Author: Matt Thompson

Meet Will Edgar, a songwriter from Bolton who studies at ACC Manchester. He was also a finalist on ITV’s The Voice Kids, and he’s recently accepted a position in the House Band for New Century Manchester. 

Will may only be 16, but he’s already making his mark on the industry. We sat down for a chat with him to find out more about his career so far, what drives him musically, and what his future looks like.

Read on for more.

Hi Will, tell us about yourself!

Hi! I’m Will, a 16-year-old singer/songwriter from Bolton, Manchester. My passion is to share my music through the universal language of music. Outside of college, I am a regular performer for private events, bars and corporate events up and down the UK, both with my original music and cover gigs. I’m currently studying my first year of Vocal Artist Level 3 at Access Creative’s Manchester Oxford Road campus. 

From a young age, I was brought up alongside not just music, but instruments as well. Even though my parents didn’t play, I was surrounded by music. This hobby soon turned into a passion. I learned to play many instruments and eventually, I gained a full understanding of what it takes to make music. Because I can play so many instruments, I was able to combine them together and start writing my own music. 

As a 16-year-old, being able to make music full-time isn’t very possible and happens for a select few. Therefore, I make do with the time I have, for example, using my music in my education at Access Creative so that I get time to write and practice. Writing my own music has led me to opportunities I never thought I would have, like playing for His Majesty King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Simon Cowell and Pete Waterman, working with world-renowned musicians such as Lea Mullen (George Michael’s percussionist), playing my own music at nationwide festivals and, of course, appearing on ITV’s, The Voice Kids.  

What made you want to build a career in music, and how did your musical journey start?

My idea of being a musician has changed many times, starting from wanting to pursue violin, then drums and now mainly guitar and singing. As I learned new instruments, I learned new skills and realised that more than anything, I love being able to control a crowd and hearing my own words being sung back to me. 

The violin gave me the ability to read sheet music, listen to other players when performing as a group and also recognise pitch. People underestimate the ability to recognise pitch, but it allowed me to start my musical journey. I then learned to play drums which gave me rhythm and technicality in melody. Then when COVID-19 happened, I had a lot of spare time, so I taught myself to play the piano. I’m glad I did as it’s a massive benefit for understanding theory. I also learned guitar in this period, and that opened doors to where I am now. I also play harmonica, bass, and other percussion and can sing. Music has always been a way to express feelings, whether that’s through somebody else’s music or my own which I started writing when I learned guitar.

How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard it before?

My music contains a lot of influences across traditional songwriting, as well as folk/country/pop/blues and more, which I think makes my music difficult to define. For me, the most important part of a song is the lyrics, as ultimately, you are telling a story – something I like to do with my music. This makes me feel as though there is a purpose to my music, as otherwise, they are just words set to melody.

My music can be very thought-provoking when listened to deeply, however, its aspects make it catchy and live. They make a big impact on the crowd. This makes my music feel more emotive, as it can resonate with anyone when experienced in the right setting. I like recording my songs, but to get to perform them for the rest of my life would be surreal. 

I am due to release 2 singles by the end of 2024 and next year, I am hoping to introduce a lot more of my material to my followers. Of the material released so far, I would recommend listening to ‘I Love U?’ as I think it showcases my songwriting in a fictional setting the best – something I don’t do very often anymore. Most of the material I have released is fictional as my tagline was always perspective before experience. As I’ve gotten older this has changed, but the music produced is almost an introduction to the beginning of my songwriting career.

Who are your biggest musical inspirations and why? 

As I was saying earlier, my music has influences from a lot of traditional writing and modern topics. Currently, I would compare myself to artists such as Tyler Childers, Sam Barber and The Lumineers because of their ability to write words with meaning, something I aspire to do always. On the performance side, however, I aspire to be with the greatest frontmen of all time such as Dave Grohl, Bruce Springsteen and Michael Jackson. Although musically I may not be similar to these artists, they are entertainers and performers, who I aspire to be like.

You reached the final of The Voice Kids in 2023. How was that whole experience?

The whole experience with The Voice Kids was amazing. Everything on and off stage really made the experience and the story incredible. As a 14-year-old, I was able to play for an estimated 30 million people a night, I was in the hands of some of the industry’s best (Jai Ramage, Jono McNeil, David Tench, Emily Davies), and I was able to showcase my passion in front of a crowd which was amazing. 

For me, one of the most enjoyable parts was being able to play with a full live band. Every sound was made by the musicians and playing with them three times was phenomenal.

What do you think you learned from being on The Voice? Has it helped your career?

The Voice Kids has helped me understand more about arranging music and given me insight into the idea of building emotion in a song, rather than it just being a backing track. An example of this is in my version of Simply The Best by Tina Turner in the final. The original song was a fully electric dance tune, but after going through it with the band, we turned it into what felt like a rock song. If it wasn’t for adding and removing instruments to create this dynamic graph, the song would have just been another cover. 

In terms of helping my career, I would say The Voice didn’t benefit me that much. I can only think of it as a sneak peek at what everybody is going to see from me in the future. I would like to be known as Will Edgar and The Voice was a perfect warmup for this!

You’ve recently been selected for the House Band over at New Century Manchester, which is really exciting! What does that involve, and how did that come about?

I’m really looking forward to performing at New Century, mainly because I recently found out that it was the first venue in the UK that Jimi Hendrix played at! 

The songs that we are playing are timeless classics stretching from Elvis Presley and Queen, to Kenny Rogers and more recently Mumford and Sons. We will of course slip in a Christmas cover or two as well to keep the crowds singing. I was offered the gig through an audition process at college at which I performed my original music and covers, and they chose me! 

How has your time been at ACC so far? What kind of things have you been learning?

Access Creative has allowed me to take on opportunities like New Century but also collaborate with other musicians my age. This makes songwriting with other people enjoyable, as they share the same passion for music. It allows me to take on the role of session musician as well. I can work with other artists in the studio and on stage as part of an assignment or just for fun. The Vocal Artist course also allows me to understand my voice more technically, learning about how to maintain my voice and how to treat it.

Do you feel ACC is helping you get set up for your career, and if so, how?

For me, Access Creative hasn’t opened many doors yet, however, that doesn’t mean they won’t come. It has allowed me to network with people all across the industry, including attending events like Beyond The Music Festival, where I was introduced to record labels and promoters. Going into a college where a lot of people are learning music for the first time allows me to help others and gain confidence in teaching other people music. It also solidifies my understanding of the fundamental basics needed to create. Access Creative also gives me the space to be able to write new music in the amazing facilities they have. When everything you need is at hand, writing is a lot easier. 

What are you aiming for after college? Where do you hope to be in 10 years? 

After college, I hope to be known for my original music. I would like to push it as much as possible and be able to make my own music my “job”, something very few can do. In 10 years time, I can only hope to have built on this, whether that’s bigger gigs or even stadium tours which I crave and work towards.

What advice would you give to somebody who wants to build a career in music? 

The advice that I would give to somebody who wants to build a music career is to believe in what you started. For me, I started in the hope of playing in front of big crowds which I have now done, but I will always work towards larger crowds. If you don’t have faith in your idea, it won’t go anywhere, so keep the dream alive and fulfil it.

Want to become a successful vocal artist?

Access Creative College offers a Level 3 Vocal Artist college course in Birmingham, Bristol, London, Manchester and Norwich. On this course you can learn how to:

• Successfully promote music
• Compose your own music
• How to audition for the music industry
• Perform in front of a live audience as a musician

If this sounds like the career your want to pursue, apply online today!

Media is one of our biggest pathways – home to some serious talent across animation and VFX, graphic design, videography, photography, content creation and more. 

As you may have seen, we’ve recently launched our ‘Media Spotlight’ series to highlight media students and alumni who have contributed to an incredible zine from ACC Birmingham. 

In Part 1, we spoke to Sam, a recent Graphic and Digital Design graduate to find out more about how it was created and what it’s like to build a career in graphic design. 

In Part 2, we meet Kat, a Film, Videography and Photography graduate. Read on to find out more.

Hi Kat, tell us about yourself.

I studied Level 3 Film, Video and Photography at ACC Birmingham before going on to study Media Production at university. I am primarily a photographer, which I picked up at the start of college, but recently I have been branching out more into video. I’m very passionate about my projects and mainly enjoy doing music related projects and fictional videos. You can find all of my work on my instagram page – @katjpeg_

Your work recently appeared in Access Birmingham’s media zine. Tell us about how that came together?

I was contacted by the college after leaving, asking if I would like to be a part of their zine and I really appreciated the offer because it just shows that all the work I did in college paid off. I decided to compile some of the work I am most proud of which consisted of a mixture of personal and college projects. I included both photography and some stills from music videos I have made to really showcase the range of things you can actually learn on the courses at Access. You can see a variety of styles I have worked in as one of the music videos is more vibrant than the gothic/grunge style I have started to specialise in more.

Your main focus in your work is gig photography, delving a little into music videos. What made you want to focus on music photography and videography?

When starting at Access the music course was constantly offering gigs for media students to go and photograph so I decided to just give it a shot and see how it went and I just absolutely loved it. I love live music in general so then being able to capture it whilst still enjoying the music was so much fun – plus you can get some really cool shots that you just can’t really recreate in a studio. With the musicians just focusing on their music and the crowd you catch such awesome candid shots, plus the instruments just make everything look 10x cooler. I also have my own background in music as I’ve played guitar for 7 years and just love music in general so I think that makes it easier for me to have a passion for capturing it.

