Teachers tell us how they approach the freedom of transition year

Marion McEvoy
Panchord Studio, Dublin

"Not every student wants to work in sound engineering, and, to be honest, job opportunities in the area are limited. However, the transition-year students of Mount Temple School, in Clontarf, have enjoyed two years of studio time, learning about audio theory, microphone technique, editing skills, stereo recording and mixing. It's a great learning curve whether they plan a career in sound or not.

"Last year we spent a week in studio, by the end of which the group had recorded and produced its own radio programme. This year the sound-technology course is running as a module right through the year.

"Many of the students are interested in music and enjoy the opportunity to learn what goes on behind the scenes. For others it's the first time they've really been up close and personal with electronic equipment. This is a revelation, especially for many of the girls, who may not come to the class with much confidence when it comes to operating machinery.

"Overall, the male students at Mount Temple tend to be more interested in sound technology. I'm confounded by this trend; as a female producer I've never understood why girls lack confidence around electronics. I try to encourage more female students to take part and those that do really enjoy it.

"Some of the most promising students I've worked with have been girls, but there's still a real imbalance in the industry. There are only a handful of women working in the business in Ireland.

"The skills are useful for a range of careers. Sound engineering and producing music are the obvious ones. Audio theory and practice is also useful for students who plan to work in radio, TV, theatre or music retail. There is also some work in producing audio-visual material for corporate clients.

"Sound engineering is a good subject for transition year because it stretches students to learn totally new and often alien skills. It promotes confidence and ease around electronics.

"We hope to set up a permanent studio in Mount Temple over the course of the year. One of the skills of this job is troubleshooting: getting the job done when resources are limited.

"Hopefully, the students will learn how to produce the goods without a big budget. They won't be handed a state-of-the-art studio, so they'll have to be very resourceful. That's an excellent learning process in itself."