Hayley Roscoe has seen her career go from strength to strength over the past couple of years. An alumna of Berklee in Boston, she came to the UK and completed our music production diploma last year. Now, Hayley finds herself juggling a busy day job working in neighbouring rights at Lime Blue Music alongside a […]
There are myriad choices to consider when you are planning and setting up for a recording session. One key area that always generates much debate and discussion, is microphone selection and placement. Those decisions you make prior to recording that ensure you capture the sound both you and the artist you’re recording are aiming for. […]
The Beatles brought her to Abbey Road Studios during a visit to London. A brochure whistled ‘Abbey Road Institute’ in her ear and told her to follow her heart. Her dedication made her apply for a visa and move from Ottowa, Canada to London, after which she spent a full year studying with us, developing […]
A unique aspect of Abbey Road Institute is the requirement for our students to play an instrument. From guitar and piano to drums and singing; a basic understanding of instrumentation is a key tool for successful producers and engineers. As a student, you’ll frequently find yourself performing throughout the course, from the ‘recreate a track’ […]
Nothing makes us happier than catching up with our alumni and hearing about their successes in the industry since graduating. Recently we spoke with Tristan Holmes-Jefferd, who successfully completed his studies in March this year. After falling in love with beat-making and composing electronic music on Ableton Live, Tristan came to Abbey Road Institute with […]
A Global Partnership Earlier this year we launched our partnership with Spinnup, Universal Music’s own digital distribution platform. Spinnup provides artists with a means to stream and sell their music on the world’s biggest DSPs such as Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, the list goes on. The digital platform gives access to a range of useful […]
Last month we were excited to welcome our graduating students from all over the globe to our annual graduation ceremony. Hosted at Abbey Road Studios the day kicked off with the diploma ceremonies in the legendary Studio Two. The backdrop of such an iconic space was perfect for CEO Luca Barassi to greet the audience […]
Graduation 2019 It is a truly unique experience to study at Abbey Road Institute. One of our annual highlights and the culmination of all of our students’ hard work is the Global Graduation Ceremony at Abbey Road Studios. It really is a celebration unlike any other. The scene is set, Thursday 31st October 2019 in […]
Abbey Road Institute lecturer Pete Dowsett has worked at some of the most well-known studios in the UK, with major artists such as Pharrell Williams, Snoop Dogg, and the Black Eyed Peas. Recently he has served as a freelance engineer for producer Tom Nichols (Kylie Minogue, All Saints, Sugababes) on recordings with the likes of […]
Back in August Mat Mckinley led our Music Theory Fundamentals for Producers short course. It was an intensive weekend, deep-diving into how to effectively communicate with fellow musicians. Mat’s belief is that learning music theory can open creative doors and give music producers the ability to enhance their songwriting and become better musicians. We spoke […]
Whether she’s in our studio leading a tour for prospective students or in the classroom providing current students support, Lucy Garcia can be found anywhere and everywhere at Abbey Road Institute. Lucy joins us fresh from an apprenticeship at Universal Music UK and brings a lifelong love of music and performing. Get to know her […]
This summer we held our inaugural Song Production Masterclass. Over four days at Abbey Road Studios, Haydn Bendall (Kate Bush, XTC) produced an epic session with up and coming indie band The Kings Parade. Audrey Riley arranged and performed strings with her quartet, percussion was courtesy of Lauren Kosty, and the song was mastered by […]
Solid-State Revolution After revolutionising pop music throughout the ’60s, The Beatles had one more trick in-store before the decade was over in the release of Abbey Road. The album marked a landmark in recording as it was The Beatles first stereo album recorded on the solid-state EMI TG12345; a console that would go on to […]
What is an audio interface? An audio interface is a key component in any studio set up. They convert analogue signals to digital signals, provide clocking, and ensure the safe passage of high-quality signals to their final source. It can be viewed as the bridge between the musical source and the DAW. We were excited […]
Carlos Bricio joined our team recently as Head Technician but has an established history at Abbey Road Institute. In September 2016 Carlos enrolled as a student and following his graduation and alongside other commercial work he also became a technician. Following successful roles at Humtap and Hypersurfaces Carlos now leads the Institute’s technical team, supporting […]
Producer and guest lecturer Daniel Boyle has produced and mixed albums for seminal reggae artists such as Max Romeo & Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry. Daniel produced the Grammy Nominated ‘Back On The Controls’ for Lee Perry and has been working in the industry for nearly 20 years. He began his career as an in-house engineer for […]
Our students arrive on the first day of the programme each with their own unique musical identity. For Liam Narrie it was years playing guitar in Edinburgh in a household that blasted Pink Floyd and Free. Eventually, Liam decided to form a band himself before setting his sights on Abbey Road Institute. For Canadian Hayley […]
