POINT BLANK MUSIC SCHOOL Point Blank: An Introduction POINT BLANK MUSIC SCHOOL POINT BLANK MUSIC SCHOOL

Introduction WWW.POINTBLANKLONDON.COM ”If you‘re serious about your music, What is Point Blank? We select outstanding talent from the Point Blank is the place to be...“ Established in 1994, Point Blank started music industry as instructors, training Pete Tong MBE, internationally renowned BBC Radio One DJ/ out as a commercial recording studio be- them to teach our courses in a consistent broadcaster and global music industry figure for over 30 years. fore evolving into a hands-on teaching manner across all subjects. The students facility, and later becoming the world’s study in state-of-the-art studios on the If you are thinking about studying at Point ”Best School“ as voted latest equipment thus creating a perfect Blank, then no doubt you will be keen to by the readers of DJ Mag. The School learning environment. The courses are know who we are, what we do and what offers bespoke tuition from , Los accredited with internationally recognised you get out of studying with us. The aim of Angeles and online with personalised academic qualifications and since we this leaflet is to provide you with key infor- teaching to intimate classes. Our goal started sharing the music industry’s secrets, mation about Point Blank Music School and has always been to harness and de- over 50,000 students worldwide have answer any initial questions you may have. monstrate the creative process of ma- chosen Point Blank as the best place to king music at the highest level. study music production, sound engineering, music business, singing, radio production and DJ skills.

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Student Success Student Opportunities

We’re proud to say that 85% of our Dip- We have an excellent network and As part of the Point Blank experience, loma graduates have gone on to gain maintain an active dialogue with em- we offer students at the London school successful employment in the industry ployers in the industry to give our stu- free music career advice sessions with within the first year of completing their dents and alumni the best opportuni- professional music consultant Kwame studies. Our students have also achieved ties. Our strong industry connections Kwaten of Ferocious Talent Manage- No.1 success in the UK and International ensure that unique internships, studio ment. Kwame has steered the careers singles charts as well as across music placements and competitions generally of many successful artists including platforms such as Beatport and Juno become available on a weekly basis. Dido, Rumer and Laura Mvula as well Download. Our graduates include Leona From these, we have had many graduates as scoring No.1 hits himself as a produ- Lewis, Goldie, Aluna Francis from No.1 who have gone on to work at studios in- cer (Shola Ama) and artist (D:Infuence). act AlunaGeorge (see opposite), Radio cluding Abbey Road, become in-house Kwame’s feedback and advice is an in- One DJ and Channel 4 presenter Gemma sound engineers for labels such as Mute valuable tool for our students. Cairney, Radio One DJ Edith Bowman, Records and find work at radio stations Interscope Records A&R Dave Rene such as Radio One and KISS FM. You can find more information on these FEATURED AlunaGeorge and other successful industry figures. types of opportunities on our daily digital STUDENTS Aluna Francis is one half of top UK duo AlunaGeorge. She studied music By studying at Point Blank, students join magazine Point Blank Plus. # 1 production at Point Blank and then took off to massive chart success with our network of music producers from all ”“ to NME’s Best Track of the year and UK No.1 hit over the world. You can see our ever- plus.pointblanklondon.com ”White Noise“ which she performed live at the with Disclosure. growing list of student successes online. Aluna’s talent has taken her a long way – we are proud she studied her art with Point Blank.

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Educational Approval

Point Blank is accredited by several Every year we have achieved top marks important educational and regulatory upon inspection: you can view the full bodies. All of our London and online Di- reports on our website. You can rest assu- ploma courses are accredited by either red you are receiving a top class education. Pearson/Edexcel or Middlesex University and students receive an internationally ”The quality of the curriculum, tea-​ QAA Reviewed recognised qualification upon successful Quiality Assurance Agency ching and learners’ achievements is for Higher Education completion of their course. The most excellent.“ comprehensive course we offer in London Independent Schools Inspectorate, 2015 is worth the equivalent of 3 ”A“ levels (120-420 UCAS points), making our courses ”The review team has confidence in an ideal progression route to university Point Blank Ltd’s management of its or a job in the industry (see Featured responsibilities for the standards of the awards it offers on behalf of its Course for more information). The school awarding body and organisation.“ also undergoes regular inspection by the Quality Assurance Agency, 2014 Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), both of which are government ap- proved bodies.

6 // www.pointblanklondon.com FEATURED STUDENTS #2 PAULA FAIR- FIELD Paula Fairfield is an award winning Sound Designer who has worked on a host of movies and TV shows Lost, Sin City, Tropic including Game of Thrones, Thunder, Predators and many others. We spoke to Paula about her work and what prompted her to study music production online at Point Blank.

