Point Blank Music College - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Point Blank is a music and creative media school founded in 1994 by musician and producer Robert Cowan. It offers courses in Electronic Music production, DJing, Singing & Songwriting, and Audio Engineering at its premises in Hoxton

Hoxton

Hoxton is an area in the London Borough of Hackney, immediately north of the financial district of the City of London. The area of Hoxton is bordered by Regent's Canal on the north side, Wharf Road and City Road on the west, Old Street on the south, and Kingsland Road on the east.Hoxton is also a...

, North London. It also provides music and media training to young people via community funded projects delivered throughout the UK.

History

Point Blank was founded by CEO Robert Cowan in 1994 as a commercial recording studio in Greenwich

Greenwich

Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...

, London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. Artists such as Sasha (DJ)

Sasha (DJ)

Sasha is a Welsh DJ and record producer. Sasha began his career playing acid house dance music in the late 1980s...

, D-Ream and Allister Whitehead recorded there. Before long, people were asking how to use the equipment while they were recording their tracks. Robert constructed weekend training courses in music production and DJing and the training side of Point Blank was born.

Joined in 2001 by friend and fellow musician, MD Jules Brookes (Raw Stylus

Raw Stylus

Raw Stylus was a London-based dance music outfit whose core members were Donna Gardier, Jules Brookes and Ron Aslan. In 1995 they released the single, "Believe In Me", which reached #1 on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart. It was a minor success in the United Kingdom reaching #66 on the UK...

), the company moved to Hoxton

Hoxton

where it has become a full-fledged music college.

The college also runs a community initiative delivering media training to young people who would not ordinarily be able to access either the equipment or the tuition that Point Blank offers.

Other factions of the organisation include a music publishing company sub-published by Universal Publishing and youth marketing activities on behalf of various corporations such as Orange, Bacardi

Bacardi

Bacardi is a family-controlled spirits company, best known as a producer of rums, including Bacardi Superior and Bacardi 151. The company sells in excess of 200 million bottles per year in nearly 100 countries...

and First Choice

First Choice (travel firm)

First Choice is a brand name used by TUI Travel PLC to sell package holidays in the United Kingdom.The brand is also the name of a chain of travel agents that are part of the same group....

Facilities

Point Blank’s premises are located at 23-28 Penn Street, Hoxton

Hoxton

, London

London

. They comprise of a college office and eight studios housing professional equipment and facilities.
These include:

Radio console

Two acoustically treated live rooms
2 DJ studios
Industry-standard instruments and synthesizers
Dual-core iMacs equipped with Logic, Reason, Cubase, Ableton Live
Ableton Live
Ableton Live is a loop-based software music sequencer and DAW for Mac OS and Windows by Ableton. The latest major release of Live, Version 8, was released in April 2009. In contrast to many other software sequencers, Live is designed to be an instrument for live performances as well as a tool for...

and related production software
TL Audio and Oram BEQ mixing desks

Music School Courses

Weekend ‘crash courses’ to 2 year Diploma programmes and online courses covering:

Music Production
Sound Engineering
Sound Design
DJing
Radio Broadcasting
Singing & Songwriting

Point Blank is fully accredited by the Open College Network

Open college network

The Open College Network is the commonly used term to describe one or more of the 11 regional bodies that together comprise the . NOCN is one of the United Kingdom Awarding Bodies that include Edexcel and City and Guilds....

(OCN) at levels 2 and 3. Point Blank is also an Ableton

Ableton

Ableton AG is a Berlin-based music software company that produces and distributes the production and performance suite Ableton Live and a collection of related instruments and sample libraries.- History :...

Education Partner ,
an Apple Inc. Training Centre , Steinberg

Steinberg

Steinberg GmbH is a German musical software and equipment company based in Hamburg. It mainly produces music recording, arranging and editing software as used in digital audio workstations and VSTi software synthesizers.- History :...

Training Centre and Native Instruments

Native Instruments

Native Instruments is a technology company that develops software and hardware for music production and DJing. The company has originally been identified mostly with software instruments, but has also expanded to various other music equipment segments in recent years.Current products of Native...

Training Centre..

Demographics

On-site students at Point Blank come from a variety of ages and backgrounds, with a large proportion of the student body being made up of international students. Students at the private college are fee-paying and are generally over 18. Young people engaged through the organisation’s community work range from 14–19 years and receive free training.

Tutors and alumni

Point Blank’s tutors are experienced figures in the music industry who have been involved in many notable projects with major artists including Bjork

Björk

Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...