As for the music videos, I was contacted by Sophie Grace from the music course to film a video for her song ‘Fall (For Once)’ and I found that I just really enjoyed creating that narrative with her and experimenting with different shots that would achieve the vision she wanted. From this I decided to make my own music video for my final major project and I went for a vampire theme as I love the gothic style and have always loved vampire media. That ended up being so fun to film, I loved planning all the costuming and just using a ton of fake blood to make everything look cool. I also find the post production of music videos really interesting as I find it really enjoyable to watch the project come together from the first cut, to adjusting the flow of the narrative, to adding cool effects like cinematic bars and colour grading.

How do you approach a shoot? What’s your go-to equipment?

I do not go anywhere without my kaleidoscope filter or my star filters. Especially with gig photography they can just make a photo so much more interesting and I find that they always end up being the subjects’ favourite photos as well.

Other than that I just have a basic Nikon camera with a kit lens and a 35mm lens. It’s not the best set up in the world but if you have a passion for what you’re capturing it doesn’t matter in the end. Plus with things like college and university it’s usually possible to borrow better equipment rather than emptying your bank account on it!

When editing your shots and footage, what are you using and what are you looking for in the end result? 

I use the Adobe Suite to edit all of my projects. For photography, I mainly use Lightroom Classic as this just makes it so much easier to filter through and categorise my photos. Then it has everything you need to adjust aspects of the photos. Personally, I’m a big fan of higher contrast images so you’ll find a lot of deep darks in my photos as for me a flatter look just isn’t really what I’m after. I then sometimes use Photoshop on some of the images to add some cooler effects like a gradient map (basically shades the colours of the original image into something more interesting).

For my videos, I tend to just use Premiere Pro and my first step is always to just try and create a flow with the narrative that mirrors what I planned out in my pre-production and keeps the audience’s attention. My favourite part of video editing is more towards the end where you can add things like grain, text effects and a colour grade. These are the aspects that, for me, just make a project feel so much more professional. I love doing a dramatic colour grade, in my vampire music video I just really desaturated everything but the reds so it had a way more gothic look to it.

How was your time at ACC Birmingham? How do you feel it contributed to your career?

I was able to make a lot of connections with other creatives through college which allowed me to gain so much experience working with different types of people in different environments. It can be very daunting to work with people you don’t know but through various studio shoots, gigs and music videos I started learning how to comfortably and professionally interact with clients.

I learnt a lot through my tutor as well, he really helped everyone grasp how the studio worked and the most effective way to utilise a camera to yield the best results for what you want. Having someone who worked in the industry as a teacher is so incredibly helpful because they know how to give you really constructive feedback and advice to improve your work as well as being able to give you advice on things like networking.

Tell us about shooting the (ACC Award winning) video for ‘Perhaps Vampire Is A Bit Strong But..’. How did that opportunity come about, and how did it feel to win your ACC Award?

That music video is what I decided to do for my final major project to emphasise all the skills I had learnt in my 2 years at college. The idea was built on work from previous projects, mainly my dissertation, where I talked about how vampire media has developed since Nosferatu up to the present day.

Winning an award for this music video was honestly such a nice sign that the work I put in paid off. I really cared about this music video and had such a fun time making it, so having it highlighted as the best video was just incredibly rewarding.

You’ve recently gone on to university. How’s that going? 

University is going amazing – it was definitely the right choice for me. I chose a media production course so it’s a bit more broad. I’ll be covering things like graphic design and radio, as well as film and photography. For me this just fits what I want better as I didn’t want to specialise in a particular area yet and just wanted to experiment with a broader set of skills.

I’ve already been able to connect with several other creatives, and have been discussing working on several peoples films – some of them not even doing a film course. I’ve also been looking into societies that will allow me to work on various things, including gig photography so I’m really looking forward to that!

What’s next for you in your career? What are you working towards, and what are your hopes for the future?

Currently I just want to experiment with as much media as possible. I really want to work on a short film and do some more physical media like collaging with my photographs. I’m hoping to pick up some more work experience in the industry, as I think that will be really beneficial for my career.

As for the future, I am currently using university to figure out where I want to go with my work. I want to work on a range of things throughout my career as I’d just find that more interesting!

If you’ve got a passion for media that you want to build into a career, consider one of our Media courses. Applications are open now. 

Did you know that it’s our 32nd birthday? We started life back in 1992 as Access to Music, offering a small number of music courses. From such small beginnings, we’ve since evolved into games, media, computing and esports. We became Access Creative College to better reflect our focus on and passion for a wide range of creative disciplines.

It’s been an incredible three decades here, during which we’ve seen innumerable talented young creatives come through our doors, leaving us with the skills, knowledge and experience to launch incredible careers. Some have even gone on to be household names! We’re proud of every single one of our students, past and present, and we can’t wait to see what future generations of creatives achieve within our campuses and in their careers after they’ve finished their studies. 

To help celebrate our birthday, we spoke to the Head of Campus for Access Creative College in Manchester, Mark Acton and Access Careers Leader, Martin Smith to find out what their time with us has been like. Read on for more!

Mark Acton

“I think it was in 1998 that I first came across Access to Music, when a friend of mine said that he was doing music teacher training ‘through the back door’ and he said how brilliant the Instrumental Music Facilitator programme was that he was engaging with.

Just under two years later, in late 1999, my wife was expecting a baby and I thought that I should probably try and get a real job, rather than relying on unpredictable gigs and selling nurses uniforms (yep). I took up teacher training with North Trafford College who suggested that I do my teaching practice with their music provision, which was a collaboration with Access to Music. On my first visit to the Beehive Mill, a vibrant, multi-industry building that housed a nightclub, radio station and lots of other creative businesses, I was awestruck by the atmosphere and the spark. Within 5 minutes, I was filming someone doing an assessed performance and I already knew that this was where I wanted to work.

I remember staff development days in August of 2000, with all the important names from Access to Music at the time, including a certain Martin Smith, the hangovers on the second morning after the karaoke in the bar the night before.

I was there on 9/11 watching the Twin Towers go down on a black and white portable TV with Steve Barlow twisting the aerial to get a good signal. Ben Searle had come down to IV the work on our HND Music Performance programme. At the same time, Sean South was in Lincoln having his job interview.

We’ve seen some tremendous developments over the year, including the move to having our own students instead of working with partner colleges, the British Academy of New Music in London with George Martin as our patron, Adrian taking over from John Ridgeon in (2007?) and the change to Access Creative College in more recent years.

With the broader remit of Access Creative College, and the Access Group we have been able to expand our horizons and feed off the symbiotic relationships of all of the creative industries, providing a much richer context for our learners.

Sports, music, games, film, art and graphics are the things that make our lives better and more interesting. They are what kept us going during lockdown. They make the world a better place for the creatives, the participants and the consumers.

We have changed people’s lives (sometimes even for the better) and helped other people do the same. 

The world needs Access Creative College. Happy birthday and here’s to many more.”

And now let’s hear from Careers Leader, Martin Smith!

Martin Smith

““Long Time Gone” is a classic slice of psyche Americana from the 1969 Crosby, Stills & Nash album – I have a copy on vinyl. A long time has gone since my band, the Dancing Wu Li Masters, met John Ridgeon, Access to Music’s founder, in a pub in Stamford, Lincolnshire. Over a drink, in his charismatic way, he persuaded us all to enrol on a new teacher training course for musicians. We’re talking here of 1994, in the heady days of Britpop and acid house – Irvine Welsh’s book of that name had just been published. The result was we ended up teaching as a band residency in a secondary school and the kids loved it – chords to Half the World Away anyone? The next year I was running the course I had just completed, driving around rural Lincolnshire in a clapped-out Escort estate.

I next bumped into John Rigeon while out shopping and in his inimitable way, he said ‘How do you fancy running some music courses at Cambridge Regional College?’. That was the start of what would become the current ACC centres, with one in Leicester and another in Lincoln. At this time the management team used to meet in John and Linda’s kitchen in an old stone cottage in deepest Rutland over tea and sandwiches.

From there things just grew, until we had lots of centres, some run directly and others in partnership with colleges. I remember being at the launch of The Beehive in Manchester (hi Mark!), where Manni from the Stone Roses and Peter Hook from Joy Division/New Order, presided over events. I also recall when we moved into the current site on Oxford Street, which had been a venue and home to Jilly’s rock bar, where I had spent a few mispent nights in my youth!

Highlights from the early days included meeting Patron, Sir George Martin, at the awards show at the British Academy of New Music in London and seeing Ed Sheeran perform with his sampler pedal at the Artist Development Rich Mix gig and making a mess of his first loop – it didn’t phase him one bit, a precursor to him standing alone headlining the main stage at Glastonbury. I also met Basement Jaxx, Nitin Sawhney and Michael Kamen and we had radio presenters Lauren Laverne and Edith Bowman in to host Awards shows at the O2 in Birmingham, with students bused in from all over – hats off to Jono Heale for organising those. Prominent students from this period included Dizzie Rascal, Rita Ora and Jess Glynne.

At Cambridge I joined the Strawberry Fair committee to run a student stage at the city’s annual free festival and this inspired me and a few others to set up the Riverside Festival in Stamford, which grew into a 15,000 capacity one-day festival, featuring such bands as The Levellers and Enter Shikari. An ATM banner can be seen on the crowd barrier of the main stage in this video, which features myself playing in Funkmaster Wu Li, as well as dodgy crowd dancing. Eventually, the Cambridge partnership ended and I moved across to work on curriculum and then marketing.

In marketing we did some fun things, like create the prospectus in the form of a prog rock gatefold album with inserts. We also took an airstream mobile recording studio to the Birmingham NEC as part of a Get Experienced festival area. There was also the time we were at ExCel in London for an exhibition and the Premier Inn Docklands waiter insisted I was Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin and had a selfie taken – quite what Robert Plant would be doing in an East End Premier Inn having breakfast is another matter! This is a video of me actually doing a Plant impersonation in a band called Black Zeppelin.

