WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY at Blue Whale NCFE Music Technology Training Centre

It is with great pleasure that I write this letter of recommendation for Ben Hayes. I have known him in both a work and personal capacity for nearly 10 years. Ben has always displayed a high degree of integrity, responsibility, and ambition. He is definitely a leader rather than a follower, and in addition to his excellent business accomplishments, he has proven his leadership and organisational abilities by setting up and running a host of training courses, workshops and studio sessions for a wide range of groups and individuals, including both adults and young people.

We recently invited Ben to tender for some educational training work with my creative training organisation West Midlands Creative Alliance, and I was delighted when Blue Whale Training was selected to write and deliver both our Level 1 and Level 2 Music Technology and Contemporary Music programmes, accredited by NCFE. In my experience Ben has also proven to be a most dependable team player. His good judgement and mature outlook ensure a logical and practical approach to all his endeavours. Ben would be an asset to any organisation, and I am happy to give him my wholehearted endorsement.

Annie Laughrin
Project Manager
West Midlands Creative Alliance


Ben Hayes at Blue Whale Studios has been working with young people, through music technology projects, courses and events for over ten years. His work is always of the highest standard and he enables young people to develop their skills, knowledge and talents. Ben is extremely patient and has excellent communication skills; he is able to work with a wide range of young people to enable them to get the most out of their experience. This includes young people not attending school through Pupil Connect, as well as young people doing GCSEs and A Levels.

Blue Whale Studios is an excellent facility for young people to have hands-on experience of working in a studio environment and learning for real. It also offers an opportunity for young performers and bands to record their music in a supportive environment.

Ben is a key partner of Birmingham's Soundcity, which works with all our secondary schools through our Gifted and Talented programme to identify and showcase a diversity of talented musicians. Along with the CBSO, Birmingham's Music Service and Arts Education, Blue Whale supports the identification of talented young people for an annual City Showcase, now in its eight year. At this Showcase Blue Whale manages all the sound technicals, live recording, and mentors young people as technicians and stage managers. Blue Whale also coordinates all the sound and film recording to produce a CD and DV D which is distributed to the young people involved, as well as to every secondary school in Birmingham and to VIPs.

I highly recommend Ben, and his team at Blue Whale Studios, and we value his contribution to the development of young people's skills in music technology.

Pepita Hanna
Head of Arts Education
Birmingham City Council

Ben Hayes and the Blue Whale Studio have provided fantastic support and assistance over the last few years. Ben has taught me everything I know about music technology through regular contact, both at school and in Blue Whale Studio, development and writing schemes of work for all the music curriculum at school, providing training for teachers, allowing both myself and pipils the opportunity to work in a professional environment, through consultation resourcing the school with up to date music computer systems and software, and even writing our recording studio build proposal.

Leah Hobbs
Lead Professional in Music
Lordword Girls' School
Birmingham

Sound It Out has a long association with Ben at Blue Whale Studios. Ben is a skilled technician/recording engineer and an excellent trainer and workshop facilitator. Whether delivering in-house staff training or working with a range of community groups, Ben is always engaging, focussing very much on balancing hands-on practical understanding with theoretical knowledge. He seems to have a natural ability to pitch information at an appropriate level and, even with some quite challenging groups of young people, has always established an excellent rapport with trainees.

Liz Ralls
Programme Manager
Sound It Out Community Music