Navigation menu

Award-winning music producer goes on record at University of Kent

Music Technology students at the University of Kent had the chance to learn from an expert when they met renowned record producer Tchad Blake.

Mr Blake, a two-time Grammy Award-winning producer, engineer, mixer and musician, held a guest lecture for second and third-year students at theCentre for Music Technology, based at Kent's Medway campus, last Thursday (19 March).

As well as talking about his background and career - which spans more than twenty-five years in the music industry - Mr Blake answered students' questions about both the technical and creative aspects of music production and recording.

Central to the discussions were the producer's trademark experimental recording techniques and the future of the music recording industry in the digital age.

Tchad Blake has worked alongside a host of best-selling musicians including Sir Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Travis, Pearl Jam, Crowded House and Tracy Chapman, among many others.

In 2008 he landed the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, for his work on Suzanne Vega's Beauty and Crime. He won his first Grammy in 1999 for The Globe Sessions by Sheryl Crow.

The University's Centre for Music Technology incorporates purpose-designed studios, recording areas, workstations and seminar rooms, and its students use the latest industry-standard hardware and software.

Mr Blake said he was impressed both with the calibre of Kent's music students and with the facilities on offer. 'The students have clearly embraced the new technology available to them and I was impressed with the scope and range of their questions,' he said. 'However, the technology is only one part of the equation, and what many also displayed was a great passion for the subject and a drive to succeed.'

Clive Arundell, Director for the Centre for Music Technology, said the producer had inspired his students. 'It was a thrill for us all to put our questions to him. He has displayed great staying power in the music industry, and worked successfully with a broad range of artists, covering many different styles.

'He offered a fascinating snapshot of a professional career in the music industry, and gave our students a taste of what can be achieved.'

Tchad Blake's visit was one of a series of guest lectures being run by the Centre for Music Technology. Previous speakers have included film composer David Arnold, whose credits include the James Bond films Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale.

Examples of work by Kent students at the Centre for Music Technology can be heard at: www.kent.ac.uk/musictechnology/studentwork.html

Contact: N.J.Ellwood@kent.ac.uk

Story published at 1:25pm 24 March 2009