Spring break trip to London tunes up inspiration for music students and professors

The long and winding road for 24 students in the commercial music and music industry programs at Purdue University Fort Wayne included a magical mystery tour of London over spring break.

Along with four faculty members from the School of Music, students explored the artistic and social culture of a city that laid the foundation for music recording and production. Along with sitting in on lectures at The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, and experiencing a concert at the legendary Royal Albert Hall, there was also a visit to Abbey Road Studios, where some of the greatest songs of all time have been recorded, particularly by The Beatles.

“I’ve found that with a lot of students here, they might feel a little stuck in Fort Wayne and the surrounding region, whether they are looking for jobs, or internships, or what to do after graduation,” said John Buteyn, clinical assistant professor of music; director of popular music, music industry, and music technology programs; and director of Gold Top Music Group. “There are great opportunities in Fort Wayne, but there’s a load of other opportunities out there, and a lot of our students haven’t had the chance to have an international experience like this before.

“I knew it would be an amazing opportunity to immerse students into the culture and see that there are all of these opportunities.”

And the ideas were flying so fast, students struggled to write them down. Senior Marten Slager said he couldn’t wait to return to PFW’s Sweetwater Music Center to try some new recording ideas.

“I got an adventure,” Slager said. “It was my first time out of the country, and I have not been out of Indiana much in my life, so this was a chance to see something completely different and to meet people [from a different continent] who were interested in similar concepts, businesses, and music. I was able to take the whole week where it was just experience after experience, but also very fun.”

Slager said he’s reassessing his plans after commencement in May, saying the trip gave him a new drive to find his next steps.

Freshmen Hailee Richmond and Ella Yates were so inspired they wrote a song and then recorded it the next day in London.

“We said the rest of the trip how we needed to get back and work on this because it’s a good song,” Richmond said. “It can be a lot better than it is now.”

Buteyn said he hopes to make program travel an annual event, alternating domestic and international trips. Faculty members Jason Lundgren, clinical assistant professor of music industry, Ryan Tilby, clinical assistant professor of music recording and technology, and Ronan Armstrong, B.S. ’22, visiting clinical assistant professor in music recording, brainstormed ideas throughout.

One of Tilby’s highlights was attending an Abbey Road Institute master class with students. When hearing instructors mention something familiar, students often turned with knowing smiles to their PFW instructors.

“They looked at us like we knew what we were talking about because 80 to 90 percent of what they were hearing, they had already heard from us,” Tilby said. “This is why we travel, why we network. They walked out of that room with some validation that what they are already investing their money and time in here is going well. It’s just another reference point where they can put context and perspective on what is happening in Fort Wayne against an international backdrop.”

And the overlap to what they are learning in Fort Wayne was eye-opening.

"OK, they are on the other side of the world, but a lot of the things we do are not so different," Lundgren said. "It broadens everyone’s perspective, and you come back a little different.”

Another one of the trip highlights was attending the Massed Bands of His Royal Majesty’s Royal Marines concert at Royal Albert Hall on March 4. The thrilling part for Marten was seeing Nicko McBrain, drummer for his favorite band Iron Maiden, join in after intermission. In a moment of serendipity to finish the trip, Marten recognized McBrain’s drum kit as it was being set up.

“It was the perfect example of what we’re trying to do here in this program," Tilby said, "to watch everything come together to make something everyone can enjoy.”

The experiences included more than the itinerary, expanding options, ideas, and motivations for PFW students and faculty.

“There was growth in knowledge and experience and understanding of culture,” Buteyn said, “along with a lot of inspiration and excitement from students, which is the best thing we could have hoped for.”

As Lundgren said, “I don’t think anybody walked away from this trip not really excited about what had happened.”