Frequently Asked Questions
Click on the categories to display a group of frequently asked questions.
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LSS: opening times, maps, accommodation, open days, brochures...
LSS ?
London School of Sound.
Whether you are a composer, a performer, a producer, a DJ, or you work in television, web-design, video games or any other branch of the entertainment industry, Sound is an essential part of your life.
For anything creative London is the place to be: we are in central London, within minutes of some of the most vibrant clubs, bars, shops, art galleries, markets etc.
Opening Times
Our office is open Monday to Friday from 10.30 to 18.30 GMT.
The school and studio opening times vary depending on the lectures, there is normally some activity 7days a week from 10.30 until 22.30, although telephone calls will probably not be answered outside office hours.
Answering Machine, Emails, etc.
EMAIL: The best way to contact us and to receive a prompt reply is via email. If we haven't replied within 24 hours chances are that we never got your email (spam filters, internet problems..), so please try again.
INFO FORM: You can also use our Info Request form, which will automatically generate an email - perfect for when you can't use your email account.
ANSWERING MACHINE: If you call outside office hours (Monday to Friday 10.30 to 18.30) you will probably find an answering machine. Either we don't hear the phone when it rings or we can't stop what we are doing: please be patient and leave a message, and we will call you back. Promise.
Can I get a brochure / prospectus of your school ?
All the information you need is on this website or can be obtained by calling our office at +44 (0)20 7720 6183.
If you still require printed details we will be happy to arrange a personalised information pack.
When is the next Open Day ?
You don't need an Open Day to visit our school and studio: call 020 7720 6183 or email to arrange a time that suits you.
Enrolling: course dates, funding, payment options...
When is the next course starting? How long do I need to wait if I miss this one?
It depends on the availability of the next classes. If you want to start as soon as possible we will try to arrange additional sessions to integrate you in the first available course, even if it's already started.
Our philosophy is that the course has to fit the student, not the other way round, and this apply both to the content of the lectures and to the course times. However keep in mind that due to the extremely small size of our classes we run out of places very fast, so try to book as early as possible.
Can I pay in installments? What other options are available for funding my studies?
Check this link: http://www.londonschoolofsound.co.uk/funding.php
Privacy & Hype
Have you thought to anyone famous?
Read the next answer
I'd like to learn but I'd rather avoid the publicity, can you guarantee my privacy?
Yes, if you have a public image to safeguard, or any other privacy issue, you will find that we will deal with it in the most professional manner: it is not our policy to advertise our courses naming all the "celebrities" we've been working with. Additionally we can arrange one-to-one training and exclusive access to the school if this is required.
Certification
What kind of certification do you provide?
Foundation and Diploma Certificates are granted solely by London School of Sound, on the grounds of the reputation that the school has built as one of the most respected private colleges around the world.
Existing accreditation bodies often have little real value with respect to music production. In contrast, we develop our curriculum and certification system to reflect the skills actually needed in the creative industries and in the music industry in particular. While this means that our accreditation system guarantees a higher level of practical knowledge than any academic course, it also means that it cannot be considered equivalent to any type of formal qualification in the UK or abroad, so credits gained from our courses cannot be used towards a degree, nor can they be used as an equivalent to GCSE, A Level or University Degree.
As an Apple Authorized Training Centre we award certificates on behalf of Apple, limited to the Pro Apps Training Programme. These are accepted and recognised by every other Apple Training Centre in the world.
Foreign students: VISA, speaking English, additional support
Student VISA for non-European students
See INFORMATION FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS
English is not my first language, I can understand a little but I am worried that I would be too slow to follow your class
You can be as slow as you like, it's our job to make sure you learn everything.
Obviously a minimum understanding of english is necessary, but the only thing that is absolutely required is your total commitment to the course: if you are serious about music technology you will find that learning is easy.
Do you provide accommodation?
Unfortunately not. If you come for one of our short courses (up to a week) we can help you find a hotel accommodation in central London at a discounted rate; If you need a longer period of time it would be better to find a shared flat or something to rent: your best chance is with www.moveflat.com - free and with new ads every hour. More links are available at our links page.
How can I choose between so many schools? Why the LSS?
Choosing the right school:
The choice you make is going to have consequences on the rest of your life: this is true for everything but particularly when it comes to choose who you learn from, and if you are going to invest a significant amount of time to study.
As you are now comparing different options and shopping around for the best school we have some advice to help you make the right choice.
- Meet the teachers: do they know their stuff, and how good are they at explaining clearly?
- How many people per class? There would be little point in having great teachers if you never get their attention. And teaching to a large class changes the way you teach, making it impossible to create exercises specific to every student.
- Will you have a dedicated workstation? Sometimes you will find advertised very small classes, but having one computer to share between two or three students means having to queue for your chance to try what you have been learning. Would you be ok with that?
- How good is the equipment, and how good is the maintenance? It's no good to have great equipment if it's always broken, or if the software installed is not the latest version. Ask some of the current students about the real state of the equipment.
- How much the teacher understands the style of music you want to produce?
- What is the reputation of the school? Will you be ashamed or proud to tell people that you studied there?
- Practical time and access to the studio: are you getting real skills or you are just paying for 'unlimited' access to a room that looks like a studio? If the main reason you choose a school is because you will have 'free' time in a recording studio you might save yourself some money and just hire a real commercial studio: not only it would be cheaper but you would have sessions long enough to do some work and qualified personnel always available to assist you.
Full-time students at the London School of Sound get plenty of practical time using the school's facilities, but our main priority is to develop your skills outside the studio. Your ability to produce at a professional level shouldn't depend on a big mixer. - Some schools try to add value to their courses with 'gifts'. Free laptops anyone? Or "apply for a course and win an iPod"? Is this a joke? Music Business lesson number one, nothing is free. You are paying for your 'freebie', and you don't even get to choose the colour. Wouldn't you prefer to buy your own equipment with the money they are clearly overcharging on the real value of the course?
- Actual value for money: you might be tempted to choose quantity over quality, or compare prices of courses that appear to have similar length. While money can be spent and made again, time won't come back and you need to invest it wisely. You can learn much more in six weeks with the right teachers in a small class than in one year of uninspired lectures. You can save money on the equipment, not on yourself, because good equipment with poor knowledge is worth nothing. If a long course is too much of a commitment now, choose a short intensive programme, or even just a day of one-to-one session, and get yourself started with the best school you can afford.
Distant learning, online courses
Do you provide online courses?
Not at the moment
