Colm O'Foghlú: Guest Lecturer Profile

Irish born Colm O' Foghlú (Director, Ember Productions) is renowned for his work writing and directing shows such as dance-theatre show Gaelforce Dance which toured throughout Australia, Europe, Asia and North America reaching a total audience of 4 million people. His other work includes Irish Thunder for Busch Gardens and for television, the soundtrack for The Land of Sex and Sinners. Recently Calm has been Musical Director for Riverdance and is responsible for the hugely popular Celtic Dawn for Fáilte Ireland. Colm's qualifications include has an M.A. in Drama and Performance Studies at University College Dublin and is currently busy as Artistic Director of An Béal Binn and as Co-Director of Ember Productions www.emberproductions.ie. Colm remains a sought after artistic & musical and delighted that he not only has the time to teach on the Pusle College Degree Course but he took the time to talk to Pulse News about his successful career.

Q1. You studied music and dance from a very early age. Was music a big influence in your life growing up?

I was really lucky that I went to Scoil Oilibhéir, an Irish primary school in Coolmine. The teachers there have a wonderful interest in dance and music. There were loads of opportunities for the pupils because of the staff and the ancillary teachers. Most of the original dancers in Riverdance would have attended the O'Sé School of Irish Dance which has a long history with the school. I was never a brilliant dancer but it is an invaluable resource that I can call on when writing music for dance.

Q2. You are a highly trained musician, studying in the Royal Irish Academy of Music and The College of Music. Do you lean towards the theory or practical side of music?

I'd like to think that I'm practical but I suppose the exposure I've had to theory informs whatever I do. Most of the time it's not a conscious thing, it becomes intuitive. Music has a duality about it because it comes from somewhere between the heart and the head, while the initial starting point might be that moment of inspiration the rest of the process is probably more to do with perspiration.

Q3. You went off to study a B.Mus. in University Cork where you studied with Micheal Ó Suilleabháin. It must have been an amazing experience, tell us about it.

UCC, at that time, was the only course in Ireland that encouraged musicians of all genres and because of that we had the fantastic opportunity to explore African dance drumming, Javanese Gamelan and South Indian Konnakol as well as Jazz, trad and more conventional forms of Art music. This approach really suited me and has had a huge impact on the kind of music I make. Micheál Ó Suilleabháin was the main reason that I went to Cork though and I was really fortunate to have studied composition with him. Apart from being a brilliant pianist, he is also a gifted composer and arranger. His patience and generosity along with his amazing communicative and analytical skills make him an inspirational teacher.

Q4. You embarked on your first solo project Echoing in 1996/97. What was the influence behind its creation?

Before Echoing I worked with Catherine Consindine who was known for her work with Aslan, Mary Coughlin and many other high profile artists. She was one of the most sought after freelancers in Dublin. We went around looking for the right studios and the natural consensus was to go with Pulse College Studios. The influence behind Echoing was Riverdance, which was release about a year after Riverdance came to fruition. The concept was to fuse Irish Music with other elements. Exploring how the whole idea of Sean Nos might work with different musical styles was an exciting challenge from a musical point of view. There was no auto tune to record on, as a result a completely different approach as required to today's music production. Any time you had to edit you had to splice and drop the tape so there was no margin for error but you developed and craft art around it. The advent of protocols opened up endless possibilities and options.

Q5. You wrote, composed and directed Gaelforce Dance, a dance theatre show which opened in New Zealand and toured throughout Australia and Europe. How did the idea behind this project come about?

I worked with a flute player in Dublin called Carol, Ireland being such a small community, I just happened to bump into her in Australia. She was asked to work for the Original GealForce a sophisticated cabaret show. They wanted to transform it into a theatrical show that toured internationally, that's when I was asked to become involved. As a result of my background as a dancer I instinctively knew what they were looking for. My role was to compose, create and finish the orchestral score with only a 5 week turnaround. It was a tight time frame but turned out to be a great success

Q6. Gaelforce played to over 4 million people. What an achievement. How did it feel to have your creation become such an international success?

None of us realised what a success it was going to be because it all happened so fast. We were playing the most prestigious venues from The Royal Albert Hall to Carnegie Hall. When you're standing in such iconic venues when you not only performing on stage but the entire musical score that you composed is being played, you have to pinch yourself. It was important for me to take the time to stand back and appreciate that these are once in a lifetime moments that might not happen again. It's a very surreal.

