The Launch
Quad-A launched program and the academy on 7th February, 2022 in the presence of students, learning facilitators and implementing partners. It was a watershed moment truly inspiring for all in presence as it is a stepping stone especially for the creative industry and aspiring audio professionals. This is one of the most exciting times in Quad’s history. What began as a series of events quickly became a brainstorming session to redefine audio in this continent. The biggest hurdle we faced? The lack of audio technicians qualified to handle the ever-increasing projects that needed to be handled in a short time span. We knew we had to do something.
The dream and mission is to train the next generation of Audio engineers. Following the completion of a selection phase that begun on 26th November, 10 aspiring audio engineers were selected to attend the 6 months program. They are currently training under our senior team of audio professionals, with the aim of becoming industry professionals.
The Audio engineering program will focus on equipping learners with verse experience in sound design and engineering. Among the partners actively involved are; Afrique Creative, Africalia, AFD, Dolby, Motiv, The Innovation Village.
Expectations
One of the students Andrew Ominipele all the way from Nigeria shared a touching story about his excitement and journey to get to the program. He was excited to hear about the training program as he had not had such opportunity before in his journey as an aspiring audio engineer. ” I was very happy to learn about the opportunity. Although the process of coming to Uganda was not easy and my relatives thought it was a scam, I believed it was a life changing opportunity. I packed my bags and followed my dream.” Students shared their expectations with the facilitators and the reverse.
Over the next six months, the learners will go through internship experiences, mentorship and preparations to handle production. As Professor Gerrhard Roux from Stellenbosch University, South Africa takes the students through a session about audio metering, the room is filled with anticipation, curiosity, and eagerness to learn. It is quite inspirational that we have industry professionals holding hands with us to bridge the skills gap in the audio world. This will enable great production quality in terms of sound for Africa to compete on the global market.
Trained in an ever-evolving field, a Quad-A Academy graduate will have the skill set to excel in this competitive industry. As the first program of its kind in Uganda, Quad-A Academy will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of audio engineering and sound design in the region.
The future
As more multi-media content grows in the region, there is need to grow skills through audio engineering that will meet these needs. Although there has been strides with sound engineering in Africa, many sound engineers are still unable to make impactful sounds mainly because they do not have access to professional skills and high quality equipment.
If given the opportunity, don’t we want to be trained, mentored and recognized as leading experts in our field? The more of us who embrace these opportunities, the more we all progress. These are exciting times for our profession. Get involved!