Please introduce yourself. What is audio and photographic art. One summer I niest parts and then building it. I get a rush always advertising the need for low or no-pay I were) and b) I work exclusively to picture. What are the advantages in taking an your name and where are you from? got an apprenticeship at the National Film every time I watch a completed sequence sound for short films etc and that is a good way The Point Blank courses definitely put me online music course? My Name is Paula Fairfield. I am originally Board of Canada and worked as an assistant against picture. It is so much fun and I get to get opportunities and meet people. way outside my comfort zone, and that’s a For me it’s always a time thing. Especially from Canada but have lived in Los Angeles to an award-winning picture and sound editor. paid to do it. What’s not to love? The hardest good thing! in this industry with multiple clients changing for 11 years. At that time, film was still edited on magnetic part is dealing with tight budgets and dead- What prompted you to take a course their minds and schedules all the time, tape stock, moviolas and Kems. As I waited to lines. Sound is pretty much the last process with Point Blank? What appealed to What has been the best thing about it’s hard to plan anything. With an online Can you tell us a little about your job? cut edited magnetic tape pieces of sound in filmmaking and by the time we get the you about these courses? the course so far? course, I can sit down when I have a minute I am a supervising sound editor and desi- into prepped tracks, I watched in awe at the project, everyone has run out of money and I have owned Ableton Live for a while and Surprisingly, I find myself making music and poke away at a lesson and then get gner for feature film and TV. I have been sound editing my boss was doing. I had no time. Consider what contribution sound ma- have never had the time to get into it. I tried and really, really enjoying it. It’s very libe- back to my work. It’s fantastic! working in the commercial industry for 15 idea this was how sound for movies was kes to the movie experience and then con- once but because it is such a different way rating. It makes me work in a totally diffe- years and before that I ran a media center done. So when you ask ”Is this what you sider that we often find ourselves fighting of thinking, it wasn’t immediately apparent rent way. I didn’t think I would enjoy it as Thanks Paula! See you soon... for artists in Canada, worked as a picture always wanted to do“ the answer is ”No. for 1/2% of the entire film budget( yes you how to use it in the half hour I had here much as I have so far - I sit down in the eve- and sound editor for artists and also made I didn’t know this job existed“. At the risk read that right!!!). and there to look at it. I had some time ning to work a little on an assignment and I my own multi-media based video, film and of sounding corny, the process of adding this summer and thought it would be fun look at the clock and it’s 4am and have to audio works. sounds to image was so magical and I got What tips would you offer someone to finally learn it. Similarly, Reaktor has tear myself away. I may not be brilliant at completely hooked. who is interested in working in this always eluded me as it seems like you it but I am loving it. And I am learning tons How did you get started in this line of field? need to be a nuclear physicist to use it. It of stuff every day. work? Is this what you always wanted What do you like most about your Its tough right now, but I guess that can be is an interesting tool and one very well sui- to do? job? And what’s the hardest part? said about all industries. Best thing is to try ted for design work. My main hesitations I went to the Nova Scotia College of Art I love designing sounds. I love breaking a and build a portfolio of work and network about taking courses at your school were and Design, where I concentrated on video, sonic event down conceptually into its ti- with industry people. There are online sites that a) I am not a musician (though I wish POINT BLANK MUSIC SCHOOL POINT BLANK MUSIC SCHOOL

Featured Course: Music Production & Sound Engineering Master Diploma Classes Expert Instructors

The Music Production and Sound Enginee- Delivering four full practical lecture days Modules Included We teach in small class sizes and students Our courses are taught by music industry ring Master Diploma is the pinnacle of what per week, the Master Diploma is the perfect have their own production workstation professionals whom we select for their Term 1 Point Blank offers and gives students a launching pad to a successful career in ■■ Intro to Music Production with the latest software and hardware. combination of talent, personality, expe- 360°-view of their options in the music the music industry. ■■ Music Composition Students get plenty of 1-2-1 time with rience and tangible success in their field. business. It’s been carefully developed ■■ Music Business their instructor and outside of lectures, Our instructors have long lists of credits by music industry professionals who To see the full range of all our courses ■■ Complete DJ they get unlimited access to our state- and have collaborated with some of the have worked with some of the biggest please visit pointblanklondon.com Term 2 of-the-art studios to practise what they biggest artists in the world including artists in the world such as U2 and Massive ■■ Sound Design have learned in class and collaborate with Pharrell Williams, Bjork, Swedish House Attack and is worth the equivalent of 3 ■■ Sound Engineering other students. The studios are open Mafia and Chemical Brothers. You can ”A“ levels (120-420 UCAS points). Upon ■■ Music Business - Intermediate Mon-Fri from 10am-11:00pm and Sat- see the full list of Expert Instructors on successful completion, students obtain an ■■ Live Sound Sun 10am-7:30pm. our website at pointblanklondon.com. Edexcel BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Please get to know one of our team Term 3 Music Technology alongside their Point ■■ Art of Mixing members by reading the article on the Blank Diploma making the course an ■■ Music Industry Project following pages. ideal progression route to university or a ■■ Music Business – Industry Project job in the industry. ■■ Mastering

