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Adlib …Goes to School to Educate Properly

Adlib Audio has completed its first School Tutorial Event of 2008, and is once again putting its money where its mouth is in terms of live sound and lighting education and the opportunities available for pre-university students.

Adlib’s Andy Dockerty is one of the most vociferous critics of the current ‘academic’ options available for those wanting a career in live sound.

“The way to learn how to become a live sound engineer and system technician is to be actually involved in the environment,” he says, stressing that his opinions relate solely to the live element of our industry and does not refer to the courses that assist with studio and music production.

“Many young people are pushed into live audio and technical courses by career advisors at schools. Whist sounding superficially exciting, these courses are obviously bringing in funds to educational establishments, but live production cannot be taught in a classroom or a one-space environment.

“You need to be able to anticipate venue-to-venue problems and nuances and experience true working days – including load-ins and -outs before you leave college.”

Dockerty adds that apart from highlighting technical issues, the Adlib Schools Events are realistic at the outset about the fact it’s not an especially glamorous career, and encourages the development of live engineering and production skills through a hands-on apprenticeship.

Adlib has an active apprenticeship scheme in place for young people wanting to get started, and past Schools Events have proved a fertile recruiting ground. “The key is getting them before they go to university or get embroiled in courses which will teach them bad practices, waste their time and inhibit their careers,” says Dockerty, as usual pulling no punches!

With this in mind, three or four times a year, Adlib visits local schools, takes in a complete sound and lighting rig – totally free of charge – and sets up and produces a gig with interested pupils. The idea is to stimulate them into getting involved in sound, lighting and technical production as a career with a proper understanding of what they are getting into.

The latest Adlib School Event was at Gateacre Comprehensive in Liverpool. Working with 30 students, many of them from music technology courses, they staged a show starring seven artistes: six school bands followed by headliners and local indie heroes, The Aeroplanes.

Each band had a complete sound check and a rolling riser system was used for the gig and main band to illustrate how this works in festival situations. Everything was spiked and marked up between bands and delivered as a proper show.

The sound rig used was a Nexo Alpha system with a Soundcraft Series 5 console at front of house. Dockerty baby-sat and lectured on FOH and Adlib engineer Steve Cole delivered his knowledge of monitor world via an SM20 console.

The students were involved in the whole process of staging a gig including real basics like helping to unload and load the truck at the start and end of the day.

From this point, Adlib offer work placements to the schools for all their interested pupils.

Adlib lighting was also involved. Pete Abraham coordinated and supplied rigging and lighting kit including the latest PixelLine LED technology, Martin MAC 700 moving lights and an Avolites Pearl Expert console.

“It’s a completely professional set up,” explains Dockerty. Everyone who wanted to could try their hand at mixing the schools bands, while Dockerty, Cole and Abraham showed them the ropes by engineering The Aeroplanes.

The same event last year saw two young people from the school joining Adlib’s apprenticeship scheme. Already, following this year’s visit to Gateacre, they had four students on work placement at the last half term, one of whom will be offered an Adlib apprenticeship.

“This is part of Adlib’s real commitment to encouraging new generations of people into the industry – and it’s bringing some very rewarding results. On a pleasurable note, a school’s focus always tends to be on the performer so it is nice to be able to show the real industry to the behind the scenes students who want to be part of our profession,” says Dockerty, adding that what really upsets him is not just that individuals come out of university courses two or three years behind in their live education, but they are still not in a position to be self sufficient and earn a reasonable living – which can come as a real shock to most parents!

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Adlib …Goes to School to Educate Properly

11th March 2008

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