Ayrshire College recently welcomed back alumni Ross Kirk, an experienced programmer and audio specialist, who spoke with our HNC Sound Production students across two engaging sessions. Ross shared reflections from his 15-year career in the games industry and explained how the skills he first developed at college continue to influence his work today.
Ross first came to the college to study Level 5 Sound Production, where he soon realised how versatile and transferable those skills could be. His graded units included creating original sound effects, recording voice work and experimenting with early forms of game audio work that, at the time, he never imagined would remain relevant throughout his career.
Those projects later became the foundation of his professional portfolio, something he emphasised as essential for anyone entering the industry.
After completing his college course, Ross progressed to university in Dundee, home to some of the top game development programmes in the UK and Europe. While studying, he worked in a studio and expanded his skills into programming, particularly in audio systems.
Ross attended industry talks and networking events, including sessions with Outplay Entertainment; the studio behind well‑known mobile titles such as Gordon Ramsay Dash and Angry Birds projects. Through these connections, he learned about a job opportunity and successfully secured his first programming role.
He later returned to audio-focused work and has since contributed to a range of projects, including roles at Lloyds and his current position with the Lloyds Banking Group, where he specialises in audio programming.
Ross now works alongside several former students, including a game designer at Rockstar Games Dundee, highlighting the strong pathways available from college to industry.
During his visit, Ross delivered a live demo showcasing:
- How audio features are integrated into coursework and real game projects
- Techniques such as string layering, audio fading, and building music scripts using audio libraries
- A game example where different scores trigger unique audio queues, with “game over” events returning the soundtrack to the main theme
- How Unity is used to build game levels and manage audio behaviour
Ross encouraged students to build a strong portfolio, make the most of graded units, network widely and use the college course as a stepping stone toward university and industry roles.
Patrick Devlin, Curriculum Quality Manager for Music, Sound Production and Performing Arts, said:
It was a pleasure to welcome Ross back to the college to share his experience with our HNC Sound Production students. Hearing how the skills he first developed here have supported a successful 15-year career in the games industry is incredibly inspiring for our learners. Ross’s journey shows just how versatile sound production skills can be, and how the projects students complete at college can become the foundation of a professional portfolio and a pathway into exciting roles across the creative and tech industries.