How to make the most of this summer.

It’s nearly summer, long days and nights packed with activities and events. From festivals and gigs to day trips and holidays the good times are coming.

However time is precious and as well as having fun in the sun, the summer offers endless opportunities to learn, network and propel yourself further up the ladder towards your dreams.

This doesn’t mean you have to miss out and spend your summer holidays neck-deep in work, but why not try and work some of the following suggestions into your summer plans.

Training, Skills, Experience

In every industry it’s becoming more and more important to have quality, relevant experience, and the necessary skill sets. Qualifications are great, but they are just one of the building blocks to starting your career. Particularly in music and sound, employers will look for people with a good understanding of equipment and a proven track record of working in a professional setting.

Whether you’re looking to go into live sound, studio engineering, events, performing, post-production or any area of the industry, you’ll need to show you know what you’re doing. The best place to start is volunteering…

Learn a new skill

These days it’s easier than ever to learn new skills, with access to the internet, all the videos, forums and resources are at your finger tips. The 20 hour rule suggests in just 20 hours you can learn a new skill with focussed, deliberate practice. For most disciplines, it only takes 100 hours to become competent and more advanced than a beginner. Think by practicing just 18 minutes a day, or under 2 hours a week, within a year you could confidently play an instrument, learn a language or ride a unicycle. They world is your oyster, but considering your music career it maybe wise to choose something music related.

Resources for skill learning:

• Youtube
• Patreon
• Books

Tutoring

Your current skill level could be of great value to others. Teaching is also one of the best ways to solidify knowledge yourself. Why not try and tutor your peers, this could be online or in person. What’s common sense to you might be fascinating to someone starting out. Studying at Spirit has teaches you professional music and sound knowledge that is an asset to your skillset, why not utilise it!

Work hard, play hard, pay less…

Festivals are one of the highlights of the summer but along with everything else, they have become extortionate. Working or volunteering at festivals are a great way to attend them for free or even earn some money. As well as a good time in a field, they also offer some of the best work experience in the industry; experiencing jam-packed schedules of artists performing to exhilarated crowds on state-of-the-art stages in fields with no permanent infrastructure. You can experience all aspects of the music industry and they’re always different, facing new obstacles and learning to overcome them.

Festival crews see it all, whether your assisting with sound to stewarding tipsy festivalgoers, you’re sure to gain priceless experience working at festivals and it looks good on your CV.

Where to find volunteering work

The Student Hub
We are often asked to promote work experience opportunities from our trusted partners in the industry. Keep an eye out for announcements on the Student Hub.

Get involved pages
Festivals and events will most likely have a ‘Get Involved’ page on their website where they’ll list roles available and how to apply. Otherwise you could find a contact email and reach out to them offering your skills and abilities.

Agencies

Although this work is usually more general, operations roles you’ll still get a free and easy way into festivals where you can get inspired and network.

Oxfam have a dedicated festival branch where they offer voluntary roles on festivals such as Glastonbury, Boomtown, Reading and Leeds, Shambala and Boardmasters.

MyCauseUK are another festival work agency however they raise money for charities using fees they receive from festivals in exchange for volunteer work. It is also a free way into some of the best festivals and helps a good cause in the mean time.

Audio/visual companies

Reaching out to companies directly can be a good way to find work experience opportunities and get yourself in front of the right people in the industry. Offering your time to shadow and assist will show motivation and initiative. Try and find contact details on company websites, LinkedIn or asking your peers and send some emails showing your willingness to learn. You can always run these past your tutors or careers services for help with wording.

Suggested companies to reach out to:

Solotech
Neuron
Big Fish Rentals
STS Touring Productions
DNG
Martin Audio

Balance is key

So get out there, do some research, find some opportunities and learn something new. Make sure to take time to enjoy the holidays as well but finding time to fit in something productive will likely make your summer one to remember for more than a nice sun tan. As Dumbledore said ‘It does not do well to dwell on dreams and forget to live’ so find a balance and make the most of this summer.