College welcomes music industry exhibitors

Visitors included local secondary school pupils and members of the public, as well as a wide range of students from across the college campus on Gillingham’s Medway Road. All guests were invited to sample professional-standard studio equipment and view a host of instrument demonstrations, while students on the college’s courses in music technology and practice were awarded priority access to a number of workshops - including an exclusive studio master class from Funkagenda, co-producer of Black Eyed Peas' hit Rock that Body.

Grammy-nominated Funkagenda, who is signed to Kent-based international label Toolroom Records, took students through how to get the best out of a final dance track, from recording to compression. “If there’s one thing I’m hoping the students will have taken from today, it’s a desire to keep learning,” he said, before adding, “It’s important to make sure you are constantly developing; I still learn new things every day.”

Alongside Toolroom Records, other exhibitors included Bose, Audient, Steinberg, JHS Guitars, the University of Kent, IK Multimedia and Roland.

International V-drum demonstrator for Roland products, Craig Blundell, took visitors through how to create breakbeats using the very latest in professional hand-percussion controllers. He said: “This equipment is the kind you might see used in a top studio, as well as in an enthusiast’s living room. It contains literally thousands of parameters of sound, so the best way to learn what it’s capable of is to hear it actually being used.”

College sound engineering student Alex Brown said the day had been highly beneficial. “This is something our tutors should organise every year,” said the 16 year old from Gravesend. “The workshops have been brilliant. We’ve learned even more about music production software and have had a chance to talk to Funkagenda about his industry experience.”