Monsterfest is sound idea for Ross pupils; Alness and Fortrose students attend music industry showcase; Developing the Young Workforce backs event
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Young people from the Highlands - amongst them pupils from Alness and Fortrose – have tuned into potential career opportunities in the music industry at a special event in Inverness venue the Ironworks.
As part of Monstersfest, the two-day rock music festival which returned for a second year at the weekend, secondary pupils and music students had the chance to hear from industry professionals about the different careers available, from sound recording and management to media and performance.
Organised by Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Inverness & Central Highland and supported by festival founder Mark Allison, the interactive event featured a headline session led by Steve Goldby, who runs music media company MetalTalk in London and has managed artists including former Iron Maiden singer Paul D’ianno.
Support for the event also came from Whitney Ribbins, who spoke about event and tour management and local musician Iain McLaughlin, who runs independent record label IMOUT Records as well as touring with his band The Outsiders.
Madeleine Lenthal (17) from Aberdeen was also on hand to advise attendees on how she set up her music blog aged just 14, interviewing everyone from Katie Melua to Alice Cooper.
Andy Maxtone, programme manager for DYW Inverness & Central Highland said: “This is the second year that we’ve held an event during Monstersfest specifically for young people to inspire them with the huge variety of careers in the creative industry.
“The Highlands are a hotbed of creativity, with the industry diverse and fast-growing and continuing to make an important contribution to the region’s economy and cultural life.”
Mark Allison added: "Throughout the years, we have all had opportunities that could take us in a new or different direction. In music as in life, you have to seize every opportunity you can and build on it. This was the common thread running through the talks during the course of the day."
Attending the event were a group from Alness Academy, Kingussie High School, Fortrose Academy and music students from North Highland College, Alness campus.
