Situated in the beautiful city of Ottawa, Algonquin College is home to more than 16,000 full- time and close to 40,000 continuing education students. In this issue, Connexions speaks with Lou Di-Millo,Co-Ordinator for the Pre-Music Production Program at Algonquin College.

Connexions: You offer a wide variety of courses at the college, but just what do graduates from your course go on to do?

Lou Di-Millo: This one-year certificate program is designed for students with little or no music experience who have an interest in the music industry. Students are provided with the opportunity to gain knowledge of the music industry before investing in a diploma or degree. Students receive an introduction to recording, marketing / promotions, production, history of music, entertainment law, Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI), and mixing.

This program is useful for individuals who want to experience college delivery of course material, who want a starting point to pursue a career in music, or who are looking to build a music portfolio for entrance into a diploma or degree program.

Con: Do you offer placement assistance?

LDM: With Ottawa being the nation's capital and having a small, close-knit music scene, we are able to introduce the students to some of the more "involved players" locally. Students have been able to get hands-on practical experience at a variety of events throughout the city, including Canada Day festivities, Italian Week, Cisco Systems Bluesfest and more. The students are also given an opportunity to do a one-day co-op with the Vans Warped Tour in the summer.

Con: How does SOCAN fit into your curriculum?

LDM: SOCAN fits into the curriculum in many ways, especially in the Music Industry Overview course. With the students being novices to the industry, it is imperative that they are able to identify all the possible revenue streams within the industry. Some students are wanting to of course be rock stars, some producers, some managers, agents or label representatives. They must understand how performance royalites work and where the money comes from. It is always an incredible experience to have SOCAN reps visit the class and see the students "light up" once they start to understand all the royalty revenue that is possible to them.