tab.
The acts then need to encourage friends, family and fans to register as many 'likes' as possible of the uploaded track on the ADT Facebook page, by the end of Wednesday November 21.
A shortlist of songs which received the most 'likes' will then be drawn up and a University judges' panel - including Music and Sound course Lecturers, and final-year students - will choose the best two entries to receive the recording session prizes.
John Crossley, University Lecturer in Electronics and Sound, said: "Our Music courses are very popular, so it's important that we offer the most up-to-date facilities for the students.
"Our new studios are on a par with those used in the music industry. Any artist currently in the Charts would be more than happy to record their next single here.
"Focusrite, the industry experts who are sponsoring one of our studios, have even made the University one of the first three sites in the world to receive its new product RedNet. This system can transmit more than 500 digital audio channels through one single ethernet, or internet, cable, which will vastly reduce the number of cables needed for gigs and recording sessions in future."
Giles Orford, Focusrite Marketing Director, added: "We are excited to see the department embracing the future of audio distribution with the new RedNet system. The University of Derby's early adoption of this new technology reflects its forward thinking approach, and will benefit students and academics for years to come."
A University video about the new recording studios can be seen online via YouTube link www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUACS560pvE
Success stories from Derby's Music and Sound courses include singer-songwriters such as Jo Lewis and also Charlotte Carpenter, who will graduate with a Popular Music with Music Technology degree next January (2013). This year Charlotte has played a series of high profile, successful gigs and signed a record deal.
For more information about the University of Derby's Music and Sound degree courses see website www.derby.ac.uk/technology/music
For further press information please contact Sean Kirby, University of Derby Press and PR Officer, on 01332 591891 or email: s.kirby@derby.ac.uk