Q7. You have travelled all over the world with your work are there any places or projects that stand out most in your mind?

On The 2nd of January 2010 I was commissioned to write a violin concerto for the Burren Symphony Orchestra. I got to the opportunity to work closely with Mairead Nesbitt who has an international reputation for her work with Celtic Women" and the "Lord of the Dance". It was an amazing experience to have a full symphony orchestra at my disposal playing my concerto. What made it even more special was that I was just the composer and was not performing. I got to just sit, enjoy and experience firsthand the positive reaction of the audience members to my work. The surroundings were also magical it was in a beautiful concert hall post Christmas and it was black tie, everyone was dressed up, it was a very special night.

Q8. Other high profile projects that you worked on include "Irish Thunder" and "The Land of Sex" and sinners. Tell about your role in these productions.

Irish Thunder was created with Busch Garden's the same corporation who own Budweiser and they have theme parks all over the US. Every 4 years I am commissioned to create a new production showcasing Irish culture. All of which so far has been recorded in Pulse and Windmill Lane Recording. It gave me a great opportunity to work with such great Irish Talent and show off that talent to an international audience. Because of the budget you are not put under such huge time constraints, which means you can experiment with different sounds and arrangements.

The Land of Sex and Sinners was a co commission between RTE and the Australian Film board. It was a 2 hr documentary on the history of the attitudes to sex from the stone age to present time. I wrote the sore for the production and in the end every scene was underscore. What made this a particularly interesting project to work on was that historical time periods had to be referenced in the music, but it still had to have a contemporary feel.

Q9. You were currently Musical director for one on Ireland's most Iconic production Riverdance. What was that experience like?

The great thing about Riverdance is that is that it is so internationally recognized that to say you were a musical director for the production needs no explanation. It is such a global brand that to be associated with it is a perceived mark of quality and it was great fun.

Q10. You currently teach on the Pulse Colleges' degree course. How did this collaboration come about?

Tony Perrey has eyes and ears to the musical ground. He went to great efforts to make sure I was happy in the studio. He very aware of what's happening in the industry as a result he saw that my musical work reflected the theory of my education. He identified an opportunity that I could work with Pulse College Students to help them develop a theoretical and analytical approach to their work. Teaching remains an interesting and exciting challenge.

Q11. What part of teaching do you find the most satisfying?

The energy and enthusiasm that students have, make teaching really rewarding. They are so engaging it's hard not feel inspired.

Q12. You yourself have taken the challenge of going back to college to study modern drama. How have you find life as a student?

I had been working in Theatre as far back as 1998, I went back to college to get more theoretic side of drama. This gave me a greater understanding of theatre production from a director's point of view which really enhanced my work. It was more difficult to go back as mature student thought; you put yourself under huge pressure on yourself. It's tough bur rewarding.

Q13. What are the top tips that you can give Pulse Students who are set to graduate next summer?

Every situation gives you the opportunity to learn something new. I have learnt more from working with people like Debbie Smith for example. She is so experienced and very kind and generous with both her time and talent. Every time students get the opportunity to work with someone likes Debbie it makes you be better at what you do.

Walking into a place like Windmill Lane Recording Studios and working with such talent it inspires you want to create the best work and it's important to always appreciate these moments and experience.

Pulse College: Term in Review

It's been a full term of events, successes and milestones. Pulse College came back to a new college year armed with a set of new dynamic courses in gaming and film. We have had the privilege of being nominated as the City and Guilds Bursary Centre and we have a number of high profile artists using our state of the art facilities. So much has taken place that it is appropriate to show case all the events in "Term in Review".


September:
Launch of Innovative Courses: 2010 saw the launch of new creative courses for Pulse Collage in the areas of Film, Gaming and short courses.

Game Design Game:
Game Design is emerging as an exciting area providing new employment opportunities in Ireland. To cater for this demand Pulse launched its innovative part time and full time Game Development Diploma. The distinguishing aspect of the course is that it is designed to follow the production pipeline from initial concept to delivery. Pulse aims to expose students to all areas of Game Development.

Scriptwriting:
Due to the phenomenal success of the Film Course's screenwriting module, Pulse College saw the need to add a Screen Writing Course to the dynamic course range. This course has been developed with the leadership of award winning writer/producer Farah Abushwesha with the aim to provide you with the tools to bring your script ideas to life.