With our Studio Three Song Production Masterclass around the corner it is time for our final blog to introduce the team. This time we caught up with technician Lester Smith who has been Abbey Road’s microphone custodian for over 40 years and percussionist Lauren Kosty who has performed in studio sessions alongside Taylor Swift, Puff […]
In August we’re launching our first Song Production Masterclass in Abbey Road’s Studio Three. Following up on our conversations with producer Haydn Bendall and mastering engineer Christian Wright we caught up with other key members of the creative team. Meet string arranger Audrey Riley and the band The Kings Parade. A performance like no other […]
Advanced Diploma student Alexander Constanza has been busy in the school’s production rooms creating the tracks for his upcoming project Hidden. The project began with Alex’s fascination with the intangible aspects of life. ‘Love, Drive, Connection, are all things that you can’t see in life yet are very powerful’ Alex explains. For this project, Alex will […]
Mat Mckinley is an experienced music educator and composer who has over 20 years of experience teaching theory. He heads up our Music Theory Fundamentals for Producers two-day course which serves as a comprehensive overview of music theory and its key components. We caught up with Mat to discuss his love of music, composing for […]
Preparations are being put in place for our inaugural Song Production Masterclass which will take place at the end of August. The class will take place in Abbey Road Studio Three where Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Florence & The Machine, and countless others have recorded. It is shaping up to be an unforgettable four days […]
Sylvia Massy is not one to follow rules. From her advice on mic’ing a chicken to recording vocals through a cell phone satellite delay, Sylvia is a sonic voyager doing things in her own unique way. It was with great pleasure we welcomed her for a day in Studio Two. The setting was perfect as […]
McCartney-Lennon, Richards-Jagger, Leiber-Stoller. Throughout rock history collaboration has often lead to some of the most successful art. Here at Abbey Road Institute, we’re creating a collaboration of our own by partnering with the Royal Northern College of Music. Based in Manchester, the RNCM has become one of the leading conservatories in the world. With accomplished […]
A Day in Studio Three From Amy Winehouse to Brockhampton, Studio Three has been home to some of the most exciting and innovative recording sessions. Last Friday our new March class got the opportunity to see Studio Three firsthand for their masterclass recording session. Musical act Swanie featuring, alumni Claudio Cignitti, came in to record their […]
This week we welcome Yannis Iliopoulos to Abbey Road Institute as our music business lecturer. Yannis brings with him years of experience in the music industry. He has a strong background in entertainment law, digital marketing, and entrepreneurship. He is the founder and director of The Sound Of Everything Records and its publishing arm Timespace […]
Current student and scouser Tom McConnell came to Abbey Road Institute inspired by four other Liverpudlian musicians who made a similar trip down south to record. For Tom, the heritage of Abbey Road made it the perfect place to record the new single ‘Data Was Callin’’ that comes out today for his project TV ME. […]
So you’ve been part of a full symphony orchestra recording session with the Royal College of Music. It’s in Abbey Road’s famous Studio Two. You leave that memorable experience with a hefty Pro Tools session. What’s next? It’s time to work on the mix. An Inside Look Mixing a session like this gives the students […]
Aamir Yaqub visited Abbey Road Institute London last Friday to give a guest lecture for our students on mixing, the music business and share his top tips on how to make it as an engineer. After studying at Leeds College of Music, he headed to Metropolis Studios to start his career. It was at Metropolis that […]
Our students got the unique opportunity to work on their compositions with Brit-award winning producer Bernard Butler during a one-day masterclass. Butler helped the students understand the production and songwriting decisions he brings to sessions with artists like Duffy, The Libertines, Kate Nash and many more. Tom McConnell and Hayley Roscoe, both current students, […]
**This post was originally published on 18th January 2019 and has been updated on 22nd March 2019** Following on from our original blog, we’re now able to update you with more information about how our application for a Tier 4 sponsor license is progressing. This is the license we require to sponsor international students (non-EU/EAA) […]
Just as Hozier’s Wasteland Baby! grabbed the number 1 spot on the Billboard charts, we were delighted to welcome Andrew Scheps, the man who mixed the album, for an insightful masterclass at Abbey Road Institute. Scheps is the kind of mixer that people endlessly search for clues about how he achieves such lively, exciting mixes. […]
Our music production students had the unique opportunity on Monday to spend the day recording in the famous Studio Two at Abbey Road with the Royal College of Music’s Chloé Piano Trio, comprised of George Todica (piano), Maria Gîlicel (violin), Jobine Siekman (cello). Grammy-winning producer and engineer Stephen Johns and John Dunkerley demonstrated the techniques […]
