Audio Technology students put skills to the test at first Celtic Connections On Campus since 2020

Audio Technology students had the opportunity to put their knowledge to the test in the first Celtic Connections On Campus event since 2020.

Celtic Connections, which is hosted in Glasgow, is an annual celebration of Celtic, folk and world music. As well as traditional music, there are concerts, ceilidhs, talks, art exhibitions, workshops and free events throughout the festival period.

From the 19 January to 5 February, lovers of the festival come from all over to witness over 300 events across multiple genres of music.

Amongst the events, Glasgow Caledonian University hosts Celtic Connections On Campus from 23-27 January in our very own Re:Union Bar & Grill in the GCU Students Association. The live music event was supported by students from the Audio Technology programme; giving them the opportunity to experience working at a live music event.

Under the guidance of staff from DB Audioware and Trad TV, students were given a masterclass on sound, lighting and live video streaming.

Students also had the opportunity to support some live radio coverage, which was being broadcasted live from the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.

Meanwhile at the National Piping Centre, a team of students had the opportunity to support the Celtic Connections coverage during the popular festival.

The team of students included second year Audio Technology student Matthew Broadley, who jumped at the chance to work at such a renowned music venue. He explained: “The opportunity came about when our lecturer, Patrick Quinn, sent out an email to students advertising a few opportunities to work in the National Piping Centre. These events were on first-come-first-serve basis and when I saw that I had the chance to work at this event on a slightly bigger scale, I jumped at it.

For my role, I was given the job to greet acts and make sure they were kept in the loop. I was also in charge of patching and positioning instruments and microphones.”

As well as being a great learning experience, Matthew used his time to network with helpful contacts within the industry. He said: “It felt great to have this opportunity as it allowed me the chance to get my name out there and make some useful industry connections. It also felt great to get a more realistic taste of what the career truly is.”

Keep up to date with our Audio Technology students on the Audio at GCU Facebook page

By Rachael McAlonan

Got a SCEBE or GSBS story? Email me at Rachael.McAlonan@gcu.ac.uk or connect with me on social media  here