Exciting news for prospective students looking to start 2016 with a career in sound: There are still a limited number of places available for both the Diploma of Sound Production and the Advanced Diploma of Sound Production at The Grove Studios, Sydney.
In 2015, The Grove Studios and RMI began a partnership with a fully enrolled three day-a-week Diploma of Sound Production course that began in July and has been designed to provide practical industry based learning using the latest technology.
For those uninitiated the Diploma of Sound Production teaches skills in Sound Production that will provide students with the knowledge and hands-on ability to begin a variety of careers, including working in a studio as a producer or engineer with recording artists, or looking after sound production at live music or sporting events.
Heading the studio is the one and only Scott Horscroft, Scott is the GM of A&R at EMI Music Australia as well as being the Director of The Grove Studios.
Scott has worked on iconic records including Sleepy Jackson’s Personality, The Presets’ Beams and Apocalypse, Silverchair’s Young Modern, Paul Kelly’s Stolen Apples, Birds Of Tokyo’s Self Titled and I’d Go With You Anywhere
More recently at The Grove Studios he’s worked on the following releases: Tuka’s Life Death Time Eternal, Last Dinosaurs Wellness, Oh Mercy’s When We Talk About Love and Jackie Onassis’ MIA. To get a better look inside just what it takes to be a successful Sound Producer and clarify some of the most common FAQs we caught up with Scott himself for a little chat.
The Most Common Mistakes Made In The Studio
Lack of preparation: I think the most common mistake in the studio is not being prepared. It’s crucial as a producer or engineer that you spend time preparing the songs and creating a timeline to get the most out of your time in the studio.
How it can be fixed: This can be done in a rehearsal space or home studio but the aim is to have all of the arrangements, parts and vision for the song planned and agreed on with the musician and bands.
Of course there are always variables but with the main brainstorming and vision work shopped prior will leave time for experimentation and creativity that comes from being in the studio.
The Best Studio Engineers Across The Globe
I’ve always been excited by engineers who push the boundaries and collaborate with artists who want to exist on the cutting edge of art and music.
Eddie Kramer: is a living legend, having worked with Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin and many more.
In Australia Burke Reid has done an incredible job producing DZ Death Rays, Sarah Blasko, Olympia and mixing Courtney Barnett.
The Best Life Hacks In The Studio
Be prepared: Again, I think being prepared and having a vision in the studio is incredibly important.
Be up to date: Being a music fanatic and up to date with the current trends in the industry is also highly important whilst at the same time not being afraid to experiment and push the boundaries.
Learn how to collaborate: Another important life hack in the studio is to learn how to successfully collaborate with artists. As a producer, learning to collaborate your creative ideas with the artists’ ideas is imperative to the success of a recording session. As an engineer/producer it is important for producers to learn to hear and visualize what the artist is trying to achieve and it is their role to be the link between the creative and the technical that ties it all together.
Anybody interested in applying for the courses, should get in touch via The Grove Studios website www.thegrovestudios.com, or the RMI website rmi.edu.au
