The programme integrated DJing, songwriting, podcasting and content creation. Students were able to use professional equipment throughout the sessions giving them an insight into what it is like to be a professional DJ.

In week 1 through to week 6, students were introduced into the art of DJing, music production and songwriting. At first, some students were a little nervous of the decks but with encouragement, all were able to mix songs competently.

In week 7, students looked into the art of podcasting. They were encouraged to share thoughts, feelings and interests on a range of subjects. An interesting topic our students wanted to talk about, was the area where they live and the opportunities available to them. To assist them with this, an ex-student, Kadeem, visited a session to discuss school and his job now. He shared that he works for a company called Disguise which runs 95% of the touring set up for live events globally including Jay Z and Beyonce.

Students at the beginning of the programme set goals and these were discussed with the mentors during a number of sessions. They got them thinking about their ambitions and challenges they may face along the way.

Feedback from the students was very encouraging and they thoroughly enjoyed the sessions. Students said it opened their eyes to opportunities in the music world and how they could get into this if they were interested.

We want to say a huge thank you to Luke and Michael who delivered engaging and thought provoking sessions for Lealands’ students.