We come across stories like Geoff's all the time in our work:
- No family tradition of creative careers ‘they didn’t see my creative side as a path to a career’.
- The value of ‘proper production courses’ (ie as opposed to training courses from equipment suppliers trying to sell to you).
- The impact of government withdrawing funding for second degrees.
- The value of a practical, vocational, specialist course taught by specialist practitioners with contacts with industry.
- Different types of courses suit different nees - HNC is the qualification needed for Geoff rather than the more academic qualifications, he already has a degree.
Anyway - we'll leave you to draw your own thoughts on Geoff's story. We'll feature more case studies in the coming few days. Visit our website for more info on the project.
Geoff Raggett is a singer-songwriter from Farnham, Surrey. His music can be heard here : www.myspace.com/geoffraggett. He describes his music as guitar-driven melodic pop. He is inspired by the simplicity of good pop, especially music from the 60s, as embodied by artists such as Burt Bacharach. He calls it nursery rhymes to music.
He is influenced by Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Donovan and the 60s folk scene, and Nick Kershaw. In the summer of 2009 he graduated from Point Blank Music College with an HNC in Music Production. This development of this HNC was funded by The Creative Way as part of their Making Tracks projects.
What was your educational journey that led up to you starting the HNC in Music Production?
I studied a degree in Tourism Management at Brighton University before this and graduated in 2000. I did this, I think, because it was the prescribed path, you went to university, it was the next cog. I come from a family of hard-grafters, they didn’t see my creative side as a path to a career, it was a hobby.
What did you do after university?
My friend worked at RBS so through her I got a job there. It was just glorified temping really and like so much in life, I got through the backdoor, it wasn’t really intentional. I really wanted to concentrate on my music though, so I moved to London in 2004 and started working in music venues, such as BarFly, so I was in the right place, meeting the right people.
What made you consider going back into higher education?
At the beginning it was the norm for aspiring artists to book a studio for a day and record and produce your songs that way. The studios were about £200 per day and you often had to pay a producer too. With artists like Mike Skinner though, that changed a bit. People kept appearing saying “I did this myself, from my bedroom”. The ipod came out, people were promoting their work over myspace, which was great, but it also meant that the standard of tracks being sent to publishers was much higher.
All of this made me realise that I’d had enough of relying on other people and that I needed to look into having the skills and equipment necessary to record and produce my own stuff. My first instinct was to look at what equipment I needed. I went to specialist stores and paid for their in-house lectures and one-to-ones, thinking that these would give me an idea. I didn’t find these useful, most of the employees were just trying to sell your their products, were disinterested in my music and how the equipment could make it better, and really didn’t want to be there. It was then that I started to look into proper music production courses.
What barriers existed to you returning to higher education?
I was already in debt and the government took away funding for students who’d already completed a degree, so I couldn’t do a full 3 year undergraduate again. There was also the pride issue, I was back in a class and I was 29/30 years old. I was the mature student I used to hate! I wasn’t messing about, I planned my time, didn’t do the all nighters or freak out like some of the other students. That said, I was still in there 24/7 come March!
What did you enjoy about the course?
It made me realise the importance of being around other artists and collaborating. I used to be very protective of my ideas, my songs were my babies. I think a lot of the other students on the course started off like that too. It was great seeing how other people’s ideas completely transformed your songs and made them completely different.
I was working on a song, Veronica Vessie, with Ephraim, who was also studying on the course. We had a clear idea of what we wanted the song to sound like, very 60’s influenced. We were also working with another student who was coming at it from a completely different angle. Then he laid down this beat which completely transformed the song, making it much more commercial/pop and more likely to receive day-time radio airplay. It took a bit to admit he was right!
What technical aspects of the course helped your work?
I’m more of a performer and a songwriter than a producer, but as I said, I needed skills to produce my own work. The course introduced me to Apple’s Logic programme which I use to record and produce my songs.
We also had a Music Business Module from Julia Jones. She showed us how many jobs there are out there in the music industry – you just have to be thoughtful and have a wider scope. At the moment, for example, I’m offering my skills commercially to support me. I go to open-mic nights and artists pay me to record their work. I use the skills I acquired from the HNC. It also means I’m learning whilst I’m working.
I really enjoyed the final project. We wrote 3 songs as a group (The Calloways) and had to come up with the branding and marketing plan etc. We demanded a final performance – it wasn’t in the curriculum but I think it is now. Paul Letworth also came in to do a tutorial. He’s produced artists like Florence & The Machine, Friendly Fires, Bloc Party, and Kate Nash. He played us a song by one of his acts before and after the production process. The difference was astounding!
Mostly though I got exactly what I needed – the ability to realise my own songs. That is what I’m now doing. I now know exactly what equipment to buy to get the most from my music. I don’t think the course gave me any kind of massive epiphany. Instead it taught me that the creative process is a gradual one and to find my own sound. I don’t want to be another wannabe Richard Ashcroft, there are so many of them, I want my sound to be commercial enough to be used in the media for example. The course helped me shape my music in that way.
At the moment I’m hoping for some interest from publishers, but it takes time, and as I said, I’m from a family of grafters so I’ll keep going!
You had a guaranteed place at Canterbury Christ Church Universtity to get a full degree because you completed this HNC, why didn’t you take it?
Well first of all, I’d already done a degree, so the government weren’t going to fund me. It would have cost far too much. Quite a few people have gone on to the course, but for me I’d already had the full degree experience and I retained those academic skills. The HNC was just what I needed – a very focussed, short, and technical course that gave me the skills I needed right then. If I went back it would be to do vocal therapy, something I’m really interested in – how to make someone who’s already a good singer, even better. Degrees needs to be linked with a very specific industry and have some kind of financial certainty at the end of it. You get into so much debt, after all.
What would you say to someone studying their GCSEs now?
I would say to go travelling or work in the industry that you love for a while, then decide what you should do in terms of further education. I mean, my first degree was not a waste, but it was cheaper in those days than it is now!
