SAE Audio Production student Gordon Baptie is based at our Glasgow campus and previously studied finance by throwing himself into music.
In our interview, Gordon shares more about his experiences at SAE and how the community has supported him in his endeavours to master production.
Read our Q&A below and get in touch with our team if you’d like to find out more about our courses.
How did you get into audio and music? Where did it all start?
I come from a musical family. However, I originally wasn’t very musical myself and studied accounting and finance for four years. By the end of that, I knew it wasn’t for me.
I did okay in the degree, but wanted something else. I didn’t want to be stuck in an office working on it until I retired.
I had a few friends who had been to SAE who raved about it. They talked about it throughout the two years they studied there, and I thought it was a great destination. I came to a few open days and was blown away by the Glasgow campus. The number of studios was a big factor too.
I was trying to convince my dad that it was a good idea, and he loved the campus too. From then on, he was on board. Although I never studied music at school, I came into this kind of blind, but I’m really enjoying it so far. It’s brilliant.
Tell me a little bit about the community at SAE. What do you like about it?
Everybody’s so friendly, from the students to the lecturers. It feels more like a professional space where you’re working as a professional in the industry, as close as it can get to that in a university setting.
Glasgow is a very sociable city with a strong musical side, which really links itself to the campus. There are many musicians in bands, and people always have gigs, including the lecturers. You’re always getting invited to different opportunities.
It’s very inclusive, sociable, and music and sound-oriented. On top of that, the lecturers are encouraging in creating clubs. For example, I’ve never played Dungeons and Dragons, but I’ve been playing for eight months now since coming to SAE, and it’s been great for meeting new people.
What are your lecturers like?
The lecturers are brilliant. I wouldn’t just call them lecturers; they’re friends if you show them that you’re willing to learn and put in the work. Of course, there’s still a professional aspect, but they’re so friendly and helpful. You never feel like you’re asking a stupid question, especially since I’ve never studied Audio Production before.
They never make you feel silly, which is important for building confidence. They’re always there to help and encourage you,
especially in the studios, always saying, ‘Good job, good work here’. They’re ready to give you a hand whenever you need it.
Can you talk about the opportunities within the course and outside of it?
A lot of the opportunities I’ve had have come through lecturers or students via clubs or gigs outside of the campus. There are also extracurricular classes showing how motivated the lecturers are to give you opportunities. They create extra classes outside of the scheduled ones to get more people involved. They’ve told us about opportunities we’ll get in the future, especially in the second year.
In the first year, they can’t put you in a professional environment because you need to learn the basics first. But they prepare you for those opportunities, making you feel confident and ready when they arise.
What do you like about being a student in Glasgow and the local music scene?
Walking through the central area, you’re never far from a live
music venue. It’s such a musical city with lots of music shops. Just walking around, you see people recording, you see people with cameras, and it’s very inspiring.
Culturally, Glasgow is very musical, which gives you ideas all the time. For location recording, it’s fantastic because it’s an exciting city with lots of personality. There’s always something going on that you can record, and it’s great for inspiration.
What has been your favorite part of the course so far?
There are probably a few things. In the first trimester, I appreciated that the course wasn’t solely focused on being a musician. There was a very scientific aspect to it, especially in the first trimester. They teach you why you’re doing what you’re doing, which is important for understanding.
Moving into the second trimester, getting to contact different bands, bringing them into the studio, and recording with them was so exciting.
Now, in my third trimester, I’m excited to work on audio for games and movies. It’s a lot of fun because it’s more focused on what I’m doing rather than relying on other people.
How does the two-year acceleration work for you?
One of the reasons I chose SAE was because of the two-year degree.
I previously studied a four-year accounting degree, and doing another four-year degree wouldn’t work out. I looked at some longer
courses, but the fact that SAE’s programme is accelerated, although it’s a lot of hard work crammed into a shorter time, is great. After two years, you’re done, and you’ve got the degree.
Study Audio production at SAE
At SAE, our Audio Production Degree can help students learn the latest production skills and techniques to further their careers.
Our course encourages students to adopt a future-facing mindset where they are keen to understand more about how innovation and technology will shape the industry and their work.