10 // www.pointblanklondon.com www.pointblanklondon.com // 11 How did you originally synth. I got fascinated with all the wires As soon as I left After having a number of commercial When I was studying music there weren’t get into songwriting and etc. as I never knew about anything like college I was play- and critical successes with songwri- many places where you could learn to music, and what made that. So that was one of the benefits ing with these ting & production, (gaining a number produce music. It was more a case of you decide it was so- about going to that place, getting expo- guys and they got of Grammy nominations in the pro- reading the manuals and learning by mething you should sure to early electronic music. excited because I cess), how did you eventually make making a lot of mistakes. At Point Blank follow as a career? could read clas- the leap from being the writer, full- you get hands on experience and have I met someone at college who had a sical music. They time, to teaching others how to write people who can show you tips that you I got into Songwriting contact at , the record asked me to for themselves? wouldn’t see in a manual or text book. through playing piano company for Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley, write brass and at school. People were Gregory Isaacs and rock bands like string arrange- A long time ago I was asked to deputise telling me it sounded ”Free“. I went down to London to audi- ments and it a teaching job at South Thames college pretty good until one tion for Island and they must have liked Steve Winwood was really nice and they were running a small depart- of the teachers said I the way I played. While I was still at college to hear this ment in music production. My job was to should get some pro- I was playing on a Bob Marley record! stuff on the radio knowing I’d played on it. teach Pro Tools as it was then and pia- per lessons. They sent no. I was really inspired by my students me to a local teacher I just played what I knew which was clas- I did an audition for a guy called Rico Rod- as the gear that we had then was really

in Stamford Hill and I loved it. I kept doing sical pieces and they all got excited about it. riguez who was a jazz trombonist back in basic but they made the best of it. Some FEATURED INSTRUCTOR my grades and winning competitions befo- At the time I didn’t really appreciate who I the early 60s and he’s a very revered older of the things they were playing was unbe- re getting a scholarship to study properly. was playing for… statesman of ska music and I got into his lievable. Pretty much my whole class were Point Blank Songwriting Student I thought I’d take it really seriously and band. I was the youngest guy there. They told the founding members of So Solid Crew Everybody has got the chance to be up PHIL – to everyone’s amazement – me their band was going to be supporting who had all come from the church. They there with the very best, if you keep wor- got a place at Dartington Hall in Bob Marley on the European leg of his Ex- were really enthusiastic and hungry for the king, keep developing and try different RAMOCON- Devon. From there I got exposed odus tour 1978 and asked if I wanted to do it. knowledge and any little thing they could things and experiment by mixing genres. Phil Ramocon has racked up some impres to things I hadn’t known about get from me and the other tutors. Personally I like catchy things so my advice sive accolades in his 25 years in the music before, lots of classical music. That tour was the first time I came across to you is just make it catchy! industry. His enthusiasm and passion for all Bob in person and it was when he was in Apart from learning from a hugely genres of music has lead him to work with The Amadeus Quartet and famous his peak. Bob heard me play every night experienced songwriter and men- To read the full interview please go to Gregory Isaacs, Neneh Cherry, Jimmy Cliff, classical people go down there with Rico and I started chatting to him. tor like yourself; what other bene- our digital magazine at plus.pointblank Marianne Faithful and even Bob Marley to and give lessons and masterclas- We shared the same outlook on life as fits to young musicians do you see london.com and search ”Phil Ramocon“. ses. I kind of got obsessed and at- a spiritual journey with a moral purpose. coming from taking music cour- name a few! tended them all and got exposed to Bob Marley After the tour ended I would often get ses such as those at Point Blank? lots of different forms of composition, the call to work with him in the studio In this interview, our Grammy award-winning concertos, symphonies so wrote a lot of I then came across a guy called Steve whenever he was in London. This is important in contemporary music Music Composition instructor spills the that stuff. Winwood who was in a band called Traf- where it’s all about the collaborative pro- beans on his legendary career... fic. Through him I worked with the sax player It was definitely an honour to watch him cess. Also, in a college environment you There was also a big electronics de- where I met Jimmy Cliff and various other work close up, talk with him and be a part get to meet loads of people that have similar partment there that had a massive Modular musicians that were signed to Island Records. of his creative process. music interests and tastes. POINT BLANK MUSIC SCHOOL POINT BLANK MUSIC SCHOOL

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Point Blank 23-28 Penn St Hoxton, London, N1 5DL United Kingdom Phone UK 020 7729 4884 USA 323 282 7660 INT +44 20 7729 4884 eMail [email protected]