As music teachers, we not only look to attain the best outcomes for our students while they are studying with us in school, but we also look to guide them in their next steps into the wider world. Traditionally for music students this has meant attending a conservatoire or pursuing an undergraduate music degree, but times are changing, and as educators it is our job to adapt to this ever-changing world. An obvious (and now rather old-hat) example would be secondary school music teachers delivering music-technology focused courses. However, there is a burgeoning set of new skills that step beyond even these more contemporary offerings.
With the rise of the internet, we have seen a great shift in the power of homemade media, to the extent that being a vlogger (video blogger), YouTuber, online-storyteller, or influencer have become viable and potentially very lucrative career options. The success of the pioneers of these new media have not only caught the attention of their audiences, but also that of the old media; TV broadcasters, film studios, and print media are now playing catch-up with the appeal of these new formats. But how are education institutions adapting to the quickly changing landscape of creative media?
One exciting new institution is the GoCreate Academy (GCA). This online academy offers a series of university accredited courses, as well as an option to complete a full Level 4 certificate of higher education, which is equivalent to the first year of study of an undergraduate course. It may also be possible to complete a full undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree with the GCA in the near future. The online academy may be perfect for any budding young creative students who are looking at options for when they leave sixth form. However, the courses offered by the GCA are not only for students who are graduating, but are open to all ages, and need not be undertaken all in one go.
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The inspiration behind GoCreate
I reached out to the GCA's creators Peter Stone and Susan Hickey, who set up the institution in 2015, to find out more. The founders have a wealth of experience in the music and media industries. Stone is a former concert pianist and session musician to the likes of Madonna and Kenny Rogers. Hickey is an award-winning media presenter, producer, author, and entrepreneur, with experience in TV and radio as a presenter for the likes of Channel 4, RTE, and more recently GCTV. The pair met while attending an event at Capital radio and discovered they shared a mutual interest in education.
Stone says: ‘Research suggested that 65 per cent of learners will work in jobs that don't even exist today’ – a statistic that inspired the creation of the GCA. ‘The challenge we felt needed addressing was how to develop creative skills, problem-solving skills and digital competencies to help young people be prepared for the future. [The courses] initially focused on industry training; our aim was to create and deliver new online creative media courses and qualifications, delivered by world-class experts, in partnership with respected broadcasters, brands and educational institutions and to give an academic levelness and professionalism to all the new media areas people were needing to develop skills in.’
Maintaining relevancy
Some of the courses currently offered by the GCA include podcasting, mobile filmmaking, vlogging, songwriting, and sound production. These courses are all delivered online by a range of experts with a range of industry experience. One of the main goals of the GCA is to offer opportunities that reflect the current needs of the market, keeping courses up-to-date and relevant to contemporary media trends. ‘We tried to respond quickly to shifting industry and market demands and translate those into content and assessment protocols to reflect different market and cultural needs,' Stone says.
‘In terms of our development, we have broadened our offering and extended the range of products to wider markets. For example, two years ago we created the world's first graded examinations in Vlogging & Podcasting. These were the first of a suite of qualifications aimed at a younger market and we are about to launch many more graded examinations. This includes Beatboxing, which has involved creating a form of beatboxing notation and is something we are very excited about!’
Global expertise
The GCA also places particular emphasis on giving students the skills to be responsive and adaptive to a changing industry; it highlights creative thinking, critical analysis, communication and collaboration as its chief education goals. ‘We felt that in developing creative and critical analysis with our students, we could enrich the society we are part of and help conceive, develop and action solutions across every economic sector,’ says Stone.
One of the appealing aspects of the GCA is that it is truly an worldwide institution. The GCA has bases in Dublin, London, Singapore, and Dubai, as well as a partnership, announced in November 2021 with GEMS, who run a network of international schools, providing courses and qualifications in music and media. Students, however, can study from anywhere, as long as they have access to the internet, as the courses are all delivered online. Stone says: ‘One of the benefits of our online courses is that people can, for example, learn from one of our mentors in Chicago who has over 30 number one hits in the USA to his name, or another mentor in Ireland who has won the Prix Europa a record four times.’
The GCA could be a great option for some of your students and is worth investigating if they are interested in a dynamic, industry-relevant set of courses that teach cutting edge media skills delivered by industry leading experts, all while undercutting the price of standard university courses significantly.
