THREE-time Grammy award-winning producer Mark “Spike” Stent, who has worked with artistes like Madonna, U2, Muse and Oasis, opened the new music recording studio at Wiltshire College Salisbury.

The new facilities provide two live recording rooms alongside a new vocal booth and control room with updated facilities including a new mixing desk, ensuring students can continue to learn both analogue and the latest digital recording techniques.

These changes also mean the college can now offer five rehearsal spaces for students. The facilities are also available several evenings a week for local artistes to hire for rehearsals.

Speaking at the opening, Stent had advice for students looking to break into the music industry: “The great thing now is that there are brilliant facilities like this which students can use, opportunities I didn’t have back in my day,” he said. “They give students the chance to really learn things. Then you have the experience and skills to go to a local studio or even a major studio and can say: ‘I know this and can do that, but I’ll make tea!’”

Student Will Bishop said: “The college has all this fantastic professional equipment we can’t get at home so it is great to have somewhere to go to use it.”

Lecturer in music Colin Holton added: “The new studio is a bigger and better space. Taking advantage of this we have upgraded the recording facilities with a new desk and new outboard gear. We can concentrate on giving learners the best opportunity to start a career in the music industry.”