, Portishead, The Cure

The Cure

The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...

, Erasure

Erasure

Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...

, Massive Attack

Massive Attack

Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...

, Bob Marley

Bob Marley

Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...

, Jimmy Cliff

Jimmy Cliff

Jimmy Cliff, OM is a Jamaican musician, singer and actor. He is the only currently living musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievement in the arts and sciences...

, Quincy Jones

Quincy Jones

Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...

, Earth Wind & Fire, Death in Vegas

Death in Vegas

Death in Vegas are a psychedelic rock and electronic rock band from the United Kingdom, comprising two permanent members: Richard Fearless and Tim Holmes...

, Iggy Pop

Iggy Pop

Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...

, Liam Gallagher

Liam Gallagher

William John Paul "Liam" Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, the former frontman of the English rock band Oasis and currently of the band Beady Eye. Gallagher's erratic behaviour, distinctive singing style, and abrasive attitude have been the subject of commentary in the press...

, Paul Weller

Paul Weller

Paul Weller is an English singer-songwriter. Starting with the band The Jam , Weller then went on to branch out musically to a more soulful style with The Style Council...

, Craig David

Craig David

Craig Ashley David is an English singer and songwriter. He has released five studio albums: Born to Do It, Slicker Than Your Average, The Story Goes..., Trust Me, Signed Sealed Delivered and a Greatest Hits album...

, LL Cool J

LL Cool J

James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...

, Beverly Night, Adam F

Adam F

Adam F is an English jungle and drum and bass DJ, and film actor.-Career:An early album was the techstep effort, Metropolis/Mother Earth, released in 1997 on the Metalheadz record label. His other early successes were the tracks "F-Jam" and "Circles"...

, Groove Armada

Groove Armada

Groove Armada is an English electronic music duo from London, England comprising Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They are perhaps best known for their singles "I See You Baby" and "Superstylin'"...

, YAC, The Poison Control Centre, 203 Ltd., Estelle

Estelle (musician)

Estelle Fanta Swaray commonly known as Estelle, and formerly as Est'elle, is an English R&B singer-songwriter, rapper and record producer.-Early Life:Estelle was born 18 January 1980 in Hammersmith, London, England...

, Sister Sledge

Sister Sledge

Sister Sledge is an American musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 1972 and consisting of four sisters: Kim Sledge Debbie Sledge , Joni Sledge , and Kathy Sledge . They are granddaughters of the former opera singer Viola Williams. The sisters used to perform under the name of "Mrs...

, Queen

Queen (band)

Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...

, The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...

, U2

U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...

, Phil Collins

Phil Collins

Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....

, Nitin Sawhney

Nitin Sawhney

Nitin Sawhney is an Indian-British musician, producer and composer. His critically acclaimed work combines Asian and other worldwide influences with elements of jazz and electronica and often explores themes such as multiculturalism, politics and spirituality...

, Timbaland

Timbaland

Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....

and Jay Sean.

Notable former students include the 2006 X Factor

The X Factor (UK)

The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...

winner Leona Lewis

Leona Lewis

Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....

, BBC Radio 1

BBC Radio 1

BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...

DJ Tayo, Armand Van Helden

Armand Van Helden

Armand Van Helden is a record producer, DJ and remixer whose biggest commercial successes came from his remixes of the 1996 Tori Amos song "Professional Widow" , which reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1997, and his own track "U Don't Know Me ", which went to number 1...

remixer Jahawi, Gemma Cairney

Gemma Cairney

Gemma Cairney is a British radio presenter and fashion stylist, known for presenting the mid-afternoon programme on BBC Radio 1Xtra....

who is currently hosting the BBC 1Xtra breakfast show with Trevor Nelson

Trevor Nelson

Trevor Nelson MBE is an English DJ and presenter.Born in Hackney to a family of St Lucian heritage, he attended Central Foundation Boys' Grammar School in Cowper St, Islington, London EC2 and Westminster Kingsway College...

, Devin another 1Xtra DJ specialising in garage, hip hop and bashment, and techno DJ/producer Ryan Shaw.

Community work

Point Blank is engaged in numerous funded, community-based projects with young people in London and throughout the UK.

The community projects are delivered in partnership with a range of organisations in local government, youth services and the charity or third sector. These include:

The Learning Trust

Projects are focussed around music videos; issue-based short films; graffiti workshops; song-writing sessions and street dance training and are delivered by staff consisting of a range of media professionals. The projects are informed by focus groups and youth advisory boards.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.