The transition to Adrian Armstrong’s ownership took place, ceremonially at least, aboard a party boat on the River Thames, where I narrowly missed being struck on the head by a bottle of wine hurled from one of the bridges – it was almost as dramatic as the infamous Sex Pistols boat incident of 1977. From there, working with Jo Graham, we supported the transition to Access Creative College, pushing new courses in Games and Media and working on brand change, logos and our CREATE values.

In more recent times, I moved into supporting careers and personal development for our students and I have now trained to be a qualified Careers Leader. However, I still like to be involved in music and I stage-managed the ACC stage at the Green Man festival last year. I continue to play with the Dancing Wu Li Masters and also have a band which reimagines the music of John Martyn and Nick Drake. Finally, I have been asked to play a set of Neil Young songs for a future party, so I might just include Long Time Gone, on which Neil memorably played with Tom Jones in 1969, as a fitting tribute to 32 years of Access.”

And there you have it. Two amazing histories from two incredibly talented, long-time members of the Access community. If you want to be a part of our future, applications for September 2025 are open now. 

We recently caught up with Kerry, ACC London’s Level 2 Games Award Winner for 2024. Kerry told us more about the award win, their time at ACC and career plans for the future.

Hi Kerry, tell us about yourself!

I’m just a young carefree black teenager who values games that hold potential towards the amusement of everyone who deserves it as well as myself. More specifically, I value and play a diversity of games that I see fit because I modify games myself to gain better experience than before by configuring or changing aspects of the game that seek less attention. This led me to study Level 3 Game Art to bring my imagination into a reality from the book I wrote and the games I developed that are direct to the source material.

Congratulations on your ACC Award win. How do you feel?

I feel egocentric since I knew my time was coming from the beginning, but I also feel proud. My mentality has been greatly enhanced by being nominated three or four times for games award. I feel like a king to hear the applause and yells as I go down to receive my well-earned achievements. Furthermore, they showed off my game on the big screen because, upon hearing the incredible soundtrack I had included for the last level, I turned to witness the magnificence of what is known as “art”.

Tell us about your time at Access. What have you enjoyed about it? What have you learned?

What I enjoyed is what the course has to offer, which is the software I was able to develop my games on which is called “Flowlab”. The purpose of this specific software is to make effective and efficient creativity towards your imagination as well as having the tools to guide you through doing so successfully such as the library of sprites you designed by pixel art, and game levels to configure the assets within it. What I learned from this is that behind the scenes, design-wise at that matter, every single sprite within the game that’s developed has an edit.

Have you done anything in the industry outside of your studies? If so, tell us about it!

What I’ve done within my respective industry was develop two games, that being Bequeath Of The Games and King Of The Deep, under the chain of the story called “Chronicle Power”. The story that correlates to the game, the characters that made their debut within the demonstration, where the game is set in the story, the shift of environmental levels, the mechanics of the gameplay, the concepts for the level designs, the art design for the characters, the displacement of the user-interface, the well-fitting music for the backgrounds and more.

What’s your proudest achievement from your time studying with us?

My proudest production I developed and made a huge improvement on so far is the second game I made “King Of The Deep“. Darkiga Blu’, a Laveriant, visited the Underwater Temple to prepare for warfare against the Agotians. The Siverlin Empire, a new army, destroyed the Laveriants’ homeland and their numbers plummeted. To gain strength, Darkiga used the core to defeat the Empire. However, the race and Empire disagreed, and Darkiga used his power to obliterate the Empire. The blood on his victims opened the third eye, and Darkiga embarked on a journey to learn the powers the crystal can bestow upon monsters.

What are your plans for the future? How are you going to take what you’ve learned at Access into your career?

My plans for the future are to start game testing for gaming companies such as Bandai Namco or SEGA, but more specifically debugging or bug-bashing. What I’ll certainly bring with me towards my career is to have good memorisation. This is what it takes to be a game tester as it leads to sticking and committing to something, such as a bug or glitch that will heavily affect the players’ experience by disturbance. Not only that but both flexibility and adaptability need to be shown as well to become more suitable in regards to the bugs and glitches.

What advice would you give to someone considering studying at Access?

“Crawl for the sake of faith, walk for the sake of self-esteem.”

King of the Deep trailer, developed by Kerry Kemoncety Gbe Zoude

Creativity starts with an idea, but having the best tools to turn that idea into a reality can be the game-changer. That’s where Adobe Creative Cloud comes in. This world-renowned, powerful creative software suite is used daily by designers, directors, editors, photographers, games developers, concept artists and more to deliver groundbreaking projects that ignite the imaginations of their audiences.

Adobe Creative Cloud is, arguably, as important a software suite as Microsoft Office, offering a world of options that streamline and maximise artistry, so you can focus on the details and meet that deadline.

With such widespread use in the professional world, we know how important it is to get to grips with everything the package has to offer, as quickly as possible. And that’s why every Access Creative College Games, Media and Artist Development student receives a full, FREE licence for the entirety of their course.

This licence, worth £56.98 monthly, includes Photoshop, Animate, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, Dreamweaver, InDesign, Lightroom, and much, much more. The possibilities are truly limitless.

Want to be a content creator? Shoot video to edit in Premiere Pro, or imagery to edit in Photoshop. Want to design a magazine? Jump on InDesign and up your layout game. Need a website to show off your portfolio to employers? Dreamweaver is right there, ready and waiting for you to dig into.

And the best part is, you can use your licence at home, so you don’t have to wait for class to hone your craft. Adobe Creative Cloud comes with step by step tutorials, so you can always learn something new, a full library of fonts and stock imagery, and even 100 GB of cloud storage so you can access your projects anywhere. 

All that’s left is for you to get creative, innovate and realise your full potential.An Adobe Creative Cloud licence is just one of a huge number of benefits you’ll have access to when you study with us. To find out more about what we have to offer, register for an open day now.

Fancy a career as a software developer? We are super excited to be one of the first colleges in the country to deliver a T-Level qualification in this industry. If you want to find out exactly what we have on offer and why studying software development at Access Creative College is the perfect way to get started in this field then read on!

What are T-Levels?

T-Levels, short for Technical Levels, are a type of qualification introduced as part of a government initiative to reform technical education for students aged 16 to 19. They are designed to provide young people with the practical skills and knowledge needed for specific industries to bridge the gap between academic education and the workforce.

T-Level courses are designed in collaboration with employers so you can get real, hands-on work experience alongside your studies. This will help you to fast-track your future by building relationships with some of the biggest names in the industry. How does that sound? If you need a little more information read our full breakdown of T-Levels.

Where can you study software development?

At ACC Bristol and ACC Norwich, we are running an exciting new T-Level course in Software Development. One of the main aims of this course is to teach you how to programme in languages, such as C#, Java and Python, as well as HTML and CSS, all of which are crucial for understanding the software industry. So, if you’re local to Bristol and Norwich, why not pop to one of our open days to find out more?

What will you study on our software development course?

As well as teaching you all of the core programming knowledge to succeed in this industry, we will also deep dive into:

• Problem-solving and algorithms
• Programming
• Data Science
• Physical, virtual and cloud computing systems
• VR, AI and other emerging technologies.

On top of this, you will have the opportunity to complete a 45-day industry placement with a local digital company as part of their software development team. This is an amazing way to gain industry experience and learn even more in a real working environment. Throughout the course, you will be working on projects which are directly relevant to industry demands, ensuring that you are prepared to tackle real-world challenges with confidence, ease and expertise.

To top it all off, we have put together a list of learner incentives which you will have access to while you are studying with us. This list has been created to give you the best possible chance to refine and develop your skills:

• Access to personal devices gives you the option to work from home
• Access to specialist software so that you can develop software/games from home
• A BCS membership allows you to grow even more professionally
• A personal AWS web server to help develop your projects 
• A top industry mentor who will advise you on your projects and guide your personal development
• Industry placement of 315 hours
• Access to specialist games/software development labs
• The chance to participate and compete in esports teams
• The opportunity for further development with professional qualifications (Google, CISCO etc)
• An automatic interview for any Level 4 digital apprenticeships which are available at that time.

We truly believe that everything we have on offer is unmatched in the UK, and we know for sure that you will finish your time at Access Creative College confident, knowledgeable and ready for whatever your future career may bring!

What can you do after completing your T-Level?

Once you have finished this T-Level course, you will have 168 UCAS points under your belt meaning you could go onto further studies at the university of your choice. How about an apprenticeship instead? You could apply for a Level 4 apprenticeship to experience even more of that great blend of hands-on employer experience and study. Or, if you feel that you are ready to enter the world of work, you can jump straight into it and begin your coding career straight away!

What jobs are in Software Development?

Our T-Level in Software Development is designed to allow progression into multiple different pathways in the digital and tech industries. Some possible career options include:

• Software Developer/Engineer
• Web Developer
• Network Engineer
• Test Engineer/ Software Tester
• Pen Tester
• Cyber Security Analyst
• Games Developer
• IT Technician
• Data Scientist
• AI Developer
• Content Manager
• UI/UX Designer

And believe us when we say, this list is just the start! With your new, highly sought-after skills, there will be so many options out there to choose from.

We truly believe that everything we have on offer is unmatched in the UK, and we know for sure that you’ll finish your time at ACC confident, knowledgeable and ready for whatever your future career may bring. 

Is a career in Software Development a good choice?

Whether a career in software development is a good choice depends entirely on your personal goals. If you have a passion for technology and enjoy problem-solving then it can be a fulfilling and successful career path to go down. Software development is a rapidly growing field with a high demand for a skilled workforce, working in various environments, from startups to large corporations. ACC’s T-Level course will equip you with all of the skills and resources needed to have a successful career in this industry.

