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University teams up with music stars for pioneering cultural course… A pioneering music programme which will nurture, develop, and produce the music artists of the future is set to launch at the University of Sunderland. The Modern Music Industries course will be led by some of the North East’s most prolific musicians. Set to begin in September, the course will be led by musicians, for musicians - and it aims to fully equip students for life in an industry that has undergone a radical transformation during the past 20 years. The programme will be run by the University in partnership with the Northern Academy of Music Education (NAME) – made up of Barry Hyde, from the Futureheads, and business partner Dan Donnelly, who has performed with Celtic Social Club, The Wonder Stuff, and The Levellers. The first cohort of around 30 students will be based in music studios in the cultural heart of the city, and will offer unique opportunities for a fresh wave of artists looking to break through. The programme further cements not only the city’s reputation as a hotbed of cultural resurgence but shows the ‘professions18
IT AIMS TO FULLY EQUIP STUDENTS FOR LIFE IN AN INDUSTRY THAT HAS UNDERGONE A RADICAL TRANSFORMATION DURING THE PAST 20 YEARS
facing’ direction taken by the University to ensure graduates are work-ready. Barry said: “You used to have to go to a recording studio and would have to pay thousands of pounds to hire for the hour, day or week. “Today, we live in a time where music technology dictates, and people have direct access to that technology. You can make an album in your bedroom – the ability is there; in many ways now is a great time to be a music artist.” The programme will be led by Barry and Dan. The pair took over the lease of
Sunderland’s The Peacock pub, in Keel Square, in 2019. It is hoped that students will be partly based in Birdland Studios, located in renovated rooms above The Peacock, while the academic side will take place in rooms at the nearby Fire Station venue. Barry said: “There is huge respect between ourselves and the University and we are inspired by the vibrancy there is in the Higher Education sector here in Sunderland.” So what can students expect from their three years of study?
