Danny Rampling Masterclass – To be Streamed Live Online!

The time is drawing closer to the legend that is Danny Rampling coming into Point Blank to deliver not one but TWO FREE masterclasses!

He will be talking about how to succeed in the music industry to celebrate the launch of his great new book titled ‘Everything you Need to Know About DJing and Success’. On top of this we will be streaming the lectures through our Livestream channel so everyone can also watch live online even if you cannot make it to the studios.

*Please note the masterclass times have changed since our initial announcement*

Both masterclasses will be on 16th March, the first will now be at 11.15am (GMT) and is open to Point Blank students only. The second is at 12.30pm (GMT) and is open to everyone, a great way to pick up some tips from an artist who has seen it all whilst checking out the Point Blank studios if you haven’t yet been. Both will last roughly an hour and there will be a chance to ask him questions at the end.

This will be the first masterclass we have ever streamed through our Livestream channel. We are very excited about this new method of sharing knowledge to the furthest flung corners of the globe! Head to livestream.com/pointblankonline on 16th March to catch the action.

There are only a few places remaining for the masterclasses, so please get in touch with davidm@pointblanklondon.com ASAP to book yours.

Point Blank Seminars at MusicConnex Conference 2011

Whether you’re a DIY bedroom producer or an industry veteran, MusicConnex will encourage and inspire you to develop your skills and broaden your business awareness.

The conference – April 19th-21st - will showcase over 40 session and seminars exploring every aspect of the modern music industry and boasts some of the leading figures in the business, as well as a host of the newest, most exciting, emerging talent. Some of the companies getting involved with the event include EMI, Youtube, Spotify, MTV, and Soundcloud.

And we are excited to announce two seminars that Point Blank will be directly participating in.

- A live online music production masterclass with head of course development at Point Blank, Danny J Lewis (Defected, Enzyme Black)

- Also Managing Director Jules Brookes will join a panel to discuss the role of music education establishments in the music industry

With other seminar titles including; How to get signed, How to maximise Social Networks, Digital Retail, Production, and New Platforms, this is an event not to be missed if you are serious about a career in the music industry!

And not only this, Point Blank students (and all readers of this blog) can get themselves to the event for a special price of £49!

To get this special discount simply visit musicconnex.co.uk and enter the following code when purchasing: PBLANKDEAL1

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Ben Westbeech to Give Music Industry Masterclass at Point Blank

The latest in our series of VIP Masterclasses comes from man of the moment Ben Westbeech. Ben will be joining us here at the college on Tuesday 17th August at 5pm to answer your questions.

Ben is a DJ, musician, producer, and vocalist whose musical output spans hip-hop, house, drum'n'bass and everything in between. His track 'So Good Today' was the first single on Gilles Peterson's Brownswood Recordings. He’s currently recording an album for Strictly Rhythm and has collaborated with a host of artists including Rusko, Professor Green, Jazzanova, DJ Marky, Henrick Schwarz, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Pezzner and more.

His exciting live sets, showcase his impressive array of talents and are definitely not to be missed! You can check him out performing on "Later with Jools Holland' in the video below.



The masterclasses are open to all current and past students. Places are strictly limited and on a first come first serve basis so don't delay. Email us at luke@pointblanklondon.com now to book!

Music Industry Careers: Island Records' A&R Tells All

5 Years ago Ben Scarr was just like thousands of other people his age, determined to carve out a career for himself in the music industry but not sure of his exact calling.

In 2004 he enrolled on the Music Production Merit Course here at Point Blank in the knowledge that the techniques he would learn and the contacts that he would make could help him realise his dreams. 5 years on and he has worked his way up to the enviable position of A&R Man at Island records where it is now his job to find the music stars of the future.

Kind enough to re-visit Point Blank to as a guest lecturer this is an overview of his story and the advice he gave to the on-looking students packed into studio 8:

How did he work his way up the industry ladder?

• Whilst studying at Point Blank, Ben approached his favourite club nights to offer to help with the flyer distribution and earned a 6 month part time internship at a professional studio in Brixton. Standing in the rain outside clubs at 2 am and going on endless coffee runs was by no means glamorous, lucrative or much fun but it is so important to be proactive in gaining additional experience and contacts at that early stage, as well as demonstrating your desire to succeed.