If you have a willingness to learn and an interest in software development, apply now! To enrol on this course you will need at least 4 GCSEs, including Level 4 Maths and English. Don’t worry, if your grade predictions don’t quite match the requirements, feel free to get in touch with one of our advisors who will discuss all of your available options.

Access Creative College (ACC) and Don’t Try Music are thrilled to announce a groundbreaking partnership. Don’t Try Music, are a London based, boutique digital marketing and management agency, specialising in the music industry. 

The partnership has come at an incredible time as ACC re-launch their prestigious Artist Development Programme which has previously seen artists such as Ed Sheeran, Nilüfer Yanya and Beth McCarthy complete the scheme.

This exciting collaboration is set to revolutionise the music education landscape and provide emerging artists with unparalleled opportunities for growth and success.

Empowering the Future of Music

Access Creative College has been a leader in creative education for 30 years, constantly evolving their offer and curriculums, and forging innovative partnerships to spearhead emerging industry trends. One of the unique qualifications offered is their Level 4 Artist Development programme, designed to help artists deconstruct and rebuild their brand. Partnering with a London based, boutique digital marketing and management agency, specialising in the music industry allows students to directly benefit from their industry expertise. This partnership will offer students a unique chance to dive deep into the digital intricacies when it comes to marketing themselves online and develop a holistic understanding of what it takes to thrive as an artist in the modern music landscape.

Key Benefits of the Partnership

This dynamic collaboration promises an array of exciting benefits and opportunities for ACC Artist Development students:

Industry-Leading Guidance: Don’t Try will serve as the industry partner on the Artist Development course, providing invaluable insights and guidance to students across the three ACC campuses delivering the program.

Real-World Experience: Students will have the opportunity to receive direct feedback on their work and engage with real-world industry material curated by Don’t Try throughout the academic year.

Professional Assessment: Completed student work and portfolios will be assessed by ACC tutors and shared with Don’t Try for review at agreed points during the year. This invaluable feedback loop ensures that students are on the right track to success.

Guest Speaker Series: Don’t Try will host guest speaker sessions during the academic year, offering students direct access to industry professionals and insiders.

Unlock Your Creative Potential

This partnership is poised to empower emerging artists like never before. By combining ACC’s long-standing dedication to accessible creative education with Don’t Try Music’s industry prowess, students on the Artist Development Course will have the knowledge, skills and network they need to thrive in the notoriously competitive music industry.

Join Us on a Remarkable Journey

Are you ready to take your music career to the next level? 

Perfect your artistry, build your personal brand and gain real, industry insights when it comes to your digital marketing and presence.

Find out more about ACC’s Artist Development course, available in Birmingham, Bristol, London, Manchester and Norwich, here.

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Matt Thompson

Matt is a highly experienced music and education marketer, with a varied background that includes copywriting, PR and email marketing. His primary focuses are the music, games and esports industries, regularly producing successful pieces from across all three sectors. In his free time, Matt enjoys playing games, perfecting his barista skills and baking.

Latest posts by Matt Thompson (see all)

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We caught up with recent ACC alumni and award winner of the 2023 Best Game Art at our Manchester campus to hear all about his time studying with us.

Every year we host the Access Creative College Showcase Awards to celebrate and praise the incredible work our students produce. Across all of our campuses we award titles from best song, to best design, to best game art to best software, and so much more! For our 2023 ceremony, Ed took home the award for Best Game Art in Manchester.

Ed won this award whilst studying on our Games Art Level 3 Course. This course teaches how to develop ideas and concept art for games, create characters, objects, environments and more.

Hi Ed, please tell us why you decided to study Games Art with us? 

I chose this game art course because I wanted to expand my skills in making 3D artwork so that I could eventually move on to use them in my professional career.

What did you enjoy about this course? 

A big part of the course I enjoyed was being able to experiment and use my creativity to really make something special. Specifically the assignment where we were tasked to make a 3D environment really showed me how I can use my creative skills to develop and build large projects.

What are your next steps?

My next step is University. I just started studying Visual Effects at Futureworks and after this I would like to move into the industry and work in TV and film.

That’s great news! How did Access Creative College get you to where you needed to be?

Access was able to help me by teaching me how to develop professional work flows and software. If it hadn’t been for Access I wouldn’t be able to hit the ground running at uni when it came to computer work and using Maya and Substance Painter. This was a huge advantage and big help when it comes to moving into the type of course I’m currently on.

With that in mind, would you recommend the game art course?

I would recommend the course, specifically because it gave that sort of push that I needed in order to develop my skills further. Not to mention how friendly and supportive the tutors were.

Congratulations on winning best games art in Manchester! How do you feel after winning? Can you please tell us more about the project?

Thank you! It was an absolute honour to be chosen for the award and I really regret not being at the ceremony to collect it.

The winning project was an animation I made based off of a scene from a Doctor Who audio book. Everything in it was modelled, animated and rendered by me, including the environments and image of the space station on the screen. It was the first animation I had done which featured the new series design of Dalek, which is something I had struggled to model before, but after developing my skills, I had managed to finally get a result that I felt quite happy with!

Overall the project took about a week to complete, including: render, set up and animation time. It was a lot of fun to do and in my personal opinion it’s one of the best renders I’ve produced so far and I’m really proud of it.

You can find Ed’s Art Station portfolio and Socials through here.

If you’re interested in studying Games with us, learn more about our course here.

Toby is an alumni from our Games Development course who went on to win the ‘Best Esports Event’ award alongside his peers, in the National Access Creative College 2023 award showcase. 

Every year we host the Access Creative College Showcase Awards to celebrate and praise the incredible work our students produce. Across all of our campuses we award titles from best song, to best design, to esports student of the year to best software, and so much more! For our 2023 ceremony, Toby and his team took home the national award for Best Esports Event.

Toby won this award whilst studying on our Games Development Level 2 Course. This course is the perfect introduction to the skills and techniques needed to design assets for computer games. Whilst studying this course you learn how to create 2D games, pixel art, game audio, levels and animations. It’s the perfect stepping stone to level 3!

Let’s hear what Toby thinks of the course.

Hi Toby, thanks for speaking with us! Tell us, why did you decide to study Games Development? 

When I first applied to Access I originally applied to Games Technology and Cybersecurity, but unfortunately I didn’t meet the entry requirements following my GCSE results. 

I was soon contacted by the college who instead offered to enrol me onto the Game Development course.

What did you enjoy about your time studying with us?

Honestly everything! From the teachers to what we learnt in the course, it all intrigued me and I believe that is what made me work hard and do so well. I thoroughly enjoyed every little thing about it. What’s taught on the course is super relevant and was always delivered in a fun and creative way. 

The college understands the students really well and is able to deliver activities and clubs tailored towards the student’s interests, such as esports tournaments and music festivals. We were always encouraged to be creative and to be ourselves.

What are your aspirations for the future?

I have been accepted on to the Software Development T Level Course, which I’m hoping to pass with good grades! Afterwards I wish to go into university studying either Software Development or Cyber Security. I also have aspirations to hopefully one day live and study abroad in Japan!

Would you recommend the course to anyone else, if so, why?

Absolutely! Especially from my experience of the level 2 course.

If you’re in a similar position to where I was when I applied, I’d highly recommend following the steps I took. The level 2 studies were so useful before moving up to level 3, it helped with gaining a base level knowledge of the course and with getting to know the college.

Congratulations on winning ‘Best Esports Event’ at our annual showcase awards! Can you please tell us more about the winning project and how it felt to win?

I still remember the exact moment I found out! I was walking around B&M with my parents, when suddenly I got loads of messages from the team group chat. I saw a message that said “WE WON THE NATIONAL!” I was confused for a second on what that meant but it was quickly explained how our Esports event won the Best Esports Event award at the National Showcase Awards. The video of the announcement saying “The national award goes to… Norwich! And the students are: Kane, Sam, Toby”

We were all super excited over how big of an achievement it was for us. Personally for me it was such a motivating moment because I’ve never really been considered an exceptional student or had much success throughout my education. However, all that changed at college, even getting my first ever Distinction. So, it was such a huge jump and big achievement for me! It felt amazing, I’d never expected something like that to happen.

It just goes to show that if you try, you can actually make things happen!

If you’re interested in studying Game Development or Software Development with us. Click to view our courses.

The Power of Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool. We’ve seen 2 generations of people now, rising through the ranks of platforms such as Youtube, Tiktok and Instagram – eventually becoming mainstream celebrities in their own right. They host talk shows, walk red carpets and collaborate with food companies. Even if you don’t want to be an ‘influencer’ or celebrity, there’s no denying the importance and power of a dedicated audience on social media for career progression within a creative field.

Target Audience & Adaptability

First, we need to actually identify our target audience. What’s the age range? Gender? What style of content do they typically consume? Which platforms do they use the most? ‘Whether you rely on personas or actual customer data, find out who your target audience is and curate content for them.’ (Benchmark One, 2021). 

Adaptability is key when it comes to social media. You need to be able to hop on trends quickly, alter your style, and deal with situations when they arise. The online world moves at such a rapid pace and public opinion can shift rapidly. A person trying to build an audience has to be aware of these changes, and keep up with trends.

Platform Purpose

Different industries make use of different social media platforms, so it’s important to take note of this when strategising. For Games and Esports, you should be posting your creative content on platforms like Twitch or Youtube. With 200 million people watching gaming content on Youtube every day (Think With Google) it’s vital that you engage with this massive audience. Discord can be used for community building and connecting with other people involved in the games space. Reddit and X can be used for debate and discussion. 

For media platforms like Youtube, Vimeo and Instagram can be used for content. Instagram can also be used for promotion alongside Tiktok. Letterboxd is a great platform for those involved in film and again X is a great place to connect with people. 

