James Conley

For my university placement part of a module in my final year, I was an audio engineer at Merseyside Dementia Friendly Radio in Liverpool. In this role, I recorded the radio station sessions, micing everything up, ensuring everything sounds clear, recording and doing post-mixing to then have the content posted online. The DAW we use to record and edit in is Ableton Live.

As it is a radio station aimed at being suited for people with dementia, I had to ensure the recordings were of a good sonic quality, where there were no intrusive loud sounds that might bring discomfort and anxiety to someone with dementia. An example of this includes loud fireworks or thunder, which would need editing out.

• At 344 Audio, I got experience assisting with their sound effects library.
• One of the tasks I assisted with was recording sound effects, where I captured board game sounds, recording myself playing Dominoes, Connect4, and playing card games, andrecording all the sounds into Pro Tools.
• As well as recording the sounds, I was also tasked with editing sounds in post, going through the various different takes that were captured, ensuring there is no clipping, pops or distortion, as well as editing the sounds so they are suitable to go into the libraries.
• I also got experience in organising the library, appropriately naming the different sound files within their metadata.

Alongside studying at the university, I have been running and organising events in Liverpool.

I started running these events in March 2025 and have so far done 10 events, with several planned for this current year.

One of the events I am running is at Commune in Liverpool, in which I have been hired as a promoter as part of a festival the venue is putting on.

The style of events I have put on in the past has varied, with some including:

• beanbag ambient meditation events with interactive visual arts alongside.
• An ethereal minimal/dub/ambient techno rave at 24 Kitchen Street, featuring DJ Streaks and Sakers.
• A collaboration with the Mountaineering Society at the University, hosting a DJ night at Arts Bar Hope Street featuring The Pintucos.
• An Indie Folk Night at Commune.

Fever is a global entertainment company that stages classical and contemporary music as well as other creative arts and media events in a candlelit setting. I have worked regularly for Fever in Liverpool and the Northwest.

My role at Fever has provided me with learning opportunities in areas such as teamwork, audience engagement and event logistics and planning.

I completed event management training, training at the venue ‘Band on the Wall’ in Manchester, where I trained as a manager for the show ‘We Call It Jazz’.

Having done this training, I have managed events at St George's Hall being the Enorium in St George's Hall as well as two Fever Candlelight concerts showcasing String Quartet Covers of Hans Zimmer, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay. Both shows had 360 people.

I have also managed two shows at Glaziers Hall for Fever Candlelightin London. Here I managed ‘The Best of The Beatles’ and ‘The Best of Joe Hisaishi’. In both shows there was around 250/300 people.

This role taught me valuable management skills such as planning ahead and being aware of any potential issues that could happen. This role also gave me the skills of taking charge and making overall decisions confidently and working as a leader independently.

I've been working part-time at Invisible Wind Factory in Liverpool, where I work on the bar, typically working hours from 9 pm-5 am. This work includes preparing mixed drinks, pouring beers from taps, and serving canned beers, as well as cleaning up the place once people have left.