Short Course:
Pulse College has developed a new dynamic range of new short courses, in the areas of Audio, Film and Gaming. With industry professionals on our lecture panel we aim to give practical, hands on courses designed for beginners / hobbyists, job seekers looking to upskill and professionals looking to retrain. See link attached for full listings www.pulsecollege.eu

Pulse Students to Receive Leonardo Grant:
Pulse College are delighted to announce that they have succeeded in securing funding from the Leonardo European Mobility Scheme 2010. This financial support will be used to give the lucky second year students the opportunity for a fully funded work placement in some of the UK's most prestigious digital media companies.

October:
Pulse Announces Short films to be translated onto the Big Screen:
Pulse College were delighted to announce htat the two film treatments by Mark Symmons and Paul Mahon from the full time Film Diploma course, were chosen to be produced into short films. This is part of Pulse College's ongoing commitment to hands on practical experience on all of their courses.

Rock and Roll Freak Circus Show Party Ends a Fantastic Pulse College Year:
As all Pulse students past and present are well aware, every year the first year students put an event pitch together with a theme and plan for the infamous end of year party. This year the proposals were of such a high standard that we took the decision to amalgamate two themes Rock and Roll Circus and Freak Show. Thanks to the talent, planning and coordination, this year's party was a resounding success. Michael Callaghan took the role of lead organiser ensuring every detail was covered.

Film Students help produce TV Ad for Pulse:
With Pulse College striving to give our students real world work experience, we could not think of a better way to advertise the college and the talent of our students than through an ad that was produced in-house. Our Full Time Film students stepped up to the challenge and took on the mammoth task of putting our Pulse TV ad together, which was aired on Sky, MTV and Comedy Central.

Pulse Student Eabha Hennessy receives City and Guilds Bursary 2010:
Eabha Hennessy was the lucky student nominated to receive the City and Guilds Bursary for 2010. Each year, only eight different countries are selected where the bursaries will be made available and Pulse College is proud to be the chosen centre for Ireland, we are delighted for Eabha.

November:
Pulse College Students join forces with the iconic Dionne Warwick for Peace Day:
Pulse College students were given the amazing opportunity to collaborate with such legendary names in the music industry from the iconic Dionne Warwick to Noel Eccles and Julie Feeney in the making of documentary "A Peace of Music". Grá Mór Phonic Records and Tarmak Films embarked on this epic musical documentary shot in Windmill Lane Studios in support of Peace one day.

Ableton & Novation Live Beats Series - Extra Dates added for Windmill Lane Recording!
Pulse College & Windmill Lane are delighted that Ableton and Novation have extended their "Live Beat Event" to include a date in Windmill Lane Recording Studios. After the success of the original Live Beats Series in Europe in September, Ableton and Novation decided to add 2 extra dates in Ireland one of which was Windmill Lane Recording Studios exclusive for Pulse College Students. Thavius and local Ableton and Novation demonstrators were on hand to answer questions and offer tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your software and hardware.

Windmill Lane Seminars Presents "The Mac as a Digital Audio Workstation":
Pulse College / Windmill Lane Recording Studios are delighted with the success of their first in ongoing series of free informative and interactive seminars hosted in Windmill Lane Recording Studios which took place on the 26th of November. The first seminar was entitled "The Mac as a Digital Audio Workstation" with Apple's chief engineer, Chris Jinks. With it being such a success we hope to have practical hands on workshops and seminars on a regular basis to help keep you up-to-date with all the technical trends and industry techniques.

December:
High profile artists choose the iconic Windmill Lane Recording Studios to record tracks:
We can exclusively reveal that the charismatic pop star Lady Gaga was busy recording for her upcoming album "Born this Way" at the iconic Windmill Lane Recording Studios just hours before she was to go onstage for her O2 Dublin Gig. As Ireland waited in baited breath for what was dubbed the concert of the year, the hard working performer was in Windmill Studio laying down the tracks for her new album. She was not the only celebrity to use the state of the art facilities, Westlife and the Kings of Leon's sound engineer took advantage of our expertise.

Student Success Story Debbie Smith

Debbie Smith is a renowned sound engineer and this month's Pulse College student success story. She has worked with many high profile artists and diverse projects from Carly Smithson and the Hot House Flowers to the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra. Her depth of experience ranges from live theatre and studio sound as well as post production sound as well. In this month's student success story she will tell us how she managed to carve out a hugely successful career.

