Meet our new Student Administrator!

If you’re considering studying at Abbey Road Institute London, chances are your first point of contact will be our Student Administrator and Marketing Assistant, Joely. A recent graduate of the ACM Music Business degree, Joely has hit the ground running keeping our Facebook and Instagram up-to-date, and preparing our September students for an amazing year ahead. If you haven’t got in touch with us yet, Joely is waiting to hear from you…

Who is Joely?

Let’s get a bit of background: Are you a musician yourself?
I used to play guitar and piano. I performed with a friend of mine; she would write the music and sing. I did sing once, but it’s not for me. I’d rather concentrate on playing the guitar!

You’re degree is in music business, but you also have experience…
I was managing an artist whilst studying. She’s actually just been signed to Sony. I can’t take credit for that; I managed her right at the beginning of her career. I also put on a hip-hop/grime event in Guildford and our headline act dropped out a couple of days before the event. We managed to get Rack-Su to fill in last minute. We didn’t think anything of it at the time, but the next year they were on X-Factor and won.

You have the Midas touch! Or should we call it the Joely Effect?
(Laughs) I’ve just been lucky to find a few artists that people like.

why abbey road institute?

And you juggled that whilst also doing a fast-track degree?
The reason I did a fast-track degree is because I wanted to get into the industry as soon as possible. If I did a four-year degree I’d be two years older, with the same qualification. It’s a bit like studying here; literally eating and breathing music. Yes, I’ve had limited holidays, but I think that shows a certain amount of drive. Learning is great, but you can learn intensely for a short period of time and take what you’ve learned to the workplace, and continue learning there.

So what made you want to work at Abbey Road Institute?
I was in work – but not in music – for about eight months. Working in the music industry is my passion so when I was given this opportunity, I ran with it. Being part of the Universal Music Group was a big pull. Our students are all musicians, which is also really cool. I really enjoy artist management. I know my job isn’t artist management as such, but everyone who studies with us has aspirations in the industry. I love that.

And what are your impressions of the job so far?
It’s a lot of fun. It’s also inspiring. My experience is largely on the business side of the industry, but I have done a bit of recording and production. Even though I’m not a student, I’m learning new things every day.

Has anything about Abbey Road Institute surprised you?
I didn’t realise just how many people wanted to study here! Taking the Advanced Diploma means an intensive year of study, and that’s quite a big decision to make. The fact that we now have a waiting list for our September intake shows that our students are really eager to fully immerse themselves in sound for a year. To me that shows the kind of commitment you need in this industry.

Advice to students

Do you have any advice to anyone who might be considering studying here?
Look at where you are now, and where you want to be in five year’s time. Realistically, will taking a year out to study here benefit you? I’d say nine times out of 10, it would. It is a big decision, but if it’s everything you’ve wanted to do, then stopping what you’re doing now shouldn’t matter. It’s not what you want to be doing anyway.

What tips do you have for potential students to help make that decision?
Come for a tour and ask us as many questions as you want. Even if it’s just to confirm what you already know. It’s great to put a face to a name and it gets the ball rolling on the personal relationship we like to develop with all of our students. It’s also good to have a chat about your goals. If you’re 100% sure you want to study with us, and have already applied send an email anyway. Even if it’s just to say “Hi, I like the sound of this course and I’ve applied.” That way, when you do start the course you will walk in knowing at least one person, as opposed to walking in to a brand new everything.

Committed to getting into the audio industry as soon as possible? Check out our Advanced Diploma in Music Production and Sound Engineering or send Joely an email!