Soundcloud and Spotify are specialised platforms for music uploads. They have algorithms to help your music be discoverable, so these should be your first priority when uploading content. Tiktok, Instagram and Youtube can also be used to promote your work and reach new audiences.

Using social media productively

‘Using social media’ doesn’t mean just scroll mindlessly for hours. It means using it in a productive and meaningful way. Research creators you look up to and see if you can get together to collaborate. Get some inspiration from a post you see on instagram or see what’s trending on X. Use this information to your advantage and factor it into your posts and content. 

Collaboration is a great way to boost your social media channels and brand generally. When working with another creator you are able to make connections within the industry, and to bring your audiences together. If your peer works in the same creative space, the audience overlap will be very large, and you both stand to gain a lot from a potential collaboration. 

You also shouldn’t be afraid to venture outside of your comfort zone. Try connecting with someone in a different genre of content entirely. Food content creators and comedians aren’t in the same content space but there is still audience overlap. By collaborating with someone outside of your creative area, you’re also able to tap into a different cohort of followers entirely, which can be a really useful tool to bring in new followers and introduce them to your work.

Consistency is Key

A key aspect of social media is consistency, and consistency is different for each individual because of the different styles of content, platforms and audiences etc. As a general guide you want to be posting some form of content each day. This could be something as minor as a tweet or as major as an hour long Youtube video detailing your creative process. Posting regularly reminds your audience that you are there and embeds your brand into their online experience.

Show off your personality

As much as the quality of your work is important, audiences and followers love when they can also engage with you as a person. Showing personality in your captions, tweets and posts can boost your following, as consumers are able to ‘root for’ and empathise with the person behind the work. There are two rules that can be used to find the right balance between your personal and professional sides. 

The 80-20 rule states that the 80% of posts should try to inform, educate or entertain whilst the remaining 20% can promote your brand. 

The rule of thirds organises your content feed into 3 different roles. ⅓ should aim to promote business and generate profit. Another ⅓ should share your ideas and content, as well as resharing fellow creators. The last ⅓ should focus on personal interactions with your audience. 

These two rules can help to balance your content output and help strike the right chord with an audience. 

It’s not all about the numbers…

I know this may sound contradictory having just rattled off a load of fractions; however the numbers really aren’t that important! ‘Vanity metrics like number of followers and likes are easy to track, but it’s hard to prove their real value.’ (Hootsuite, 2022). Statistics like this are often arbitrary due to fluctuating algorithms and pure luck. Sometimes a post does well and sometimes it doesn’t. Instead of obsessing over these numbers, try to track useful metrics such as audience engagement, impressions and reach and click-through rates.

Social Media at Access Creative College

At Access Creative College we offer a wide range of courses, across Esports, Games, Media, Music and Computing. Branding is key in most of these industries, so we give our students a head start by helping them build professional online portfolios. We also provide collaboration opportunities with our partners, including some of the UK’s best creative organisations like Latitude, Royal Albert Hall and Condense.

We also share student work on our channels, to shout about all the amazing things they’re creating. Take a look by searching @accesscreativecollege on all platforms.

This week, we’re continuing our ‘How To’ series, giving you our best advice on setting yourself up for industry.

In this edition, we’re looking at how to build a professional portfolio, dressed to impress. Check out our tips below!

What is a Portfolio?

A portfolio is a summary of all of your best work, in a collection that demonstrates your abilities and processes as a creative professional. Portfolios can also showcase experience, awards, previous education, qualifications and more! Think of a portfolio as a time capsule you’re burying for aliens (ones who seem strangely interested in your career). You should aim to provide as much work and information that shows off your professional capabilities as you can. It’s important to note that a portfolio does not replace a CV / resume, but acts as an addition to your CV.

What are the Benefits of a Portfolio?

A portfolio is a really useful tool to have, as you can easily update it and showcase your work at any time. They can be used to apply for a myriad of different opportunities including jobs, placements and internships, universities, colleges and more! Portfolios can also back up points you make when trying to sell yourself. It’s all well and good to tell a future employer that you are brilliant with Adobe Illustrator, but without the evidence to back it up you could give a bad first impression. Portfolios can also set you apart from the crowd and give you that extra edge over other applicants.

How do I begin?

I’m sure you all know the importance of saving your work, whether that be a slideshow, a C++ script or a demo you’ve just recorded. Saving and backing up work not only means you can edit it or upload it at a later date, it means you can use it in a portfolio. The best portfolios include a wide range of work across different mediums and styles, that show a person’s creative development. Because you saved all of your work and backed it up appropriately, you can now pick and choose which pieces you would like to feature from a bigger collection. Again, variety is key here – no employer wants to see an entire portfolio of black and white portrait photography. 

Now that we have our work collated, we need to make sure we cover the other aspects of a portfolio. Most notably: a CV, references and a statement of originality. There are other components such as a personal statement, a work philosophy and if applicable a plan for academic studies but these are not as vital as the 3 listed prior. A CV or Curriculum Vitae summarises all of your skills, work experience and education in a concise manner. Having a CV is essential for applying to the majority of jobs, as are references which are there to speak to your character as an employee and person. Having a mix of both professional and character references is important, so a potential employer gets a good idea of how you perform at work and what kind of person you are. The statement of originality is to set out that all work included is your own and hasn’t just been nabbed from someone else’s website. 

If you’re worried about your work being shared by employers, you can specify if certain parts of the portfolio cannot be copied or shared beyond those who view it.

How do I put one together?

Now that you have all of these key components you can begin putting your portfolio together. Hurrah! In terms of actually setting out and displaying your work you can do this in a variety of different ways. 

You could use something as simple as a slideshow, build your own website using html or use a template on Google Sites. Think about tailoring the presentation of your portfolio to your field of work. If you’re involved with games, maybe you could build out a Skyrim style intro sequence for the portfolio. As obvious as it sounds, don’t be afraid to get creative with it! Anything to make you stand out from the masses is going to earn you favour with whoever you’re trying to impress. Just make sure the format you choose can be shared easily; uploading a 10gb file to an email each time you need to share your portfolio may start to become quite tiresome.

Specialising your Portfolio

Whilst the bones of your portfolio are going to be very similar to your peers, it’s important that you specialise it in some way. Whether this is to the industry, institution or company you are applying to, or to you as a person. For example, at Access we have a wide range of courses, so a music student’s portfolio should not look identical to that of an esports student’s. Here are a few ways in which you can tailor your portfolio to your area of interest:

Music

• Showing use of technical skills eg. Ableton
• Positive reviews of your music from local publications
• A mix of both demos and published music

Media

• Using a visual medium to display work eg. Showreel
• Showing pre-production alongside outcomes
• Demonstrating versatility through different styles

Games

• Including at least 1 example of a team project
• Demonstrating foolproof navigation through your UI
• Showing demo videos of finished projects

Computing

• Ensuing any included code is clean
• Choosing a strong domain name
• Making finished product visually engaging

Esports

• Including experimental work
• Selling your personality and brand
• Showcasing a range of different games and skills

What’s Next?

Now that you have all the information required to build a portfolio – it’s time to get cracking! 

Start by collating all of the work you are most proud of; selecting pieces that show a wide range of skills and styles. Then, you can begin to specialise your portfolio to your area of expertise through visual presentation, annotation and feedback from peers. 

Once you’ve finished, consider showing your portfolio to friends and family for feedback, or test it by applying for different opportunities. Make edits to your portfolio based on feedback from friends, family and potential employers until you’re happy with it and then spread it far and wide to show off what you can do and build your dream career.

If you’d like help to build your portfolio, as well as the opportunity to add to it, Access Creative College is the place for you. Our bespoke career service, Professional Development, is designed from the ground up to offer you practical advice and portfolio boosting opportunities that set you up for success. Find out more about Professional Development here.

Big Jeff (AKA Jeffrey Johns) has been a mainstay in Bristol for a long-time now and is well-recognised in the community. Every true Bristolian has bashed elbows with him at one of the 300 music gigs he attends a year. Apart from being an ACC alumni, he’s a brilliant artist and an expert on all things music in Bristol and has even been featured on VICE and NME.

We sat down with him and his amazing waistcoat made out of festival wristbands to unpick his best gig memories, why he loves Bristol and what he thought about his time with ACC. To keep in the loop on Big Jeff, check out his Instagram page here!

Watch the full interview:

We’ve been delivering high quality courses for 30 years. As we go into the new academic year let’s shine a spotlight on some of our newer courses that span across more creative industries, and why you should study them. 

As the exciting world of the creative industries continues to expand, so do we. We ensure that we provide you with the latest knowledge, technologies and practices.

Read more about our new creative courses and 5 reasons why you should study them…

5 Reasons to study Animation and VFX

1. Access to the bespoke rendering software that was used to animate Pixar movies, RenderMan. We understand that to be the best, you need to have access to the best equipment and software available. The kind of stuff that the professionals use to create their masterpieces. So we geared our students up with Pixar’s RenderMan. Read more about Pixar’s RenderMan at ACC here.

2. Our strong industry connections. We have strong established connections with industry professionals, providing students with the opportunity for real industry experience and valuable networking and collaboration opportunities. Find out more about our industry links here.

3. Develop transferable production skills in a wide range of areas. With hybrid sessions students will gain hands-on experience and enhance their skills in design, film and photography developing their knowledge and experience with industry-standard equipment and techniques.

4. Collaboration with other pathways. Students will work with peers from other disciplines such as music. This solidifies relationships and expands knowledge into other creative industries.

5. Clear progression routes and career opportunities. There are an abundance of wide-ranging career opportunities and higher education study options, such as going onto university or A2HE courses such as our Media and Content Creation course. Media is a rapidly growing industry. There are even more career opportunities in sub-fields including social media marketing, film and television production, journalism and more.

