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Hard work and dedication is paying off for alumnus Dom Liu.
Since graduating from ACM’s Music Production Degree in 2013, Dom has been working tirelessly at Metrophonic Production Studios forging a career for himself, even expanding in to the realms of songwriting. In turn this led to co-writing Cry with Sigma and Take That… Not bad right! We caught up with Dom to tell us all about it.
What course did you study & year of graduation?
I studied Music Production Degree graduating in 2013
Why did you want to work in the music industry?
I grew up playing in various bands or different genres but was always interested in recording the demos and learning how to produce to a better standard. I’d heard about ACM in 6th form, and when I came for an open day I was sure it was the best place for me. The facilities were amazing and the opportunity to record all the musicians there was a real draw.
Tell us about what you’ve been involved with since leaving ACM?
During my time at ACM I worked 5 days a week at Metrophonic Production Studios in Surrey, and have since become a full time member of staff. I started mainly on the production side of things, helping engineer and produce records for Little Mix,Boyzone, Blue, James Arthur, The Vamps among others. However after a year I became interested in songwriting, so began sessions with other songwriters and artists.
You’ve recently released a track with Take That and Sigma, how did the co-write come about?
The song was originally written about a year ago by myself and songwriters – Sean Mac and Chiara Hunter. We pitched it to several acts and did loads of different versions but whilst many A&Rs liked it, getting it cut was proving difficult. We pitched it to Gary Barlow and he loved to song but he felt Take That might confuse their audience a little if they brought out a Pop/Dnb track, so they contacted Sigma who were really up for the collaboration. Both Sigma and Take That had some tweaks they wanted to make to the song so we spent a few days in the studio working it all up. It was a great experience meeting and working with both acts!
What’s next for you?
Hopefully following up this release with more cuts. I’ll be getting back into studio shortly with Sigma, and will be continuing to do more sessions as well as production gigs on the side.
How did your course prepare you for life in the music business world?
The business tuition Ewan Grant gave was very important, there are many hazards in songwriting with sampling issues, publishing contracts etc. and it’s essential to have a knowledge about it to survive.
Do you have any advice for those looking to get in to industry?
I met with the ACM Industry Link team in my first week at ACM and said I wanted to try get some work experience in the pop industry. A few weeks later they found me some with Metrophonic. I worked hard there, learned how the company worked and made myself as useful as possible. Because of this they took me on full time, so I suppose the advice I would give is try to put your all into any opportunities you have.
ACM would like to thank Dom for taking the time out of his busy schedule to chat with us. We wish him all the best in his career. Follow in Dom’s footsteps by booking on to an ACM Campus Tour.
