Studying Performing Arts

I left CCS in 2016 and have just finished my second year at The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA). LIPA is unlike other performing arts schools as it caters for all performing professions, meaning you will leave the school with all the contacts you could need for a successful career.

I am on the BA (Hons) Music (Songwriting & Production) course. As a LIPA student, I have access industry-standard recording studios, musical instruments, DAW suites, practice rooms and performance facilities 24/7. My lecturers have all had/still have successful careers in the music industry, and each week they bring in professionals for masterclasses. In my first year we had lectures from, Gary Barlow, Stephen Fry and Rowan Atkinson, to name but a few.

In a typical week, I would expect to be in the LIPA building for at least six hours every day as when I am not in lectures and seminars, I have songwriting sessions, band rehearsals, recording sessions and performances. There is also ‘The LIPA bar’… And you can almost guarantee that every evening someone from LIPA will be putting on a gig, piece of theatre or a dance show somewhere in Liverpool.

Although it can be hard work and tiring, I absolutely love my course, and I hope to earn a living from music in the future. I have recently just released my very first single, 'Be Someone'. Over lockdown I have been doing a lot of songwriting purely because there’s not much else to do. I wrote this particular song near the start of lockdown and it’s about being in a new relationship. The songwriting itself only took a couple of days however the recording process and the production took longer as I had to ask other musicians to record themselves at home and email me their parts so I could put it all together. It was a fun and enlightening process. The song is available to download and stream on platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music. Here is the link: https://ditto.fm/be-someone-libby-akerman.

To support the single, I thought it would be lovely to make a video featuring my friends and loved ones, so I put a post on my social media asking people to send me clips. The film was put together by another former CCS student, Flavia Kropf. You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/gtAA-K2tfGA.

Everyone at CCS wishes Libby great success in her musical career, and hopefully, we will see her perform at the Performing Arts Centre (PAC) - coming soon to CCS. Please click here to find out more.