Evening Courses

This course is great for musicians and producers who want to gain a deeper knowledge of Ableton Live 11, build confidence in the software and develop new workflow techniques.

Certified Ableton Trainer & producer Martin Clancy and professional mixing engineer and producer Vasileios Gourgourinins will go through crucial elements of contemporary music production techniques and introduce you to the new features of Ableton Live 11: Take recording and comping, Linked-Track Editing, Using MPE-capable controllers, Note Expression View and More expressive sounds and devices that come with Ableton Live 11. 

Ableton Live Course has been running for the last ten years and has trained many of Ireland's leading DJs, remixers, producers and indie groups designed to maximise creativity for all genres. Meet new people and collaborate on new music projects.

Course modules include:

• Get your projects finished!
• Interactive Djing
• Music composition & production 
• Live performance
• Ableton Push Instrument
• Mixing
• Working with visuals
• How to release your music! - Learn how the music industry works

THE TUTORS:

MARTIN CLANCY

Martin Clancy is a Certified Ableton Live 11 Trainer. His specially designed Ableton Live modules combine the latest technological breakthroughs alongside his long-standing industry experience. As a solo artist Martin had series of Top 20 Hits in the U.S. Billboard Dance Charts while being artist In residence at New York's Seaport Music Festival 2009-2011. As a producer and artist Martin works in a wide-music of music genres and environments – Including folk/rock – (founder member of Irish group In Tua Nua (Virgin/Island records), melodic techno (Valleraphon with Vasileios Gourgourinis), singer-writer (producer of Jack L albums Wax, Burn On) to name only a few. For the past three years (2017-2020). Martin has been a Research Fellow at Trinity Colleges Long Room Hub and has completed his doctorate on Artificial Intelligence and Music. Martin’s Ableton approach centres on empowering human creativity through technology without the artist becoming overwhelmed by the options available. Key to this is the artist maintaining a sense of humour and creative independence. Martin has delivered lectures on Ableton, music creativity and music industry practises (copyright) at UCD, IBEC, Hot Press Mix Course, IMMF, Science Gallery Dublin etc. He is the founder Chair of the IEEE EAD for the Art Committee and has been commissioned by Routledge to publish a new work based on his research "Artificial Intelligence & Creative Music Practise" (2021). Martin is also the manager of Jack Lukeman and works as a consultant to the international music industry.

VASILEIOS GOURGOURINIS

Vasileios Gourgourinis is a Dublin based Music Producer and Sound Engineer. He is a lecturer and tutor at Sound Training College (Dublin) in Degree and Diploma Courses. Vasileios is a member of the electronic music trio: Valleraphon - alongside DJ/Producers Martin Clancy and Giuliano A.L. Valleraphon have released multiple songs under labels such as Bonzai Progressive and Krafted Underground. Vasileios has also produced and engineered albums by Irish songwriter Jack Lukeman (27 Club, Great Wall of China & Magic Days). His work includes collaborations with artists such as Classroom Battles, Dammy Ari, Pugwash, Dashoda, Galia Arad and Gold Blooded Woman.

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Endorsements:

Cailin Power (DJ, Producer)
“After completing Martin’s Advanced Ableton Course I couldn’t be happier. I learned so much from it because there is so much to gain if you are willing to put in the effort. Over the 15 weeks I acquired an in depth knowledge of Ableton and how to get the best out of the programme. One of the great things about the course is that you don’t just learn about Ableton, you acquire a strong technical knowledge of production and creative techniques and also mixing and mastering. The weekly assignments get a creative flow going and get you into a good routine of making music regularly. Sitting down to work on a track becomes fun and less daunting because you see yourself improving each week, which in turn boosts your motivation. As well as the technical stuff, Martin encourages you to be creative and teaches you how to manage your time in the studio efficiently. And not only do you have Martin as a teacher, there is a second teacher called Vas. The way they deliver a class is excellent. Its very rare to find a course with two dedicated teachers who invest a personal interest in you work. Highly recommended :)”

Sarah Keane AKA Rowlette (Singer, Songwriter, Producer)
"I found the Ableton course brilliant. As a singer and songwriter with no previous production experience, it really widened my musical ability. Martin and Vas are both excellent (and patient!) teachers. The atmosphere was always lovely and it made for an educational and enjoyable experience. Highly recommended!"

Raymond Hill (Composer, Producer)
I enrolled on the Ableton Live Advanced course with the intention of consolidating and expanding my skills and knowledge of Ableton Live. However, what I received was much more than this. Martin and Vas have a wealth of knowledge and experience to impart to anyone willing to listen and learn. I came away with an understanding of how Live can be used in a variety of different settings from composition and production to performance and also how Live can be used to complement a number of different scenarios. In addition, I got a strong grasp on the basics of music theory, a topic which had eluded me for a number of years. By the end of the course 15 weeks later, and following a conversation with Martin, I felt confident enough in my new abilities to undertake a full-time Masters program in Music & Media technology in Trinity. Having begun this journey with the intention of improving my music-making as a hobby, I instead made the choice to shift the focus to attempting to begin a new career in Music and Technology. For that, a large amount of thanks must go to Martin and Vas and the Ableton Live Advanced course in STC.

Gavin McDermott (Songwriter, Performer):
“I was a total novice in terms of music production in the world of DAWs before I took Martin’s Ableton course at the Sound Training College, Dublin. However, my introduction to Ableton has changed the way I write my music, offering infinitely more possibilities for sonic adventure than, say, one voice and one guitar did. With Martin’s guidance, I have seen a rapid development in my understanding of recording as a craft and the ability to make the sounds I hear in my head actually come to life in Ableton. Ever since I first set foot in a studio, I have always wanted to be the guy at the controls. I wanted total control over my music from pen and page to the finishing touches of the mix. Martin and Vas have helped me get the ball rolling in this regard and I am seeing some real results. I am confident I will be able to release my own self-produced EP in the coming months of 2015. Moreover, Martin’s encouragement, positive attitude and pragmatic criticisms have helped me to reaffirm my love of writing music.”

Sarah Byrne (Singer, Songwriter, Producer):
‘’I could not recommend the Ableton courses more highly. Thanks to the stellar work of Martin & Vas, I went from being a singer in an electronic band, to writing & producing my own music. I've released two singles in the last year, and that wouldn't have happened without my participation in this course. The method of teaching combines step by step demonstration with practical application, that's easy to follow and build upon. The guys also provide invaluable direct support & feedback for each individual, that shows a deep understanding & appreciation of different musical styles to suit all students.’’

Giuliano AL (DJ, Producer)
“I completed the Advanced Ableton course in 2015. I have been DJ-ing full time for several years and in the last few years I have started to produce music. I decided to take the course as I wanted to learn more about producing and in particular producing with Ableton. I went to an “Open Day” with Martin and straight away I felt that this was the “place to be” for all I needed. Martin has a unique way to teach and a talented method that helps you to bring out your creative side and not get caught only at the technical level. This for me works great. I signed for the 15 week course and with the teaching of Martin and Vas, the experience brought my skills to another level. During the course we really covered a lot. From basic use of Ableton up to mastering, mixing and using Visuals Live, Ableton Push and more. We also covered a section on time management when produce a track, which has helped me a lot because majority of my work is “on the go” with short timelines. The extra benefit of this course is that many of learnt skills have become of great use to me in producing my own tracks and with my own edits for my DJ set and radio show. I would really recommend the Advanced course to anyone that is ready to improve their Ableton knowledge and have some fun along the way. I loved the class atmosphere with a mixed alumni from different backgrounds and that helped all of us to open to each other’s point of view.”