As the year’s final term begins to wind down, ACM Diploma students enjoy a week of enrichment to get one last chance to create before they leave for the winter break. Their task? To cover one of the most famous Christmas songs ever written, John Lennon’s ‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’. The decision behind the chosen track was to mark the 28 years since the musician’s death, and the 100 years since World War 1 ended; after all, Christmas is a time to reflect on previous years and remember the people who are no longer with us.
The song was recorded in our new flagship studio; a cutting-edge facility that’s built in the image of ACM’s biggest partner, Metropolis Studios. We believe supplying our students with the best possible equipment, governed by our world-class teaching faculty, aids learners with the greatest tools for success.
Here at ACM we see great value in our philosophy of “learning by doing”, allowing students the creative freedom to establish their sound, learning collectively through their peers and collaborative tasks. A variety of music courses contributed to the overall creation of the project, from business to performance students, ACM’ers gathered to film, market, produce and perform the piece, with help of tutors Adam Pain and Rebecca Morton.
The final recording of the track was played on Eagle Radio, and is now available on Youtube. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Listening!
“As good as the curriculum is, (and we are planning to make it even better), it is important for students to be given the chance to work independently and focus on areas of musicianship and industry that aren’t always offered to them as part of their core study. It is also great for them to be able to network with other pathways and year groups. I think that Enrichment Week has really given focus to the second year students, and widened their ambitions and perceivable options for their upcoming Final Major Project. So the inclusion of Enrichment Week should go a long way to inspiring them to create some amazing projects and to enable them to feel confident to push themselves out of their comfort zones and achieve their potential.”
Rebecca Morton
“The second year work on Happy Xmas (War Is Over) was fantastic, as the project was ambitious and required the cohort to pull together and create something cohesive. They rose to the challenge, with students taking responsibility for every aspect – the performance, arrangement, production, mix, master, music video and promotional activity was all coordinated by the students themselves. I am very proud to see the work come together and to witness new friendships, creative relationships and working groups forming and hope it sets a precedent we can build upon in the future.”
Adam Pain