• Once he finished the Merit Course he earned some extra cash as a DJ and Production tutor for the Point Blank community projects, and at the same time he had progressed to head up the street team that handled flyer distribution.

• He decided it was time to try and get a job at a label so sent off lots of applications, but with little success.

• However his networking paid off as one of his contacts, who he worked with for Hip Hop night 'Jump-Off', gave him a phone number for a record executive at Mercury Records. Having nervously enquired, Ben was delighted to be offered 1 month's work experience in the marketing department.

• Realising he needed to seize this opportunity, he showed real dedication, dropping all his other commitments, arriving early and leaving late every day. It worked and they extended his work experience to 3 months.

• Unfortunately when this came to an end there were no jobs at Mercury but they were so impressed that they helped him land a role in marketing at Island Records.

• Once there he made an impression on the A&R department by arranging for his music producer contacts to do some remixes on spec. (ie if the label don't use them then there is no fee).

• In passing, he also mentioned to his boss the idea of Girls Aloud and Sugababes covering the Aerosmith vs. Run DMC classic 'Walk This Way' for Comic Relief. Having assumed they hadn't liked the idea he was surprised but delighted to open a box full of new 'Walk This Way' promo singles a month later.

• He was offered the role as assistant in A&R where he patiently watched and learned for 6 months.

• His next major break came when he introduced his colleagues to a young unknown synth-pop artist named Frankmusik (now signed to Island and with over a million hits on his Myspace). This put his name on the map within Island records and he began to get more acknowledgement for his ideas.

• His tip-off that Wiley’s tune ‘Rolex Sweep’ was set to be a smash hit was snubbed by his boss.

• With egg on his face after it reached number 2 in the charts on another label, the boss realised Ben's talent for urban music and sent him out to unearth some other unsigned gems. He quickly hooked up with Tinchy Stryder and has been the driving force behind his success – his second single 'Take Me Back' charted at number 3 in the UK after Ben shrewdly drafted in Taio Cruz for the vocals.

• Most recently he signed the hit tune 'Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes' which became a viral sensation via Youtube.

Questions from the floor:

• What does your typical day consist of?

"It is very varied. I spend a lot of time listening to new music that I am sent. We might meet about a potential new artist and talk about which sonic direction they should go. Much time is spent sourcing producers and writers who will suit our artist's style... Often I will visit the studio to give my thoughts on the artist's work in progress, The producer and artist can be in the eye of the storm when they have been listening to the same thing all day so it helps for someone to come and give their thoughts from a fresh perspective at the end of a session."

• What is your advice for aspiring producers and musicians from an A&R man's perspective?

"Don't hold back on sending your music to labels, get as much feedback as possible; you don’t want to spend years on an album only to be told that the sound doesn't work"

"Target the labels that suit your sound and try to develop some kind of relationship with them. It's a good idea to find a contact name to address your mail to otherwise it is likely not to get opened. You will always find an A&R contact in an artist's album sleeve so look at an artist with a similar style to your own."

"On your demos send in no more than 2 tracks... include a short note about your act and make sure you write your contact details on the actual CD."

"Talk to people and tell them what you are aiming for. You may get laughed off by some but one time you will meet someone who can help you"

"Work on your look. Style is a crucial factor when labels are considering an artist"

• What are some of the hotspots for getting spotted by A&R people?

"In London: Hoxton Bar & Grill, Yo Yos, Troubadour, Camden Barfly, Water Rats. Depending on the style of music there are different ways of getting spotted... bands tend to be discovered at gigs whereas urban acts tend to make their name on the underground scene and virally through sites like Youtube"

• Do you deal with publishing deals?

"No, publishing deals are separate to record deals but every artist will have one. They are important as alternate forms of income to pure record sales... Your publisher will try to get your music on television programmes and commercials or in computer games... and if your tune is ever sampled on a hit record you will be in for a big pay day if you own the publishing rights of that sample."

Thanks to Ben for sparing his time and providing inspiration and insight for the Point Blank students who attended. Look out for more masterclasses, free for all students, coming in the near future.