Professional Sound Engineering and Music Technology Training
I.M.T. International Training Centre Of The Year 2008
Frequently asked questions or ones you should ask!
So you've decided to investigate a training course in Sound Engineering, or maybe Music Technology and Multimedia. Naturally you want to choose the right course. But what makes our school special? Why have we earned such an excellent reputation? WHY SHOULD YOU CHOOSE A COURSE AT POPPYHILL? You'll find some very good reasons right here!
Q. How long has Poppyhill School of Recording been in existence?
A. The School has been offering professional training since 1991. We are highly experienced and have earned an excellent reputation. We have recently been awarded the '" International Training Centre of the year"' award for 2008 from The Institute of Music & Technology, London.
Q. Do your courses offer a recognised qualification?
A. Yes, all our courses are validated by City & Guilds.
Q. Are these qualifications recognised outside of Ireland?
A. Yes, City & Guilds is an internationally recognised qualification.
Q. Some sound engineering courses are two years in duration. Why are the courses at Poppyhill only one year?
A. The City & Guilds courses offered at Poppyhill have been exclusively designed by the Institute of Music & Technology, London. No other college in Ireland has been authorised to offer these courses. We chose to offer these courses because we feel they concentrate very much on the practicalities of the subject and avoid any unnecessary subjects or information. i.e. No Waffle ! As a result we can offer up to 3 City & Guilds qualifications within one year. For example, some students complete City & Guilds Sound Engineering Parts 1 and 2 and City & Guilds Music Technology within one year! Some colleges offering different courses demand that students return for a second year to achieve a similar level of qualification, which of course means fees for two years. This is an important attraction of our school!
Q. Can I get a grant for this course?
A. Some past students have received financial aid from Local Support Bodies such as County Enterprise Boards and Fas.
Q. Can I pay my course fees by installments?
A. We don't accept payment by installments. In any event a student loan from one of the major banks or your credit union amounts to the same thing and in fact can be more flexible.
Q. What are the entry requirements for your courses?
A. Above all enthusiasm is what is required. Also it is preferable that applicants for our full-time courses will have passed the leaving certificate or equivalent. If a student has not reached this standard of education, they may be considered if they have previous industry experience. All students also attend for interview.
Q. How many students will be on the course?
A. The highly practical nature of these courses demands lots of hands-on training and individual attention. This should be one of your main requirements when choosing a course. Over crowded classes is a major disadvantage! It only takes one pair of hands to operate a mixing console!! To ensure all our students receive the individual attention they need, we limit all our classes to a maximum of 20 students! Also to ensure that students get plenty of individual practical time, we give them unrestricted access to our practical facilities outside of class hours!
Q. Is there much academic study involved?
A. The emphasis of our courses is on developing practical competence. This means constant exposure to practical tuition. Students will also have homework and research to complete throughout their training. We don't believe in subjecting our students to over- academic subjects which have little relevance in the real world. However we do cover all the essential theory elements, but we avoid any waffle and concentrate on developing the student's ability to do the job for which he/she is training, be it Sound Engineering, Music Technology or Multimedia.
Q. What kind of equipment will I have access to on the course?
A. All our training rooms are equipped with "state of the art" technology, of the highest professional standard, the same as is found in the world's top facilities. Students are offered individual access to these facilities throughout their training! Our sound engineering students are also given the opportunity to engineer full recording sessions and actually receive payment for their work. This is invaluable "real world" experience for students as well as helping greatly to boost their confidence, plus they can earn some of their fees back WHICH IS A REAL BONUS!!
Note: All our full-time courses cover in-depth operation of "Pro Tools" which is the industry standard recording system.
Q. What job opportunities are there on qualification?
A. There are many areas where students can find employment, such as in Recording Studios, Radio and TV broadcasting, Film sound, Live sound, Multimedia, Retail to name some examples. Many of our past students have made successful careers in these areas and in fact a number of past students have worked at Poppyhill. Also there are many self-employment opportunities within the industry.
Q. I see that the school is located in a rural location. What about transport to and from the school?
A. We are not on a main bus route so if necessary we arrange a mini-bus service from Naas town. However, we have found in recent years that alot of our students have their own transport and can assist non-driver students getting to and from the school.
Q. Do you hold open days?
A. We are always more than happy to give you a tour of the school as well as to sit down and discuss the courses available. If you would like to pay a visit please give us a call or send us an email. We will then arrange a mutually suitable time to meet.
Courses
contact us: info@poppyschool.com