This is where the music happens

Bethany McTrustery went to The Platform to experience a day in the life of a Lisa Lashes School of Music student…

There’s something about sitting in a nightclub during the day.  No lights. No audience. But music so loud you can feel it rattling in your bones.  A track created by the students of Lisa Lashes School of Music is playing. You feel your head start bobbing, your heart start thumping. This is where the music happens.

It’s easy to forget that artists and groups such as David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia, and Laidback Luke have all started in the same place as these students. But they did. And these students are all learning to dream big. They are being taught how to create a social media presence, how to set up their own party, and of course, how to produce music. Words can’t capture the spirit and atmosphere in the club, but I’m going to do my best to convey it to you.

In one room, students are shown the importance of platforms such as Twitter and Instagram. Their Christmas homework is to construct a CV, and rather than being frustrated at this arduous task, they are excited to see how it will grow in the months and years to come! One student wonders what gigs he’ll put on this time next year.

A tutor, Rob Tissera, describes the warehouse rave scene in the 90s, where he would call his friends, get some equipment, and take over a warehouse, filling it with people and music. This is something he turned into his career, choosing to take a more ‘legit’ way of partying and booking new and upcoming acts for events all over the world, from Ibiza to China. I am as enraptured as the students, wondering what it must feel like to dance with thousands of other people.

In the afternoon, I get a chance to have a go at beatmatching and mixing. As someone who knows very little about DJing and has had no experience on the decks, I was surprised it was such an easy skill to learn. My instructor said: “As long as you can dance, as long as you can find the beat, you can DJ”. And given enough practice, I think that’s true.

All the students I speak to talk about the feeling of family that each cohort has, that they’ve come out of their shells and made friends. When I ask them about their favourite part of the course, the answer is usually this social aspect or the cost of the course (free), and when asked what content they enjoyed the most, the answer is “everything”!

In these sessions, there is a sense of wonder, a determination to learn as much as possible, a wish to make their nights and parties a reality. But more than that, it’s a union of people passionate about sound and music.

This course is for anyone: whether you’re a 30 year old radio presenter, a 17 year old simply considering her future, or a longtime fan of the nightlife. This course is for you (and maybe even for me)!