It’s a late summer Saturday, and the beautiful art deco theatre of the O2 Academy in Glasgow is filled with buzzing young women and a blue-purple glow. Two young ladies, both a little nervous, are preparing to give a presentation about something they are both passionate about – Music Production! And the beautiful setting makes […]
Have you ever thought about doing an internship abroad? A growing number of employers and companies value candidates that have gained cross-cultural work experience. This is no exception within the music industry. But how do you obtain international practice? In this article, we’ll be exploring the benefits of doing an internship abroad. Abbey Road Institute […]
What do musicians and programmers (software developers) have in common? More than you might think! Meet John Butcher, student at Abbey Road Institute London with an important mission: he wants to make something that hasn’t been done before. Now we hear you thinking: “Isn’t that what every artist or music producer wants to do?” Many […]
Graduation Video 2018 Watch some of the highlights from our 2018 Abbey Road Institute Global Graduation Ceremony at Abbey Road Studios. On Friday 26th October 2018, we welcomed graduating music production and sound engineering students, industry guests, friends and family members from all over the world to our annual celebration, which took place in Studios […]
Carlos Lellis worked closely with engineers at Abbey Road Studios to design our curriculum. He is extremely dedicated to our students’ success and has a wealth of wisdom to share. Is it any wonder he gets mentioned so often by our profiled alumni? Carlos loves talking about music, recording equipment, and food (in that order). […]
Getting a record deal wasn’t why Arthur Navarro came to Abbey Road Institute, but he’s graduating with one! Along with his Advanced Diploma in Music Production and Sound Engineering, of course. After impressing music producer and frequent guest lecturer Youth, Arthur’s debut solo album Polyphonic Omnipresence (grab it on iTunes!) was released on 26 October […]
Graduation ceremony 2018 at Abbey Road Studios On Friday 26th October we were excited to be celebrating our annual global graduation ceremony at Abbey Road Studios. Our staff and music production students, gathered together alongside family, friends and our industry guests to recognise and celebrate the culmination of 12 months of hard work. This is […]
A full-time job at a recording studio? Yes, it’s possible! Just ask our recent graduate Gabriëlle Stok. Not long after completing our Advanced Diploma in Music Production and Sound Engineering, Gabrielle impressed the staff at SARM Music Village (aka SARM Studios) enough to land herself a permanent place on the roster. Pay close attention to […]
Analogue versus digital: If you want a lively discussion between sound engineers and music producers, this might be a good place to start. Our recording studio and mixing studios have plenty of outboard gear for our students to work with. However, we also make sure our students are fully prepared to work entirely in the box. […]
We all collectively freaked out at the opportunity to be in Studio One with drummer Ralph Rolle and bassist Jerry Barnes of The CHIC Organization yesterday: Two incredibly talented musicians and producers, both with long, successful careers. Our March students were extremely lucky to be in the control room as they worked on some soon-to-be […]
Our September class has joined us at Abbey Road Institute this week! We’ve been getting to know our newest students over the past few months and we’re really excited to have such a talented group trust us to help them reach their music career goals. We’ve asked them to share those with us so that […]
Sylvia Massy is a recording studio legend: Her credits include Tool, Johnny Cash and Prince. She’s equally adept working as a producer, mixer and engineer. Pickles, cheese dogs and electric drills have all been used during one of Sylvia’s recording sessions (yes, really). It’s said that good things come in threes, so we’ve picked our […]
Is there a more revered microphone than the Neumann U47? Prized for its incredibly detailed and buttery smooth sound, the U47 is without a doubt one of the best microphones in the world. When we talk about providing our students with industry-standard equipment, we don’t just mean the latest digital technology (although we have that, […]
Last week, four of our students won the opportunity to have a track mastered by Abbey Road Studios engineers Geoff Pesche (Gorillaz, Coldplay, Dizzee Rascal) and Christian Wright (Ed Sheeran, Bjork, Radiohead). Naturally, the whole class was in the studio during the process so that Geoff and Christian could shed some light on the often […]
Live and studio sound engineering do have their differences, but a solid grounding in the fundamentals of audio engineering is required for both. Last week, Abbey Road Institute visited Britannia Row Productions to compare techniques and equipment from both audio worlds… If there is an equivalent to Abbey Road Studios in the live sound world, […]
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of playing a hardware synth. So when our students asked for one, we listened. We now have the Arturia MiniBrute 2 available to our students! While our esteemed lecturer, musician and producer Jason O’Bryan is (patiently) waiting for his turn to play with our new hardware, we asked him […]
One of our entry requirements for students wishing to take the Advanced Diploma in Music Production and Sound Engineering is a basic grasp of music theory. There’s a reason for that; it will make you a better producer. Not convinced? Read on… Scales. Chords. Modes. Learning it is so dull. Mastering it is intimidating. Rules […]