Learn more about our Animation & VFX course here

5 Reasons to study Esports Management

1. Competition is at the heart of our curriculum. You will compete in tournaments both in college and at external events. You even have the chance to become part of a national team, the ACES, who reached the semifinals of the BA tournaments.

2. Real world experience. Take advantage of GoLive, our bespoke programme that offers real-world experience running esports events on a national scale.

3. Learn a variety of transferable skills. Led by industry experts, you’ll learn to start your own business, run events, market yourself, live stream and so much more. Gain all the skills you need to launch a game-changing team.

4. Access to state of the art game labs and super-spaces. Jump into our Overclockers computer labs, and esports competition superspaces (London campus only) equipped to give you all the tools you need throughout your studies.

5. Clear progression routes and career opportunities. The opportunities after this course are endless, such as esports coaching and analysis, streamer, digital marketer, business owner and so much more. Dictate your own path. 

Learn more about our Esports Management course here

5 Reasons to study Music Performance and Technology

1. Access to industry standard equipment. You’ll be taught by experts who are actively working within the music industry, on state of the art, industry standard equipment and are able to get stuck into our very own performance spaces and recording studios.

2. Incredibly successful alumni. We have an impressive roster of alumni who have achieved big and great things, including Ed Sheeran, Amy Love (Nova Twins), Let’s Eat Grandma and Sam Bowden (Neck Deep). Learn more about our alumni here.

3. Strong industry connections. We maintain strong partnerships and connections with a variety of industry professionals and companies. Not only this but you’ll be amongst a huge network of fellow musicians, aspiring producers, beat makers, managers and more. Your team can be made at ACC. Find out more about our industry links here.

4. Real-world experience. Our music students benefit from live performance opportunities, whether that’s in our dedicated spaces or for some of the biggest festivals in the UK. We provide the opportunity for students to perform live and work at many festivals including Latitude, Love Saves the Day and Green Man. Learn more about our festival partnerships here.

5. Clear progression routes and career opportunities. The job and higher education opportunities are vast after studying music performance and technology. You can go onto university, or check out our A2HE courses, or continue your studies with our one of a kind Artist Development course.

Learn more about our Music Performance and Technology course here.

5 Reasons to study Software Development

1. Secure an industry work placement. On this T-Level course, you’ll spend 45 days on an industry work placement giving you real world experience and an excellent starting point to your career.

2. Access to industry standard technology and software. We can take your talent further by being taught on high-spec computers filled with industry standard software such as VS Code, Wireshark, Git and professional hacking tools like TryHackMe.

3. Be fully equipped for employment. Touching on both core concepts and specialist skills, we’ll equip you with many weapons in your arsenal to put you at the front of the queue for employers. Our curriculum prepares you for university or to enter the working world as a software developer, tester, web developer or many more!

4. Network with industry professionals. While studying with us you’ll network with industry professionals, meaning you’ll leave us with the connections that will turbo-charge your career prospects.

5. Build your portfolio whilst you work. Our curriculum is project-based learning, which means all students will be building their portfolios as they go along. 

Learn more about our Computing course here.

If you want to explore the full range of courses that we offer, head over to the courses directory on our website. Alternatively, apply now here!  

Meet Jake and Katie, our two central graphic designers. They are behind a lot of the designs and graphics you see around campus, on social media, our branding, and out in the world!

They’re incredibly talented with decades of experience between them. We sat down with them to find out more about them, their work and to get some advice for those wanting to start a career in graphic design.

Tell us a bit about your background and why you got into graphic design

Jake: I’ve been working as a graphic designer for 16 years around Manchester since studying Design and Art Direction at Manchester Metropolitan University. Alongside working with ACC I am a freelance graphic and motion designer under the name hellojakeb.com. 

Growing up I drew all the time and wanted to illustrate books but at secondary school my interests turned to music and I put all my energy into being in a band. After college we collectively decided to move to Manchester and after a year out we all went to university. The band slowly split up but I rediscovered my passion for layout and visual communication.

Work by Katie Dawe

Katie: Without sounding like a bit of a cliché, I’ve always wanted to do something creative. However, I don’t think I really started to understand what graphic design was until I did a Graphic Communication A-Level, where I began to learn all of the basics. 

It soon became all encompassing and I would spend all my time doing my graphics and art coursework. I think it was around then that I really started to learn all the different areas within graphic design. After that I studied an art foundation course which opened my eyes even further to the world of graphic design and all the fun that could be had with it. 

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after that so I applied to uni and ended up at Manchester School of Art studying graphic design. I was able to really hone my skills and figure out what it was that I enjoyed doing within graphic design. After uni I got my first job as a Junior Graphic Designer, at Access. In this role I’ve learnt so much from Jake and all the other creatives within the business.

What’s been your biggest achievement in your careers so far?

Work by Jakeb

J: I’ve been lucky enough to work with major brands and to have had work displayed around the world, such as in retail environments for the sports brand ASICS during my time at design agency WDC. But I find smaller, personal wins more satisfying like running my small business Press Print Shop through which I’ve successfully run a Kickstarter campaign, which was a huge personal achievement for me.

K: I would say my biggest achievement so far has been graduating uni with a First Class Degree and with a portfolio I was so proud of. I worked so hard in uni. There was a lot of hard work and many long nights and early mornings but I got there in the end and I was so proud of that. I was also so proud when I got my first graphic design job. It can be difficult when you finish college/university as the competition is so high, and I think it can be very easy to get disheartened about it. 

The year after I graduated I kept working on my portfolio, creating new projects, getting lots of feedback from people in the industry which I think is so important when looking for that first job. So when I did get the job I was really proud that I kept trying and didn’t give up, and clearly the wait and work was worth it!

What’s been your favourite project to work on?

J: I worked for a landmark Art and Crafts shop in Manchester for a few years, during which time I specialised in a type of printing called Riso. To promote the shop’s studio I created a mini model version of the Riso printer that you could build out of card. Through a lot of trial and error using the shop’s laser cutter, I made a flatpack model you could buy and it was received really well in the vibrant Riso printing community. I even got a phone call from the CEO’s office in Japan saying they loved the model and have it on display there.

K: One of my favourite projects I’ve done was a branding project that I did after uni. I created a brand for a fictional museum which celebrates and brings together the history and nature of Yorkshire. I really loved the outcome of this project. At ACC, one of my favourite design projects to work on is Access Magazine. I’ve always really loved layout design so it’s really fun to work on something like access and have lots of creative freedom.

What’s your biggest challenge in graphic design and how do you overcome it?

Work by Jakeb

J: Fully understanding the client’s needs is so important. Whether it’s a 10 page brief or a vague chat, that first hurdle of understanding the message and how you say it is the biggest challenge. You overcome it by being open and focussing on one or two of your strongest ideas from an initial idea generation.

K: I think my biggest challenge is that I sometimes get stuck in a bit of a creative rut. When I find myself in these situations, I think the best thing to do is sit back and have some time away from it. It’s hard to always be creative and be on top form, creativity doesn’t always come when you need it to. I find flicking through books really helps, sometimes you can see something that might trigger a thought.

What advice would you give to future graphic designers?

J: Having the ability to see creative work on social media is incredible and you should use this resource to pool together styles of work that you love that you can reference in the future. Having said that, it’s easy to get into the mindset that everyone out there is amazing and it can feel daunting to try, let alone put your work out there. I would encourage aspiring designers not to judge themselves against others and to nurture their own style as this will attract the type of clients you will want to work with.

K: Don’t give up! Like I said before, it took me some time after finishing uni to get my first design job and I remember thinking sometimes ‘maybe this isn’t for me’, but if it’s something you’re passionate about and want to do then don’t give up, it will happen! I also agree with Jake, it’s so important to find your own style within design. It can be easy to follow the trends and make work you think people want to see, but it’s so much more important to find your own style and keep working on it and developing it.

What do you think the future of graphic design is?

J: Designers will be expected to create more dynamic content. The lines of design, animation, 3D and illustration are becoming more blurred as software is making it easier for designers to develop their static concepts into moving images. It’s really exciting to be a designer at the moment, as the tools and potential applications for digital design are becoming more accessible and the possibilities are getting greater. 

K: Like Jake said, it really is so exciting to be a designer right now with all the new software and tools. The opportunities to create unique and interesting designs are endless. I think what’s really great as well is people are becoming more and more aware of graphic design and everything surrounding it. I remember even when I went to uni to study graphic design people would ask ‘so what is that exactly’ and now I hear that less and less. It’s great that it’s becoming more recognised and gives me much hope for the opportunities and future of design.

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in graphic design, take a look at our Media Courses. We have a range of design courses for ages 16-24. 

In the beginning, starting to produce electronic music can be a fun and exciting journey, but it can also feel overwhelming if you’re not sure where to begin. Here are 7 creative strategies for electronic music producers, to help you get started:

Choose your DAW

A digital audio workstation (DAW) is software that you use to create and edit music. Some popular options for electronic music production include Ableton Live, Logic Pro X, and FL Studio. Take some time to research which DAW best suits your needs and budget.

Learn the basics of music production

Before diving into creating your own tracks, it’s important to understand the basics of music theory and sound design. Take some time to learn about chord progressions, scales, and basic synthesis. There are plenty of free resources available online, including YouTube tutorials and online courses.

Find inspiration

Listen to a variety of electronic music genres to find inspiration and get a sense of what you like. Pay attention to the structure of the tracks, the types of sounds used, and the overall vibe of the music.

Start simple

It’s tempting to want to create complex tracks right from the beginning, but starting simple can help you better understand the software and build your skills. Begin with a basic beat and add simple melodies or chords, and gradually build from there.

Practice consistently

As with any skill, consistent practice is key. Make time each week to work on your music production skills, and don’t be discouraged if your early tracks don’t sound great. Keep practising and experimenting, and you’ll soon start to develop your own unique style.

