An unbelievable turn of events when not only one but two Point Blank graduates won their respective Outstanding MAP Award. Big congratulations to Hajar Ejouama on receiving the amazing ‘OM3 Award’ and Wade Williams with the incredible ‘Special Mention Award’. This recognition underscores the exceptional talent and dedication of our students, paving the way for their successful careers in the music industry. Learn more about our Music Management Degree and how you can join our community of award-winning graduates.
‘It feels very good,’ Hajar confessed. ‘A bit surreal and unexpected but it feels really rewarding’. At the age of 21, the singer-songwriter boldly ventured to London to pursue her music career. Quickly realising the need to develop her musical skills, she enrolled in the Foundation Year Course (Level 3) and Music Management Degree (Level 6) at Point Blank Music School — an aspiration she’s had since stepping on London ground.
‘I started performing at gigs at the Stag’s Heads with Phil’s Open Mic; that’s where I started to get familiar with their singing course. Two years later, while scrolling on PB’s website, I came across their degree in music management and decided that it was the right course for me. Now, it’s been four years and I don’t regret it at all.’
On the other hand, Wade came from a Business Development and Management background. In the world of fashion, he managed a social enterprise to help young kids design clothing to put on parties frequented by musical heroes and ambassadors. Not too long after, he designed, developed, and marketed a limited-edition men’s fashion range, gaining valuable experience in starting and running a business.
Despite great success, he passionately pursued the Music Production and Sound Engineering Degree as a transition into the music industry. ‘Point Blank is like any other institution with a difference,’ he explained. ‘They are dedicated to giving you the best tools and current information relative to your craft, surrounding you with everything you could ever need on the course but essentially, it’s about something within you as an individual. What you want to achieve, how serious you are about it, and how focused you can be to work and effectuate that. As a result, my experience was great.’
During their time in Point Blank, their lecturers noticed how dedicated Hajar and Wade performed in their classes. In honour of their work ethic, lecturers Alex Phountzi (Music Production and Sound Engineering Programme Leader) and Daniel Linton (Foundation Year Programme Leader) nominated their students to the UK Music’s Music Academic Partnership (MAP). For those who don’t know, MAP is a collaboration between educational institutions and the membership of UK Music. It is well-known that ‘businesses in today’s modern industry are looking for an extremely qualified and skilled workforce to support music talent.’ The purpose of the partnership is to ensure ‘students are ready for a career in the music industry’ and that they provide ‘links and experiences that will help the employability of the students enrolled in MAP institutions’.
Much to the student’s surprise, they both won this year’s award categories. ‘I feel elated to win’ Wade admitted excitedly. ‘Since leaving Point Blank, I went back through every module that I studied and condensed all my studies into smaller exercise books that could take on the road or abroad. Gives me the greatest pleasure to represent Point Blank’. His lecturer Alex jumped into the conversation and added his two cents. ‘I was delighted to nominate Wade who has been a credit to Point Blank, and an excellent graduate that has developed his career working as a sound recordist’.
Hajar’s lecturer, Daniel, knew that her award was well-earned. With her proactive approach in class, dedication to learning production, and initiative outside of class, she made moves that deserved to be recognised. ‘I am grateful that Daniel has noticed my effort and nominated me’, she admitted. ‘I am still trying to decide where to place it because it’s a fragile award. I want to put it somewhere safe, but I also would like to put it on a shelf in my home where I can see it – remind myself from time to time of something so positive that I have accomplished’.
Since graduating Point Blank, the two graduates successfully pursue their passions. Wade built a fantastic freelance portfolio as a Sound Recordist, working with leading names such as Sonica Studios, Sky TV, Femi Oyeniran, BBC Radio 1Xtra, WeAreUnedited Production Company, Levi’s BHM, and RanaVerse, just to name a few – as he embarks on a new journey onto Netflix movies. Meanwhile, he admitted an album is in the works for the public to hear. ‘When I left Point Blank, I had all this fascinating information which I thought needed to be all within a body of work. As my tutor Sam Willis would say, it’s like cooking a meal. Just need to apply the right amount of seasoning in accordance with the meal that you’re preparing’.
Hajar is currently working for an impressive charity called Queenz Sounds, empowering minority groups like women and LGBTQ artists in the music industry. ‘I oversee the marketing side and currently working on organising their third festival, which will be held in London in October 2024,’ she boasts. ‘I am really excited about this.’ Additionally, she’s been involved in interviewing names such as Tom Fazakerley (CEO of LYVE and co-founder of Sporting Influence), of which Tom shared valuable insights from his 10-year career in the music industry, the advice he received from Simon Cowell, and his memorable encounter with Tina Turner.
To celebrate their success, we asked if they had any advice for the new students of Point Blank.
Wade: Don’t get swamped in the world of plug-ins. Learn the basics to the point that you can craft with stock plug-ins. Anything after that is icing on the cake. Just get fab filters complete pack with the student 50% discount here in Point Blank. You have the best compressor, the best EQ, the best saturator, the best filters, and one of the best reverbs. That’s just my opinion. It’s your journey and each journey is an adventure which carries its own fare so it’s not for anybody to ride on your journey.
Hajar: My advice for new students is to embark on this journey only if they have a passion for music and want to learn and be better because, in all honesty, it can be really challenging at times. Your passion is what will keep you motivated.
Congratulations again to our graduates. We are proud of your accomplishments and cannot wait to see what the future unfolds for you!
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