This is a guest blog written by Clara-Mae Turrall who graduated from BA (Hons) Music & Sound Production Technology in 2021. Whilst studying, Clara was Head of Music and Head of Station sound at Nerve Radio and part of the Women’s Campaign Committee .

I chose to study BA (Hons) Music and Sound Production Technology due to my passion for the subject. I had studied Music Technology at A-Level, but I did not come away with the grade I wanted. It had knocked my confidence completely, and I wondered how I would ever be able to complete the course I had applied for at Bournemouth University.

My first and second year allowed me to relearn everything I was mistaught at school: composing, studio and production techniques, recording and acoustics, sound synthesis, even giving me a grounding in business. I was also given the opportunity to complete a placement year, which I completed at Vibration Design and Production. You can read a bit more about that here. My course benefits from in-person learning – especially with the new Music Technology facilities in the Poole Gateway Building. The course exposed me to so many areas of the industry that I hadn’t even thought about exploring, and I even found an interest in areas of music I had not even heard of before.

Nerve Radio crew

My final year was affected by the pandemic and so I chose to centre my dissertation on this. The final piece was a 20-minute electroacoustic composition which uses voice to explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic upon people in England. The piece appeared to be a huge success, not only academically with having achieved a grading of 90% on my dissertation, but also as a piece of music created as a meaningful response to the pandemic.

Whilst at Bournemouth University, I was exposed to so many opportunities. I was a Student Representative every year of my course, a Women’s Campaign Committee Member in my first year, a Peer-Assisted Learning Leader, worked for The Old Fire Station as a techie, wrote for Nerve Magazine, presented on Nerve Radio and was Head of Music and Head of Station Sound for Nerve Radio in my final year. Lastly, I was awarded a First-Class Degree and the Dean’s Award for Best Final Year Student at my graduation last year. And, after 8 months of patiently waiting, I am now about to start my first graduate role with the BBC in Radio Production.

If I could give any advice to prospective students, I would say get stuck into everything. Have fun of course, but also take up every opportunity you get!