Collaborate and get feedback

Collaborating with other producers and getting feedback on your tracks can be incredibly helpful in improving your skills. Join online communities or forums to connect with other producers, and consider taking a course or workshop to get feedback from industry professionals.

Education

You could enrol onto a music production course where industry professionals can help you develop the skills you require to produce the tracks you hear in your head. That’s where Access Creative College comes in, we have a range of music courses including our Music Production Level 3 courses where we provide you with a solid foundation in the latest music technology, and prepares you for your future in industry. 

Remember, whatever route you decide upon, learning to produce electronic music is a journey, and it takes time and effort to develop your skills and find your unique sound. Be patient, stay inspired, and enjoy the process!

Written by Matt Radley, Music Pathway Manager, Plymouth

Meet Emily Harrison, ACC Birmingham alumni and now singer-songwriter. Emily is busy working on building a career in music, competing in music competitions, working on an EP, and is a finalist for Miss England 2022 but she’s not stopping there!

We sat down with her to find out more about what she’s been up to since she finished studying with us, and how she balances such a busy schedule.

Hi Emily, tell us about yourself!

Hi, I’m Emily. I’m 26 and from Birmingham. I’ve been singing and songwriting for years now, ever since I was young. I’m a very musical person and my background is mainly in music. I attended Access Creative College Birmingham’s Heath Mill Studios centre way back in 2014, studying Music Performance. I’m also qualified in business, a route I took after my time at ACC, and I’m also studying computer science.

More recently, I’ve been competing in beauty pageants, becoming a Miss England 2022 finalist. As part of competing in Miss England, I had the opportunity to perform music which reignited my passion for it and I realised I want to do it long-term. I started to build up my online presence and applied for a postgraduate commercial songwriting and music production MA with Tileyard London, which I’m presently studying alongside finishing my computing.

How long have you been involved in music, and where did your passion come from? 

My passion for music stems from several things; my family, performing on stage and the way music resonates with me. I really relate to the sounds and vibrations of music. My parents have always been a huge musical inspiration, singing their hearts out to icons like Michael Jackson and James Morrison. They always ensured we flourished with our love for music. Whether it was singing, dancing or acting, my parents always encouraged me and my siblings to get involved in the performing arts from a young age, which I’ll forever cherish as it made me who I am today. 

When I first performed on stage alone as part of Rubery’s Got Talent at around 9 years old, I knew it was what I was born to do. I also regularly took part in my school’s talent competitions, as well as the Musical Theatre Youth Company, Welsh National Opera and CBSO Children’s Choir. I was around 14 when I wrote my first proper song. From there I’ve written countless lyrics, like a never ending book. Writing, being on stage and singing to an audience makes me feel alive!

What inspires you most in songwriting, and what do you think makes a good performer? 

My inspiration comes from real life experiences, not just my own. My music is about things I’ve watched others go through, staying positive, mental health, and love. Love, optimism and inspiration is the message I want to deliver through my music. 

To me, being a good performer means having the passion to perform, not being scared of making mistakes and pushing through fear. You could be the best singer but the natural hiccups and mistakes are what can make you a great performer. You need to make mistakes to get better. Not being afraid to try different things, instead of staying in your comfort zone, will bring the best results. Putting your all into performing also goes a long way. Having a positive energy, moving around the stage, sending that energy across the room and making the people watching feel you really mean business, performing from the heart with dedication!

How did you find your time at ACC, and how has your time there benefited you in the present?

I honestly would not be where I am today without the time I spent at ACC and the support of the staff and students. I’ve had the advantage of professional experience performing on stage through ACC, and I wouldn’t have been able to start my postgraduate music course I’m currently on without that Level 2 study. I feel it is important to invest in your creative education as a musician, gaining as many skills as possible and reaching your full potential. I met so many lifelong friends at ACC, learned so much about music & it was where I had my first song produced! Being there enabled me to thrive, prosper and develop as a musician.

You’re currently competing in the Undiscovered Talent, and Soundwaves competitions. How have you found them so far?  

I have found the competitions very fun. You have to remind yourself to enjoy the moment. They are competitions but having fun is the most important aspect to me. Every contestant would love to win, but taking part and getting this far means we have all achieved and we have to take pleasure in the process! It is also interesting to receive feedback from the judges and see where I can improve, as there’s always room for improvement. I am super excited for the next steps of both and can’t wait to further perform as part of the competitions. 

What made you decide to enter, and what do you think it’s brought to your career? 

I decided to apply for numerous music competitions after I reached the top 3 in the talent round of Miss England and became a finalist. As part of the beauty contest, I performed at Coventry Cultural MELA celebrating the first female Admiral in the Royal Navy, Sequin Walls HQ who make amazing backdrops for clients such as Adele and ITV, and the National Grand Final Charity Ball of Miss England. I was eager to take part in more contests, so I applied and was selected for the Undiscovered Talents online competition, as well as the live auditions of Soundwaves which comes with the opportunity to perform at Birmingham O2 Academy if I reach the next stage. Both competitions are huge opportunities to boost my musical career!

You’ve also made the finals of Miss England. Tell us about that! 

Participating in Miss England felt so surreal, one of the best times of my life. I became the most petite finalist to make it to the Nationals finals of the Miss England contest in the 95 year history of the pageant. I’ve been featured in various newspapers and on GB News’ The Neil Oliver Show, talking about all things petite and music. The contest has various rounds, including the eco round where I made my own recycled outfit (see that on my Instagram!). I’ve also raised a total of £750 for three charities – Beauty with a Purpose, which promotes the health, education wellbeing of children around the world, Born Into Silence, a stillborn and infant loss support charity which is important to me after the loss of a sibling and PAPYRUS, a charity working for the prevention of young suicide. 

I didn’t realise being 5ft made me stand out, until I saw how small I actually am compared to other girls in the contest. I really want to empower petite people across the world, be a voice and show them anything is possible no matter our height. It shouldn’t be a factor in defining our success!

How do you balance all these different areas of your career, and what have you learned from balancing so much? 

A good career balance leads to harmony of different aspects in life, and using time wisely is essential to a good career balance. I’m determined to pursue both music and modelling as careers, but I only commit to things if I’m fully sure I can balance them. Organising my career has taught me that I can do anything I want to achieve if I put my mind to it. If I don’t do as well in one area, I have another to fall back on, and both areas support each other. As long as I manage my time, I know I’ll be on track to achieve my ambitions! It can be challenging, but I thrive off a challenge and I have the determination to succeed!

What have you got planned for the future? 

I am planning to release my first EP and a few singles this year. I’ve put my heart and soul into these initial songs, some of which I wrote over 10 years ago, so it’s long overdue! I also can’t wait to share what I’ve been working on with Manchester based producer and independent label Dark Mic Group who is simply brilliant at what he does! 

One of my singles is called ‘Run’ and I made the song during my time at ACC with music producer and broadcaster of Switch Radio’s Urban Switch Up channel, RaiRai, who also studied and taught at ACC Birmingham. It is being remixed and mastered, so it won’t be long before I can share this with fans! 

I’ll also be flying out to Florida in July for Miss Universal Petite. I’m the first person from England to participate and I’m looking forward to representing my country, especially smaller people. Wish me luck! 

You can find Emily online in the following places: 

Instagram, Tiktok and Youtube: emilyharrison2023

Facebook: Emily Harrison

Websites:
Undiscovered Talent

Miss England

First up, we have SOPHIE.

SOPHIE AKA Sophie Xeon sadly passed away in January 2021, but before she died, she released a strong body of work and is a highly celebrated producer who co-wrote or produced for acts such as Madonna, Charli XCX, MØ and even our ACC alumni, Let’s Eat Grandma.

Where to start with SOPHIE

Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides. Covering a breathtaking mix of genres and sounds, this album provides the best possible example of why SOPHIE made such a strong name as a producer.

Apple Music

Spotify

Tracy Chapman

A Grammy Award, multi-platinum household name, well-known for her massive hits ‘Fast Car’ and ‘Give Me One Reason’, Tracy Chapman is one of those classic artists that should not be missed. Her music is a masterful lesson in songwriting and her music is filled with those singalong moments that bring people together.

Where to start with Tracy Chapman

Start from the beginning with Tracy with her self titled debut, Tracy Chapman. In 36 short minutes, she showed the world who she was and gave us a masterpiece in production and songwriting.

Apple Music

Spotify

Troye Sivan

Troye Sivan is a busy man. Not only is he an award winning, chart-topping singer-songwriter, but he is also an actor and a YouTuber. On his music, Troye can only be described as the perfect soundtrack to summer. Throwing out the kind of music that wouldn’t be out of place at a nightclub, or on the speaker at your next barbecue or beach trip, his work is approachable, accessible and made for the mainstream market.

Where to start with Troye Sivan

His second album Bloom. Released to critical acclaim, he crosses genres and sounds with ease. Slipping from pop bangers to relaxed ballads, and even throwing in an Ariana Grande feature, this album is built for you to love it.

Apple Music

Spotify

King Princess

King Princess is one of those names you may not recognise, but that you’re guaranteed to hear soon. Her music wouldn’t sound out of place on a playlist with MØ, Zara Larsson or even Lorde. Blending influences in Pop, Indie and Pop Rock, she pulls together a sound that is thoughtful, melancholic and deep, while also being warm, welcoming and cheerful all at the same time.

Where to start with King Princess

Cheap Queen is the place to start here. Written chronologically, the album track listing sets up a story of a person feeling a range of human emotion that anyone can relate to. Swinging from powerful, anthemic and Lorde-esque on title track ‘Cheap Queen’ to the slow building ‘Prophet’ that reminds the listener of that period in the early 2000s when The Beach released with it’s lazy, chilled, summery soundtrack. Get this album saved on your Spotify list right now. You won’t regret it.

