Course Studied: BA (Hons) Music (Production with Jazz)
Year of Graduation: 2018
Top Career Highlights:
- My music being licensed for a major Bollywood film - the film was released via PrimeVideo and was the second most watched OTT film in 2022 with over 22.3M views in a month.
- Performing my own original music at India's biggest electronic music festival - Magnetic Fields.
- Designing music for Apple and Levi's campaigns.
Ishaan Gandhi is a music producer, drummer, mix engineer, educator and DJ who graduated from the Music Production & Jazz Performance program in 2018. After graduation, he founded his own end-to-end audio solutions company called 'Loophole Audio', working with advertising and creative branding agencies, brands, filmmakers, experiential designers etc. He has worked with clients such as Apple, Levi's, Vogue, and Chivas.
As a music producer, he produces music under the alias 'Okedo'. His music has been endorsed by industry giants such as Dharma Productions, Universal Worldwide, Redbull and Vice Media and he has performed at some of India's biggest music festivals. Ishaan has also worked in music education, steering projects in qualitative research and specialised curriculum development with organisations such as the International Baccalaureate.
Hello, Ishaan. What motivated you to pursue your chosen course, especially at Leeds Conservatoire?
Leeds Conservatoire was in fact the only college I applied to when I had decided I want to study music. The Music Production with Jazz course was unique in the sense that it combined two of my passions and allowed me to study both. Leeds as a city was very appealing to me as well, given the jazz and electronic movement happening in the city at the time, I knew I wanted to be there.
How did the course help you? What are some of the main things you learned?
As this was my second undergraduate degree, I was actually 23 when I enrolled for the course so I was a lot older than many of the other students. I knew exactly what I wanted to learn which helped me narrow my focus. As an aspiring mix engineer, I was able to focus most of my time learning techniques and skills, experimenting with state of the art facilities and interacting with brilliant faculty.
How did collaborating with diverse artists in a collaborative environment benefit you?
It gave me a very fresh perspective on music and on my own abilities as well. I found myself shifting hats between being a recording engineer, a mix engineer, a DJ, a producer, a recording/session drummer - sometimes all within one day. I absolutely loved it. Music is for me is a lot more fun when done with other people.
What drew you to study in the UK? Were there any specific reasons?
Since I started learning how to play the drums at age 8, I was exposed to music from the UK. When I turned 18, I became specially interested in music that lies at the intersection of acoustic & electronic. Some of my favourite artists working in that sphere of music were from the UK and I knew if there's anywhere I need to study music, it's there.
What were your impressions of Leeds? Did you enjoy your time here?
For international students, it could be hard to adjust to the city at first actually. The accent is very thick and the weather is extremely cold. It takes time to grow on you, it's rough around the edges, but once you embrace the imperfections, you'll grow to love it and realise why its an amazing for any artist to work in. It's a small city so you can get anywhere by foot, you're never too far from the action and you're surrounded by students everywhere. The small community vibe is something I miss now having moved to London.
Looking back on your experience, do you have a favourite memory from your time at Leeds Conservatoire?
Too many to state now, but just making friends for life has been my key highlight and biggest takeaway.
What do you think sets Leeds Conservatoire apart as a choice for international students looking to study in the UK?
The flexibility of the program and the faculty was the deciding factor for me.