Q1. You hail from Galway, a county known for producing some great musicians. Did you always have a passion and understanding for music?

Absolutely, from an early age I loved music. I grew up in a house where on any given day you could hear anything from country, trad, rock and a bit of punk thrown in for good measure. Also in the early 90's there was a very vibrant music scene in Galway. There was such a buzz and live music of all genres pretty much everywhere you went. I was really immersed in this scene and probably didn't realise how much so until I joined the Pulse course which really confirmed my passion for music.

Q2. You finished school and went on to study architecture but you decided to follow your passion for music and studied sound engineering. What made you change direction?

Form an early age I always knew I wanted to work in music or at least music would play a major role in my life. Being 17 and living in Galway there were few courses if any available and only a couple of small studios. I went and got some work experience and loved it but there weren't any real career prospects there at the time so my second choice was architecture. During my second year I knew it wasn't for me and decided that I really wouldn't be happy working in any area other than music or sound. I took a year off, did some travelling and when I came home did some research and found out about Pulse. I started the course in 1995 and haven't looked back since. Funnily enough music and architecture seem a little like chalk and cheese. However in the past few years I have worked on some sound design/installations for theatre and I've been 'informed' that Goethe once said that "architecture was frozen music!"

Q3. What aspect of the course did you find the most useful in the real world work environment?

I think equal emphasis being placed on academic and practical learning are key. Applying what you learn as you go is crucial. During the course I was fortunate enough to receive an internship which meant working in the engine room before I'd actually finished college. This was fantastic as what you were learning in class in the morning you were seeing it actually happening in the studio the same day. The theory is there to inform the practical, unfortunately the practical is never predictable and that's where experience comes in.

Q4. How important was having a sound engineering diploma to you when applying for work in the industry?

At the time, there was a crossover phase from the traditional apprenticeship style training and actually having a third level qualification. I think it was important but possibly not crucial. However today it is vital. Technology has evolved so much, without a qualification and good working knowledge of technology and techniques used you simply would not get a look in the door.

Q5. You went on to work with Keystone which resulted in an internship in LA. What was that experience like?

It was amazing. During my time in the engine room I worked with Derek Gleeson who subsequently took over Keystone studios and approached me to be part of the team there. During my time in Keystone I had started to work with small orchestral ensembles and with Screen Training Ireland who in association with UCLA ran a film scoring programme for upcoming TV and film composers. This led to me working with Hollywood veterans Don Ray and Bob Drasnin and in turn led to the internship. Once I got to LA I was hooked. I got the opportunity to visit all the major sound stages and observe numerous sessions. The scale and the quality of these sessions were mind-blowing on every level.

Q6. You worked with some high profile clients from Carly Smithson (American Idol) as well as multi award winning scoring mixer Dennis Sands. It must have been an amazing learning experience, tell us about it.

After my initial internship in LA I returned to Ireland for a brief period. At the time I was working with Carly and she signed a record deal with MCA records in the States. I then went back to LA to work on the album. That really was a great experience as I got to meet and work with some fantastic songwriters and producers including Steve Dorff (Barbara Streisand, Celine Dion) and Rick Nowels (Madonna, Dido). I also got to work with some of the best session musicians in LA. Being in this environment and working with such talent proved to be a huge learning curve and source of inspiration.

Working with Dennis Sands was a great experience. He is such a wonderful and generous man and his credits are legendary. Spending time with Dennis, reaffirmed to me why I became a sound engineer and why clarity, passion, dedication, attention to detail and also an emphasis on interpersonal relationship are so important.

I feel that the time spent in LA has been invaluable to me. The standards and level of professionalism there are second to none and this is something I try to bring to every project regardless of budget or genre.

Q7. You have a lot of experience in post production from Anton (Fox Glove Films), Dvorak - New World Symphony DVD (Dublin Philharmonic), and Winter's End. Is there a completely different skill set needed?