Apple Music

Spotify

The four artists mentioned above are only the beginning of an industry filled with incredible acts from the LGBTQIA+ community who have or are going on to accomplish amazing things and push our industry forward. Some more people to check out include:

Serpentwithfeet

George Michael

Frank Ocean

Anohni

Kim Petras

Boy George

Christine and The Queens

Mykki Blanco

Angel Haze

Lil Nas X

Tegan and Sara

This list is not exhaustive, and highlights one of the greatest parts of the global music industry. No matter who you are, what your background is or how you identify, there is something for you, both as a listener and as an artist. Music is a community that welcomes all.

Esports, short for Electronic Sports, is a term used to describe competitive video gaming. But don’t be mistaken in thinking that that means a casual competition like the splitscreen face-offs of the past with friends.

Esports is a serious, professional industry with intense and meaningful competition set within some of the world’s biggest game franchises. From Counter Strike to Call of Duty, Valorant to Rocket League, there’s something for everyone in terms of competing, and huge prize money (in the tens of millions) on offer for those with the skill, commitment and strategy to reach the top.

Tournaments aren’t confined to one platform. They can be held on Xbox, Playstation or PC, and are watched by an audience that can number in the hundreds of thousands or even millions on key online streaming platforms like Twitch, or in person at specialist esports arenas.

With such a big audience base, the industry has opened up a wave of supporting roles in fields such as coaching and analysis, marketing and content creation, shoutcasting (presenting and commentating on tournament streams), broadcasting including camera operator roles, PR, finance and much, much more.

The scale of audience, the vast pots of money moving back and forth in prize money, advertising and salaries, and the overwhelming level of passion is cementing esports as a sport for the modern era that is here to stay. A helpful factor in its meteoric rise is that the sport is open to all, regardless of physical ability. Women in Games via British Esports Association suggests that an estimated 1 in 20 women and climbing are involved in the esports industry, and while diversity has historically been a challenge (like a lot of industries and sports), work is being done to improve opportunities for people from all backgrounds. 

In short, esports isn’t just kids in a room playing games. It’s a real career with decent salaries and long-term career prospects for those willing to work hard and commit. Teams train for hours a day, carefully manage nutrition of their players and demand rigorous scheduling generally, like any other sports athlete. Like any other industry, work hard and you up your chances at success. 

If you or someone you know might be interested in a career in esports, a great way to get a head start in the industry is our Level 3 in Esports Management. Learn more about this exciting new sector and try out the varied roles available, find your path and become an industry-ready expert. Read more about the course here, and apply for September 2023 here. 

Wait… There’s more!

We’re offering a whole host of courses for students aged 16-18, as well as a range of 19+ Access to Higher Education courses, designed to help adults get back into education for further training, a new career path or to return to study after a break. We’re sharing this amazing space with one of our Higher Education partners, Nottingham Trent University’s Confetti Institute of Creative Technology, to provide London’s future creative and digital professionals with a full educational journey from Further Education to Degrees in the same, incredible building.

Ever wondered about where your career could go within the esports industry? Read on to find out what kinds of jobs are available in the industry currently, what those jobs entail and discover how you can work in esports without being a player, team manager or directly involved in tournaments.

It’s no understatement to say that the list of possible careers within esports is vast. So vast, in fact, that you can be involved in the industry without ever touching a controller and yet still have a real impact on the sector. As we’ve already explained, this industry is growing every day and with that comes new requirements for all sorts of different esports job roles to support it. Transferable skills are of huge importance as the more adaptable you are, the wider the scope of your work will be when it comes time to join the professional working world.

First, let’s look at competitive teams and the esports job roles that sit behind the people competing and coaching (we’ll include some great links for further reading about each role where possible, as we go). On and around the average esports team are:

From his time as an Access Creative College student at Norwich doing Artist Development to producing the opening track on Fredo’s 2021 sophomore album ‘Money Can’t Buy Happiness’ and working with some of British Hip-Hop’s finest including Giggs and R.A, Arkz Beats (real name Daniel Buse) has made a name for himself as a driven, innovative and highly-skilled producer.  

We sat down with him to understand more about his journey through the creative industry, what inspires him and how he turned his dream into a career.

How did you get into making beats?

The honest answer would be I have no idea. One day, I just decided that I wanted to be this top music producer who would make songs which get played on all big radio stations and ever since then that has always been my dream.

If I could guess, I’d say my dad was a major influence on me getting into making music in general. As we both share that passion for music, it’s easy for me to look back over the years and realise how he has played a massive role in shaping my career, especially by playing lots of different artists like Chase & Status, Tinie Tempah and Jamie T around me when I was young.

Music lessons in school were always really fun mucking around on the keyboards and not really doing the work, but just enjoying playing all of the notes on the keyboard. Early in my time at high school, my dad showed me an app on my phone where you could make your own music and render it out as if it was a proper song (I completely forget the name of it). The app was okay, but I must have been so bad at it. Looking back it was honestly so fun and such a great idea. If I had to put a finger on it, I could definitely link this memory to why I am making beats today.

One song I distinctly remember which may have had an influence on me getting into making music was “Black Beatles” by Rae Sremmurd, produced by Mike WiLL Made-It. I can’t tell for sure if this was the reason for me really wanting to get into making beats but when I look back at the release date of this song, it was around the same time that I wanted to get into making beats (at first just as a hobby) and I always thought that the beat of that song hit so hard and was so catchy.

Another random fact which most people wouldn’t know if they were first introduced to my music is that I was a big fan of EDM music and in my early years of producing, I was switching between making trap beats, electronic style music like future bass and sometimes even house. Once or twice I even remember making a rock song. From doing this I learnt so much about working with different genres and I now apply all the skills I learnt from that period in my current production.

What’s the most important skill you learnt from studying at Access Creative College?

One thing ACC has helped me understand is how everyone is so different and that’s a good thing. It’s about learning to accept everyone individually for who they are and understanding their own actions are deeply important and not judging them for that in any way.

A skill which could tie into this would be networking. I connected with many different people over my time at the college and made great working relationships and genuine friendships which I am very grateful for. We all shared one thing in common which was our passion for what we were there to study in the first place and it is a really great thing. I recommend anyone in general to network and connect with people as much as possible in life because there is always something you can learn from a person.

What software do you use to create music?

I use a software called FL Studio to make my beats. I have had so much debate with people about which software is best to use and we would always argue about which one was the better one (only jokingly). I hear a lot about Logic being the most rated software but I just prefer to use FL as once you know all the tools, the process becomes so quick and efficient when making beats. I would add however that when it comes to recording vocals or mixing & mastering in general, software like Pro Tools and Logic are amazing for that. At the end of the day all the DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) and types of software will achieve the same result so it’s just preference.

Where do you draw inspiration from when creating music?

A lot of the time I do struggle with creative block or writer’s block so I am unsure myself. However, to get inspiration or motivation to make music I sometimes like to download new sounds and samples to use in my tracks, just because there might be a certain sound there that sparks emotion and inspires me to make something good out of it.

I also like to download new VSTs (Virtual Studio Technologies) and plugins as it’s eventually going to happen that you’ll get bored of using the same sounds over and over again, but if you make an effort to keep finding new stuff to use it will allow you to work more freely and experiment more with your ideas.

What did you do to turn your hobby into a professional career?

I set myself certain goals which I was very determined to achieve and I became obsessed with reaching them. I can only comment on what has personally worked well for me but I’m a person who loves structure and in some ways deadlines (maybe not coursework though). For example, I really enjoy planning what I am going to do over a period of time whether that is to make a certain amount of beats a day or something else related to my career. This really helps me to focus and treat my hobby as a serious career. Creating routines and schedules is amazing for time-management, staying productive and keeping on track of whatever you need to do, because at the end of the day it’s the mindset you have which overcomes any obstacles you’re faced with. If you’re able to always maintain a good mindset which can be with the help of routine, scheduling, setting goals regularly and making to do lists, you will remain very focused and determined with your passion and I feel it leads to a professional career in itself.

Manifesting my goals is also very important to me because I genuinely don’t believe in the typical view that only a small percentage of people can achieve success in our industry. It is false. I strongly feel if you never quit then you never lost the race and that anyone can and will succeed if they always keep going, adapting, growing, stay focused and determined and never quit.

Do you have advice for young people who want to become music producers?

The first thing I would say is ask yourself why you want to become a producer. If the first reason that comes to your head is to be rich and famous, it most likely will not work out for you.

Any career role in the creative industry is hard enough as it is to succeed, it’s inevitable that you will face many obstacles on the journey to your goals and I feel the best way to overcome it is to know why you’re doing this in the first place.

If you truly have a passion and get enjoyment out of what you do, you will succeed. I say this mainly because I personally believe you’re deliberately meant to go through hard times and struggle in some form or other because it’s a test to see if you are actually made for it and deserve it.

In these times, many people would be told to quit their passion and get a ‘real job’ or take a different career choice in general which is their own personal choice and I respect that choice, but it’s so easy to quit if you don’t have a strong enough reason to achieve your goals and I feel that reason is what holds it all together. I am at a stage where music is all I want to do in my life now and nothing else. It’s great to have luxuries and materialistic things like an abundance of money and other things which can come from music, however it’s not why I do what I do and I don’t think anyone should. It doesn’t make you happy or complete and instead will always leave you seeking more. However if you know what your purpose is and you stick to it every day of your life, then everything else will fall into place.  

If you’re interested in becoming the next big thing, check out our music courses here.

Keep in the loop with Arkz Beats on social:

Instagram: @arkzbeats

Twitter: @arkzbeats

Soundcloud: arkz-beats