Molly Clark - performer, music producer, sound engineer and Sheffield Made Musician
Why did you study music?
I just love music and wanted to know as much about it as I could. Being able to absorb myself in learning about music every day was the best!
Why did you study music at the University of Sheffield?
The main thing that excited me about the Music course at Sheffield was the breadth of the modules available. When I started my music degree I had no idea what I wanted to do, just that I loved music! So it was a great opportunity for me to explore different areas of music – composition, performance, tech, ethnomusicology etc.
What career opportunities have you had following your course? What opportunities did you get involved with while at Sheffield?
I joined as many bands as I could and gigged a lot, met a lot of industry professionals and learned that it could actually be possible to get a job in music! Through playing in bands I’ve met in Sheffield I’ve had the opportunity to play at the Leadmill, Sheffield Arena and tour around the UK.
Doing my music degree in Sheffield where there is already a thriving music scene meant I got involved in gigging as soon as I arrived in first year.
I got my first producing job whilst taking a sound recording module in second year, when a musician visited our lecture and asked for someone to produce her music. Through that opportunity I got into doing live sound for gigs around the city and then into producing. Making connections like this in the Sheffield music scene allowed me to become self-employed and have the job that I do now.
How did the course help you with your career and ambitions?
Studying such a varied programme allowed me to explore the different ways that music could actually be a job. My final year project was writing, recording and producing an EP of my music, and that started off my portfolio of recordings that helped me get a job at a recording studio. It was invaluable to have so much time in 3rd year to work on that and hone my production techniques.
