Rockpool Podcasts celebrates release of 100th episode
An Ayrshire College podcast created by Music, Performance and Sound Production lecturer John McBlain has this week published its 100th episode on Spotify.
Rockpool Podcasts is named after the college's state-of-the-art recording and rehearsal facilities at its Ayr Campus - Rockpool Studios.
The podcast was an idea born out of lockdown to give Music and Sound Production students a creative outlet in which to showcase their talents during their time at college. It was also a project the students could work on in a blended learning environment.
Since the first episode in November 2020, the podcast has exploded into something much bigger than just that initial remit. While it is now embedded within the curriculum, it has also established its own community and shone the spotlight on many interesting topics inside and outside the music industry.
While most of the podcast episodes are music-related, the podcast has also recorded special episodes dealing with important subjects such as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), LGBT+, mental health, and racism.
John McBlain, Ayrshire College’s Equality and Inclusion Advisor Sara Turkington, and HNC Music student Joe Smith are the main hosts of Rockpool Podcasts. However, students from each course within the Music and Sound Production curriculum, from NPA Sound Production - made up of secondary schools across Ayrshire studying on a School-College partnership programme – through to HND Music, have all had a go at writing, recording, editing, and publishing an episode.
Recently, the podcast handed the reins over to Ayrshire College’s record label, Sun Turtle Records, for a five-part takeover to introduce their latest releases.
Other departments at the College have also got involved with the variety podcast, including Early Years, who recorded PEEP sessions for parents, Sport & Fitness to talk about their award-winning #PassingPositivity campaign, and Humanities for a special episode on their #SocietyMatters campaign.
Ayrshire College staff have also made appearances on the podcast to talk about their roles and to reveal their musical tastes. Guests have included Ayrshire College Principal Carol Turnbull and Vice Principal Anne Campbell.
Special guests external to the College have featured too, including co-leader of the Scottish Green Party Patrick Harvie MSP, Michelin Star chefs Tom Kerridge and Stephen McLaughlin, CEO of the charity EmilyTest, Fiona Drouet MBE, and RuPaul’s Drag Race star Divina De Campo.
Podcast host John McBlain was recently named FE College Enterprise Educator of the Year at the 2021 Bridge 2 Business Awards, largely because of his work with Rockpool Podcasts.
The 100th episode sees the three podcast hosts catch up over Zoom for the last time before the summer break to chat about podcasting over the past eight months, the evolution of the podcast, their highlights and much more.
John McBlain, Music, Performance and Sound Production lecturer at Ayrshire College, said: “We would like to extend a huge thank you to every single person who has spent time with us on the podcast, to every student who has recorded and produced an episode, to the people who have collaborated with us and to everyone who has listened, shared, championed and supported Rockpool Podcasts.”
1 July 2021
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