Eric Joseph, MD of Mediaspec, explains why investing in the ambitions of sound technology students is a key part of how the company operates.
When I first started out in music I was recording piano with a Shure microphone, and layering Yamaha synthesizer sounds with a Foster 4-track and a Copycat reverb machine in my parents’ home. Money for new equipment was always tight, while ambitions were always high. When I become MD of Mediaspec I never quite forgot what it was like to be young and keen to create – but lacking in knowledge and funds.
Education discount scheme
Educational establishments have been important customers of Mediaspec’s from the company’s very early days over 20 years ago.
As website technology developed, so did the opportunities to give audio technology students a helping hand. So was born the Student Discount Scheme in 2012, managed through the e-commerce component of our website.
And it’s not just students who benefit. Education discounts are available to educational staff also – in fact, anyone who’s currently attending an educational establishment in the UK can register through the website and take advantage of the scheme.
That helps to ease the financial issue for students. As for the issue of needing to increase knowledge, colleges do that very well indeed, but also students get to take advantage of the unrivalled technical support that Mediaspec provides to all its customers.
So, students win. But also Mediaspec wins because we’re proud of the financial and technical support that we provide to help grow careers.
Student prizes
I’m not sure how Mediaspec first got involved with providing prizes to students through educational establishments. However it started, it has grown year on year. We now provide annual prizes to educational establishments such as the SSR music schools in London and Manchester, University of Stirling, Glasgow Caledonian University, University of West of Scotland and the Glasgow School of Art. The schools themselves work out the prize-winners and the process for deciding who will get the prizes, for me I get the really pleasurable part of handing them out on stage, shaking hands and seeing the look of pride and satisfaction on the student faces.
Building relationships
The other side of aiding young people further their music and audio ambitions is that we get to see them grow up, realise their dreams, and while still keeping them as customers. One of the beautiful things about Mediaspec, is that we’ve set ourselves up in such a way that customers usually stay customers. And, of course, as time progresses, we usually end up learning a great deal from them. In fact, investing in students is a lot like having kids of our own. And seeing them grow up gives us great pleasure. And long will it continue!
Visit the educational discount section of our website.
