Abbey Road – long the spiritual home of Britain's recording industry – now hosts an Institute to train the music producers of tomorrow. Abbey Road Institute (ARI) adjoins the iconic studios where students can get hands-on experience with the venue's state-of-the-art technology.
‘We have been going for just over four years,’ explains campus manager Mike Sinnott. ‘The first course ran in September 2015. We offer an Advanced Diploma in Music Production and Sound Engineering. It is a one-year, intensive course; it's very practical and covers most aspects of music production.’
Background
The idea of teaching music production at Abbey Road grew out of the professional development and innovation that has always been a part of the Studio's activities (The Institute and Studios are separate entities, but both are owned by Universal Music Group (UMG)). Hannah Fitzgerald, the Institute's global marketing manager, says: ‘UMG saw an opportunity to offer the kind of training that Abbey Road Studios has developed over the years. Previously, that was only available to people starting out as runners and going on to become assistant engineers.
It was a great way of developing skills and expertise, so we're bringing this approach into the school.’
Many institutions offer qualifications in sound engineering but ARI is more vocational than most. ‘Students see us as a real and viable alternative to traditional academic learning about music production,’ says Sinnott. ‘The number of students enrolling at universities means that you often have hundreds of students competing for the same facilities. Our model is different. It is for students who want to get stuck in, learn intensively, and get into the industry.’
The course approaches studio activities from a professional angle. Students learn to set up and conduct recordings within strict time limits. The fastest-developing area of sound technology is computer processing and students work with the latest versions of Pro Tools and Logic software. They are also given a grounding in music theory and learn about the business side of the music industry. Film audio and live sound engineering are also covered. Across three terms there are four regular lectures per week, usually in three-hour sessions. There are masterclasses and guest lectures from industry professionals as well as full-day workshops in ARI's dedicated studio. Students can also book time in the production rooms and studios to work on their own projects.
These often involve surprising collaborations. ‘A big part of the learning here is collaborating with people who are interested in completely different music,’ says Fitzgerald. ‘In the past, we have had classically trained musicians and people from jazz, hip-hop and punk. Interesting things come out through collaboration.’
Musical versatility is central to the Institute's ethos. ‘We push our students to record everything,’ says Sinnott. ‘All different types of music. We cover electronic music in terms of synthesis and sound design. We also think it is really important to understand all the different ways to record a drum kit. We look at all different kinds of acoustic instruments, from solo right up to symphony orchestra.’
Applying
The Advanced Diploma course runs twice a year; courses begin in March and September. The deadline for applications to the September 2019 course is 3 August. The Institute is keen to attract students from a wide range of backgrounds. ‘Some of our students come straight from school,’ says Fitzgerald, ‘but we also have many students who have already studied, some on similar courses, and others from different areas who are looking to transition into audio engineering.’ As part of the application process, prospective students are asked to prepare a music portfolio. ‘They might be the artists, singing or playing an instrument; or they might have produced or engineered the recording. We like to know what skills they already have and see if they are starting to grapple with the technology they will be using on the course.’
ARI welcomes informal enquiries and there are regular open days for getting an overview of everything. In addition, prospective students can attend a hands-on studio session with programme director Carlos Lellis. This offers a taste of the learning environment, as well as giving an idea of the skills that participants have already attained.
Course fees currently stand at around £15,870, a substantial investment but the vocational nature of the training, and the close connections between ARI and the wider music industry, make the qualification an attractive option for those wishing to pursue a career in music production. The cutting-edge technology at Abbey Road allows students to experience a modern studio. As Sinnott points out many of the techniques remain the same even as the technology develops: ‘What we try to get across are the transferable skills, so that students can enter different areas of the industry with the core skills.’
