The Music Makers

Two years ago a new vocational-school with higher music education started in Örnsköldsvik. The education is the first in Sweden and the second in the world. The first to come up with the idea was Paul Mc Cartney in England. Ulla Sjöström who is a headmaster and Joakim Bergman who is well known in music business thought that this idea was good. The whole music industry starts with a good song and there was no education for Music makers.

The students

Right now there are only 10 students at the school, but the school seems to work out well. Next year they hope that about 15 new students will be admitted as pupils. The students are 25-40 years old and most of them are men. The idea is spreading and also the people in New York have thought about starting this kind of education. The purpose of the education is to produce popular and commercial music. The youths learn how to protect their music so it doesn't get stolen. They also learning how to come out on the market with their music and more important things in the branch. Contacts with the "real" world is important. 33% of the time is spent at different companies, for example some of the students have an opportunity to travel to Stockholm and meet with EMA Telstar and Dr Alban.

The Projects

The school has a lot of projects, one of them is to make four millennium-songs. Six guys are making the songs. They have worked with the songs for only one week and it will become a CD soon. Two of the songs are very popular and they are called Our City and Thousand Years. Some of the students will write songs for the Swedish Song Contest hoping that their songs will be chosen for the contest. They are also making music to music videos and digital-music on the net. A present project is to make a co-operation whit the few countries whit the same education.



How to applying a place at the school

When applying for a place at the school you make a talent test. The test demands that the applicants have written at least five songs and only two of them can be commercial songs. They must write the music by themselves, but not the text to the songs. The education is specially suited for those who haven't chosen a favourite instrument. It's an advantage if you can handle some instruments fairly well. You must also have a fundamental qualification in Swedish and English. Earlier education or experience in the business is also good. The education can't create talents but it can on the other hand give opportunities to development and valuable business contacts. You also learn musical handcraft, practical technique, copyright, marketing and mediation of productions to the media world.

Questions

Do we really need this kind of education? Would you join this school if you have the opportunity?