‘All You Need is Love!’ – Lincoln Students Turn Day Trippers with Valentine’s Day Abbey Road Visit

It was a Valentine’s Day to remember for budding sound and music producers as they followed in the footsteps of The Beatles during a visit to the hallowed Abbey Road Recording Studios.

A cohort of second and third year students from the University of Lincoln, UK’s BA (Hons) Sound and Music Production course were able to experience a day in the life of some of the world’s most eminent record producers and performers during their time at the iconic studio complex.

The students spent most of the two day trip in arguably the most famous recording space in the world, Abbey Road Studio No 2, the studio where The Beatles undertook the majority of their recordings.

The studio provided the setting for them to record fellow students from the University’s BA (Hons) Music degree, who were undertaking their final year musical performances.

Talking about the trip, Dr Stephen Bruel, Programme Leader for Sound and Music Production, said: “Abbey Road Studios was an amazing and holistic experience for our students. As soon as you step inside that iconic building you realise you are somewhere very special.

“During their visit the students worked directly with award winning industry professionals on industry standard workflows and equipment in a world-class facility, they gained an understanding of and appreciation for the rich cultural heritage and history of Abbey Road Studios and learnt insights on how best to prepare for and progress a career in sound and music production.”

Industry professionals on hand to lend their support to the students included Abbey Road engineer Paul Pritchard. Paul has worked with some of the biggest recording artists in history, including Paul McCartney, Elton John and Freddie Mercury.

He was able to share his experience and wisdom on recording techniques including microphone selection and placement, multitrack recording, Pro Tools editing and mixing throughout the sessions. Paul also provided the students with valuable insights on how to establish and sustain a career in the field of sound and music production.

Reflecting on the experience second year student Niamh said: “Having the opportunity to visit Abbey Road Studios was extremely beneficial and motivating for me. From the very beginning, just walking up the iconic steps to the studio and sitting in on and being a part of a session there felt like a true privilege.

“The history and reputation of the studio itself gave the whole experience a special feel to it, knowing that we were in a studio that some of the greatest bands and musicians have recorded in, felt like an experience like none other.”

Fellow student Bartek added: “The historical importance of the studios, the equipment and simply the space is clear as soon as you walk through the front door. Even walking up to it felt grand in a way.”

“The shadowing experience was invaluable in grounding and linking our theoretical knowledge and our own experiences to that of a professional higher standard. It showed how the principles remained fundamentally the same but also how they are elevated to the next level”.

Niamh, Bartek and their fellow second year students are already excited to get back to Abbey Road next year, with the success of this year’s trip establishing the visit to the studios as an annual experience for all Year 2 and Year 3 BA (Hons) Sound and Music Production students at the University; forming part of their learning, training, research, and assessment.