Whether you’re producing your first track or refining your sound, we’re bringing a full lineup of online workshops, challenges, and masterclasses designed to help you power up your skills. From live mixing sessions and fun composition challenges to theory refreshers, it’s all about building your skills, connecting with experts, and creating without limits. All sessions are open to every student, no matter your level or course just log in, join, and get involved.
Sample Challenge
3 November| 20:00 GMT
Join our expert lecturers John Davies and Michael Denny for this term’s Sample Challenge: a fast-paced creative session where you get one hour to completely flip a sample. It’s a bit like Andrew Huang’s 4 Producers 1 Sample meets Fact Magazine’s Against The Clock. You can chop, loop, reverse, granulate, mangle, or even turn the sample into an instrument; any genre, any style, no limits.
The sample drops at 8pm (London time), and you’ll have until 9pm to create your track idea. Then we’ll all listen to what everyone came up with. If you’re feeling brave, try the SENSEI CHALLENGE, where you’ll have to build your whole track using only the sample. No extra instruments, vocals, or sounds; just pure creativity. Book your place here.
Audio For Games Workshop
5 November| 20:00 GMT
This one is all about interactive audio – the kind of music and sound that reacts to what’s happening in-game instead of just looping in the background. You’ll learn the basics of FMOD (a middleware tool that works a bit like a DAW for games), explore how non-linear/interactive audio is built, and start turning your own music into something dynamic and adaptive. It’s perfect if you’re planning to study Audio for Games, or if you’re just into games, VR or interactive media in general. The session is led by Rory Walker, an interactive sound designer focused on spatial audio and immersive VR, whose recent work includes creating all the sound and music for Headspace on Meta Quest. Book your place here.
Music Theory Workshop
10 November| 20:00
Join our John Davies for a relaxed, hands-on session that breaks down the fundamentals of music theory: harmony, notes, scales, keys, chords, accidentals, and the circle of fifths. Ideal for anyone studying composition, especially Level 4 students, this workshop offers live examples, open discussion, and plenty of time for questions.
John is a classically trained composer and producer with over a decade of experience across pop, electronic, and film/TV music. Book your place here.
Music Composition Challenge
11 November| 20:00 GMT
Hosted again by our expert lecturers John Davies and Michael Denny, this term’s Composition Challenge is all about sparking creativity. You’ll be given some inspirational material and starting points, and from there you’ll build your track. Any style, any genre, any direction. You’ve got one hour to turn that spark into a 16-bar track idea. We’ll all share what we’ve made at the end, so it’s a great chance to connect, get inspired, and hear how differently everyone approaches the same brief. Book your place here.
Advanced Music Theory Workshop
17 November| 20:00 GMT
This is for Level 5 and 6 students studying advanced composition and related modules, and it’s about using theory creatively at a higher level. You’ll look at how chords and scales relate, how rhythm and harmony interact, and how to use chromaticism in a musical way; not just as “fancy notes.” You’ll fill out a short questionnaire beforehand so the workshop can target what you actually need. You’ll talk, troubleshoot ideas, and do short individual activities live in the session using your DAW. The workshop is led by Peter Wareham, who brings 30+ years’ experience across jazz, contemporary, classical, rock and pop, plus a long track record of higher education teaching. Book your spot here.
Academic Writing Workshop
20 November| 20:00 GMT
Sharpen your academic writing with this practical session on paraphrasing, structure, style, and organisation. You’ll cover the full writing process, from reading and referencing to polishing your academic tone. Open to students of all levels, the workshop includes interactive activities, discussion, and a short quiz to strengthen your skills.
Led by Venetia Tzanni, an experienced academic writing specialist who has supported diverse higher education students in developing clear, confident writing. Book your place here.
Mixing Demonstration Sessions with Jacques Jenkins
Join Jacques Jenkins, Art of Mixing lecturer, for a live online session demonstrating real-world industry mixing techniques. He’ll mix a student’s track in real time, sharing creative approaches, workflow tips, and ideas you can apply directly to your own productions. You’ll gain practical insight into how professionals shape balance, space, and tone in a mix, with opportunities to ask questions throughout.
The workshop is open to all students. Whether you’re new to mixing or looking to refine your craft, this is a chance to learn from an experienced industry expert and hear how your peers’ music is transformed in the mix. You can submit your song and book your place here.
With so many opportunities to learn and collaborate, now’s the time to make the most of your student life here at pointblank, where we’re all about powering up your music career. If events like these inspire you, take it further with our online degree courses featuring world-class teaching, a global community, and endless creative opportunities right at your fingertips. Learn, collaborate, and grow; wherever you are.
Inspired?
Thanks to the dedication of our industry expert instructors, pointblank has earned a prestigious Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), placing us among the very best institutions. Whether you’re passionate about DJing, music production, sound engineering, vocal performance, software engineering, radio, or songwriting, pointblank offers degrees or short courses in London, LA, Ibiza, and Online. No matter your location or aspirations, we are here to help make your dreams a reality.
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