The majority of my experience in post production comes from working on soundtracks including the projects mentioned above. I would say it's an extension of the same skill set rather than a completely different one. However, rather than the complete focus being on the music there are other elements to be taken into consideration e.g. within the soundscape the dialogue must always come first and depending on who is doing the final mix the battle between music and SFX continues! You must understand the relevance of each of these elements to the overall project. You're also dealing with different personalities including directors, producers and composers - so all these opinions have to be incorporated. Ultimately the director's vision prevails, but the input from all other members of the creative team must be taken into account and can sometimes benefit from a bit of mediation! It is important to keep focused on the bigger picture and not get caught up in smaller details or one particular view point.

Having also worked in post production on and off over the years on various TV series for RTE and TG4, I've found the discipline of working in this sector has made me more conscious of efficiency and productivity. The role here is much more technical as opposed to creative, with specific requirements to be met in a given time-frame. There are time restrictions and projects have to be delivered efficiently and to a high standard. You really learn to be disciplined in order to maximise productivity. I certainly know all my Protools shortcuts now!

Q8. What has been the most influential project that you have worked on to date, in terms of career and learning curve?

Each project varies so much and they all have their own challenges and their own unique opportunities. One experience that stands out was my first trip to Bulgaria. I was there recording Don Ray's Piano Concerto and also a new film soundtrack for American composer John Califra at the National Radio Centre in Sofia.

Whilst I had lots of experience at that point, it was the first time I'd taken on projects of this scale... in another country and in another language! Not only was I responsible for the audio recording, I also played a major role in the production. It really instilled in me the importance of being calm and collected: there is so much pressure and money on the line in these sessions and people can get tense and nervous. You really have to be prepared for anything and everything. It's really important to remain focused and confident. The language and cultural differences were also a challenge and certainly brought home to me the importance of having a strong team around you and the necessity for good people skills.

Q9. You do a lot of orchestral and trad work, for example you work with the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra. Tell us a bit more about this.

My role with the DPO is twofold. First and foremost I am their main recording engineer and mixer.

These projects include recording standard classical repertoire, new works by contemporary composers and recording soundtracks. The approach for the classical repertoire is quite different to soundtracks. The balance should be there in the music and the conductor will control the dynamics and balance within the room so really your job is to capture this in the best way possible.

For soundtracks or dance shows the approach is very different, you are generally dealing with prerecorded synths and samples and sections of the orchestra are overdubbed. You are looking for a much cleaner tighter sound, which ultimately gives you much more control and scope for manipulation when you get to your final mix.

My other role with the DPO is overseeing and managing all their tech requirements while on tour. Last year we did a 10 week tour of the States which incorporated 49 venues, all of which had very different equipment and therefore every performance was like the first performance. In July of this year we were in China for 10 days. 2 of the concerts in Beijing were broadcast to approximately 400 million people I believe! My role here was sound supervisor and ensuring that what went live on air maintained the integrity of the performance.

While I really enjoyed this and had a great experience I don't think life on the road or on tour is really for me. I am happiest in the studio, for me it's more creative and rewarding...and sane!

So who knows, the DPO could be looking for a sound engineer to take on the road any time soon and I'm pretty sure the first port of call in that search will be Pulse.

Q10. Has the emphasis on orchestra and trad been a natural progression?

Definitely. Over the years, I have built some great relationships with different composers and artists I've worked with. These relationships are really important, a trust and respect develops and indeed in some cases I would say that we have grown together as these collaborations grow in scale and expectation. When such relationships evolve, our separate roles become more of a shared and larger experience and this has led to me taking on the role of producer.

The use of orchestral colours, textures and traditional instruments in new contexts is something that I have been engaged with particularly in recent years. While there are always challenges, the innovation that is required is exciting and leads to the development of new techniques and approaches.

Due to the nature of this business and budget limitations in recent times, you need to be versatile now more than ever.

Q11. What is the most useful tool that has helped you in your successful career to date?

Having started out on analogue tape and having worked through the crossover into all things digital I feel the training and discipline of those early days has proved vital. Due to the restrictions of the technology back then you were forced to be decisive, creative and resourceful. You did not have the option to hold multiple takes and decide later on the take or "leave it and we'll sort it in the mix".

Whilst the versatility of new technology is amazing it is only as powerful and creative as the person operating it.

Q12. What are the top tips you can give students who are about to embark on a career in the music industry?

I really feel you have to be passionate about working in this industry. Also people skills and diplomacy are extremely important.

Be adaptable, flexible and open to learning. The day you think you know it all is probably the day to call it a day.

Oh and don't forget - keep your sense of humour, there are times when it is really is your best friend!