Music students from Stratford-upon-Avon College have enjoyed producing and managing events in the community for their latest course project.
The Level 4 Music course is perfect for students who have completed their level 3 course or A-Levels. It provides continued skills development for students to advance their music performance & production abilities before auditioning for music college, higher education and musical employment.
As part of the project, two groups of students had to plan, organise, schedule and deliver their event. Caitlin Murray, 18 from Ashorne and Charlie Singleton, 18 from Alcester approached local venue The Music Café. The Music Café opened in Stratford-upon-Avon last year and is a local hub for good food and music.
The Music Café is ran by Ian Meeson and Carl Walker, both who have years of experience in the Arts industry after performing in the West End and on film. Ian commented: “We wanted to create a theatrical hub where people could have a free space to create in. Moreover, having been in the showbiz industry we understand its vulnerability and want to support and be a part of the arts scene in our community; so agreeing to host the event for Stratford-upon-Avon College was an easy decision.”
The show had a range of performers and was enjoyed by all
Caitlin was really happy to work with the café: “It’s a really lovely venue. We wanted to create a nice chilled acoustic vibe and this venue offered that in abundance!” Charlie really felt that the experience was educational and informative: “I’ve learnt a lot about the promotional side – selling tickets was tricky but now I have been able to work on my communication skills and planning. It makes you feel more professional and gives an insight into what you have to do in this industry.”
Ryan Clark, 27 from Morton in Marsh, Yane Yankov, 19 from Banbury and Charlie Petty, 30 from Stratford-upon-Avon went a little further afield and ran an event at Scruffy Murphy’s in Birmingham.
Each student focused on a specific area: Yane coordinated the bands, Charlie worked with the venue and Ryan on promotion. Even with a strong plan of action, the group learnt about the difficulties you can encounter. Ryan commented: “Event management is hard. You need time to research and it was eye opening working with a small budget. Definitely a good learning experience as you need more than you think.”
The gig featured multiple bands
Music lecturer, Rob Hague, explained why their Level 4 programme is so useful to prospective music performers and producers: “Our Level 3 course focuses on making music, whereas the Level 4 looks wider at business, marketing, teaching and community work and shows how music skills can be applied in working life. This project, taking music events into the community, also demonstrates how important live music is not just for the industry but also for communities.”
