" October 2, 2009 -- Nepean.com
Music production students learn the biz from the pros
Beatles' sister shares insight with Algonquin College (Canada) students
When Ruth McCartney was growing up, her step-brother Paul McCartney and Beatles bandmate John Lennon, would sweep in to the house for visits that included hundreds of drunk groupies.
"Paul was travelling a lot, but when he was in the UK, he would come home every weekend," Ruth says.
Ruth's mother, Angie, never was one to let fame get to her. She always made Lennon bring his own dishes to the sink after dinner and wouldn't let him put his feet up on the coffee table.
She also made Jimi Hendrix have a shower when he came to visit after a month on the road, in one memorable incident.
These were just a few of the stories that Ruth shared with Algonquin College's music production students during a Skyping session, which is a live Internet video conversation.
Students were able to ask questions of Ruth, who is a singer/songwriter, producer and CEO of McCartney Multimedia. Her company co-ordinates the online presence of many music stars with iFanz, a fan club management program.
Ruth is just one of a series of speakers who the students will get to hear this fall including: Stuart Epps, who produced Led Zeppelin; Paul Rosenberg, who manages Eminem; and Terry McBride, Sarah McLachlan's manager.
"I'm hoping the students get insight into the industry," says Lou Di Millo, Algonquin's pre-music production program co-ordinator. "When they get it from the horse's mouth, it goes a lot further than it does from us. Just having a name like McCartney, people tend to listen."
Professor Mike Wood says the Skyping sessions are a great networking opportunity for the students "
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