Jonathan Kennedy
HND in Music Practice
Being blind from birth has never stopped Jonathan from pursuing his dreams.He completed a two year HND in Music Practice in 2011 and is now destined for The University of Northampton where he plans to do a top up degree.
'I attended a residential school for the blind before coming to Northampton College, so my first day was a daunting prospect. I had so many questions and doubts. Would I be able to navigate myself around the campus? Would I make friends? Would the College be able to meet my needs?
'I quickly realised the answer was yes to everything. I made really good friends, some who are moving on to University with me, and I really loved the course and its mixture of both theory and practical.
'I was designated a fantastic support worker who took notes in lectures for me and helped me get around. The two of us have a great rapport, but there were times when I’d just wanted to have lunch just with my mates and that was fine too. The support was there when I needed it but I was also free to enjoy, learn and socialise. Before I came to college I wondered how I’d fit in. Within days I was simply one of the lads and I love that.
'Music has always been my passion. I play the keyboard, drums, base and sing and my idols include some of the greats, like Michael Jackson, Elvis and Judy Garland.
'I am now more determined than ever to forge myself a music career. I’m interested in session work, working as a musician and perhaps even making musical scores for film. Oh, and pursuing fame of course!'
Krzysztof Lomonkiewicz
HND in Music Production
Krzysztof was a student on the HND in Music Production and has since forged a successful career in the music industry.
'My HND course taught me to be realistic and self critical, to work to a deadline and to do my research. In the music industry you never stop learning and largely thanks to my HND course I am now writing music for film, as well as producing music for media and TV. I'm signed with a couple of music publishers and plan to be very successful.
'Before signing up for the HND I completed a Music Technology part-time course. Tutors advised me to stay on and really add to my skill base, especially if I wanted to succeed as a music producer. All the HND modules are designed to improve skills in the area of music production and this really convinced me to sign up.
'I enjoyed so much about the College. Working in groups as well as individually was such a great way of picking up new knowledge and experience. Practical skills such as mixing consoles and tracks were a big part of the course and I really liked this and use these skills on a daily basis today. Also, it felt as if we were never having our hands held through the assignments. There were so many times we were able to truly challenge ourselves and improve.
'There was a lot of practical work, as well as academic assignments. I found the academic side of study very challenging, but there was always support there and I was amazed by how much help I was given. English isn’t my first language and my tutor even helped me check for grammar mistakes on draft assignments really supportive and kind.'
Lauren Bedden
HND in Theatre
Lauren chose Northampton College due to its module variety and practical course content.
'When I arrived here my plan was to do a third year at University and go on to become a teacher, but the confidence this course has given me means I am now considering applying to drama school instead.
'Modules on arts management and theatre process have also inspired me to consider stage management and another ambition is to direct.
There have already been so many highlights. During my first year I performed at The Castle Theatre and ran a workshop with youth theatre groups, something that was really challenging and rewarding. I also really enjoyed our movement module. I am not a strong dancer so this helped me to improve and I achieved really good results by creating a group piece of movement at the end of it.
'Probably the most challenging part has been the progression from A Levels to the HND level of qualification. I noticed a real difference, and to begin with it was very challenging. Getting to grasps with the referencing system was probably the hardest thing, but once you grasp it it comes naturally. With the written work tutors are looking for a high standard. Analysing is key. If you can do that, then you will be fine.
'Our teachers have been very supportive through out the year. There is always somebody at hand, if you need help and this course has helped me realise how much you can achieve from gaining qualifications in Theatre.'
Shane Bowler
HND Music Production
‘About a year ago I took onI the role as producer for a local band called The Daydream Club. That role eventually transformed from being Producer to Sound Engineer and then to Mastering Engineer. I ended up playing a lot of roles as part of one project, but loved every minute of it. I am pleased to say, all that hard work paid off. The Daydream Club has just released its debut album, 'Overgrown' digitally and via a run of 1,000 professionally produced CDs.
Having learnt many other skills as well as audio editing on my HND, I was also able to take on the task of helping the band promote themselves and the album. This has also been relatively successful, with radio plays from BBC Radio Tees, BBC Introducing, BBC Radio Nottingham and Demon FM. Tom Robbinson from BBC 6 Music has also picked up on the band and played tracked on his station.
I am now discussing with BBC Radio (Nottingham and Tees) an opportunity for the band to have an interview and perform a live set on both of the stations’.
Phillip Chapman
HND Interactive Digital Media
I started at Northampton College doing A-level Fine Art, Film and Video and Drama, all the things I was massively passionate about. Through the combination of these subjects I found a path that suited me best;the HND Interactive Digital Media, which covered the kind of subjects that I knew I would enjoy. The course offered a wide range of creative areas giving me the opportunity to taste different industry sectors, and allowing me to pick a flavour that best suits my career ambitions. We covered animation (2D and 3D), web design, basic 3D and compositing, editing and photography. The tutors were great, teaching the basics of each programme and covering the important industry-standard techniques. The thing I enjoyed most about the course was its creative flexibilit y and the lessons that it taught me in personal time management. We were given fairly
open modules to complete, which gave us a lot of room for creative experimentation. The skills and lessons that I learnt from the course have proven to be vital to my current job at Purple Media, where I now help to produce media content for big named clients such as BT, Vodafone, Levis and St.Tropez. In a recent project, I have helped to produce CGI effects for underwater footage at the famous Pinewood Studios for an O2 marketing campaign. It was an epic task which was incredibly exciting and I simply couldn’t have done it without the skills that I learnt from the HND course.
Ruben Joshua Dodds
HND Music Practice
Music and performance has always been a big part of my life and I
think that the opportunity to obtain qualifications in this field will help
me massively to further a career in music. The HND has boosted
my confidence as a performer, helped me to improve my songwriting and musical ability, and has given me the opportunity to set up a band with other students. I’ve organised and performed my own gigs, and have played at a wide variety of venues. I’m now in the process of actually recording my own album, and I’m working
towards playing a major gig at The Roadmender with my own band with me as the front man. There will be professional music promoters present, so it could be a great opportunity for me.
I would really recommend the course to others interested in playing music because if you are learning an instrument, but tired of being a bedroom player this will get you out of the bedroom and onto the stage. The recording studios and rehearsal rooms here at the College are fantastic, and the tutors are very understanding
of your personal needs.
Jamses Hill
HND Digital Film-making
I’m very interested in filming and screenwriting, so I chose the course to learn more about my field. I enjoy everything about the course, as it covers a wide variety of material and has something to offer for every type of filmmaker to enjoy. The course has helped me to develop a huge amount of self-discipline and organisation skills, and I’ve learnt so many practical skills that will prove invaluable to me in the film-making industry. I’ve learnt how to format scripts to industry standards, and learnt how to use cameras. I have also learned a lot about the pace that films should be shot in. So far since being on the course, I’ve produced five short films, one of which was shown at an independent film-makers'
awards ceremony at the Apollo Theatre in London.
I’ve also produced two documentaries and one music video, so I’ve had a great chance to apply my film-making skills to real-life projects. For me, the best part of the HND course is being able to be creative and different, without being constricted. It’s a fantastic opportunity to learn the essentials of film-making so you can make your mark as a film-producer later on. The College is also a really friendly place to study too, and the teachers are always there to help you with any problems you may have.