Bsc Music Technology.
At 47yrs old, a lot of men go through a mid life crisis and while i did think about buying a flash car (had my eye on a Nissan 370Z and BMW Z4 coupe as it happens !!) i decided i would apply to go to University to study a Music Tech degree. I’d been having mid life crisis since about the age of 25 anyway so why not try something different!
EARLY DAYS AT UNI
In early 2012 i applied for the course at the University of South Wales Cardiff campus – the Atrium. I remember applying on the Friday and the following Monday i had an e-mail confirming an unconditional offer and having never been to Uni before and not applied for any courses i asked around to find out it meant i had a place, job done thought i. Then i remembered i was supposed to Audition according to the course info and wondered what the score was. I had’nt even been to the site so i booked onto an open day for the month after and drove down to the big City from the mountains and along with some very young looking potential students (they were being shown round for the following year). went on a tour of the campus. At the end of the tour i spoke to a fellow who turned out to be the head of the course, a German man by the name of Georg. I explained i was starting in a couple of months but that i had never even been to the site let alone had and audition to which he said “thats not possible, everybody has to audition” i further explained that i had applied for the course on a Friday and had an e-mail confirming my position on the following Monday and that i had driven down from North Wales to see the place. He had a sudden look of recognition and said “ah – you’re the John Peel guy, i put the application through myself and of course you don’t need to audition”. Turns out having done eleven John Peel sessions and many other radio and Tv sessions helped along somewhat, infact, he asked me if i’d give a talk to the other students and i answered that i had’nt even started the course yet!
MY GRADUATION.
Over the next three years i studied lots of musical aspects about studio recording, producing, Popular music history, music business, music for film scores and gaming and much more and very much enjoyed the experience. I graduated in 2015 with a 2:1 BSC in a subject dear to my heart at the age of 50. I would have done a Masters in Songwriting in 2020 if a certain World Pandemic had’nt happened, I didn’t fancy doing it from home online so i doubt that i will reach that goal but hey ho.
TO THE FUTURE.
I’ve been putting together some kit for recording and producing over the last couple of years and 2024 will see me learning how to use it and do some recordings for Man At Q And M. If that all goes well I may start recording for other people too but that depends on no more mid life crisis events.