Producer Dan gives music students top tips on breaking into the industry

Popular Music students from the University of Northampton received a mixing masterclass from the man behind some of UK rock band Enter Shikari’s finest moments.

Dan Weller, who has produced Shikari’s acclaimed albums A Flash Flood of Colour and The Mindsweep, is also in demand as a songwriter and is guitarist-producer with the hugely influential prog metal outfit SikTh.

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He came onto campus on Thursday 19 October to pass on his studio secrets to Popular Music undergraduates and students from Bedford College, plus pupils from St Paul’s Catholic School and Sir Herbert Leon Academy, Milton Keynes.

The masterclass was held in conjunction with Focusrite, a UK firm which makes class-leading music and audio products for the music industry and hobbyists.

Watch the video below:

https://youtu.be/XTg0a0-BMMg

The event saw Dan demonstrate the art of mixing music, including how to get the very best results using Focusrite audio production equipment.

He also revealed which music act he’d worked with were the most musically out there.

Dan said: “I’d have to say Enter Shikari are the most out there. I worked with them for years until their latest album and [vocalist] Rou Reynolds’ ideas are just boundless. Everything he comes up with, you just sit there and wonder ‘where did that come from?’ – it’s mad.”

He also gave some tips on how to break into the music industry and spent time chatting to students one-to-one.

Jasmine Shadrack, Senior Lecturer in Popular Music, said: “We can’t thank Dan and Focusrite enough for such an amazing event.

“We are so grateful to Dan for taking time out to speak to the students face-to-face, and give them advice and encouragement.

“For our students to have that sort of access to somebody like Dan, who is at the top of their game, is something they will never forget.”