Course Details
Foundations in Electronic Sound Production is a 12-week course designed to develop your skills across all facets of electronic sound production – from a deeper understanding of complex forms of synthesis to exploring and gaining hands-on experience with the tools to create and shape your work.
Build creative confidence by expanding and solidifying your craft in electronic sound creation while benefiting from the focus of a solid outcome with a deadline. Each week, a new lesson will cover one of the fundamental areas of sound production combined with the opportunity to apply what you learn to your work, utilising our extensive collection of unique instruments. Benefit from the guidance and support of MESS Staff and your fellow coursemates. Present your work in development and final form to peers and MESS staff.
Who is it for?
Foundations in Electronic Sound Production is a beginner level course for applicants eager to build on their existing knowledge of electronic sound and music creation. Whether you’ve made a few tracks, played with a DAW or have a practice as a musician, this course helps you push your creative work into the electromagnetic realm.
This course is aimed at people with some prior knowledge and skills in sound synthesis and electronic music/sound production. Basic computer skills, some experience using DAW-type software (Digital Audio Workstation) and elementary knowledge of sound synthesis are beneficial.
If you’re unsure if your experience is relevant to the course, please contact school@mess.foundation.
This course is open to participants aged 18+.
Application Process
Course attendance is by application only. We will accept applications until 6:00 pm, Monday, 4th August 2025 (04/08/2025).
This course is limited to 22 places in total. All applications will be assessed against the criteria below. The application is designed to be as easy to complete as possible.
When answering the questions we encourage you to be as thoughtful and concise as you can be. The application includes short written answers and an opportunity to submit some examples of your work. Each section is focussed on the following topics:
- Experience: Tell us about yourself and any experience creating electronic sound/music.
- Interest: Tell us about particular interest areas or goals in electronic sound/music production.
- Benefit: Let us know how the Foundations in Electronic Sound Production course will benefit you.
- Examples: If you have some examples of your work, we’d like to hear them.
Free Places
At MESS, we want to ensure that talent and potential are not limited by financial circumstances. As the cost of living pressures rise, we’ve doubled the number of financial aid places. There are now four places available to applicants who face significant financial hardship. Please see below for details on applying for a free place in this course.
We will accept applications until 6:00 pm (AEDT) on Monday, August 4, 2025. Please note: due to the number of applications we anticipate, we cannot offer feedback on unsuccessful applications. We aim to inform applicants of the outcome within 10 business days.
Class Schedule and Delivery Mode
Each week’s class consists of a 1.5-hour lecture presentation and 2 hours of practical time in the MESS Studio. During the course, participants can also access 12x MESS Studio sessions (1 per week).
Time:
Monday 6:30 pm – 10 pm AEDT
From September 22 until December 8
Class dates:
- September 22 – Where are we coming from?
- September 29 – Understanding Synthesis 1
- October 6 – Understanding Synthesis 2
- October 13 – Effects
- October 20 – Mixing and Arrangement
- October 27 – Mid-course Presentation
- November 3 – Shaping your mix 1: EQ (Equalisation)
- November 10 – Shaping your mix 2: Dynamics (Compression & Limiting)
- November 17 – Working in the stereo field
- November 24 – Finaling
- December 1 – Going beyond the studio
- December 8 – Final presentations
Course Facilitator
Jonnine Nokes (they/them) is an artist and freelance audio engineer working across venues in Naarm (Melbourne). They have mixed and mastered music for local musicians across a wide range of genres. They have designed sound and score for theatre and dance productions, installation work, and web content. They have also worked as a synthesiser and production workshop facilitator for Melbourne Sound School.
Jonnine writes music under their current solo moniker, Horse Pills, and has composed primarily with eurorack modular synthesis for over 10 years. They have played in various electronic ensembles and under several solo guises over the past 15 years. They are currently a member of synthpunk outfit Screensaver, and formerly one half of industrial/synthwave duo Activities of Daily Living.
Jonnine is a co-founder of local record label Tender Collection, devoted to releasing queer/feminist electronic, punk and outsider music.
Location
Presentations and practical course events will occur at MESS:
MESS, The Atrium, Fed Square, Melbourne VIC 3000
Please see Fed Square accessibility documentation here.
If you have any further questions about accessibility, please contact school@mess.foundation.
Ongoing course communication and weekly content will be delivered online via Google Classroom.
Price
The 2025 Foundations in Electronic Sound Production fees are:
MESS members $1,200.00
Non-members $1,450.00
Course fees include GST.
Access and Free Places
Free Places
At MESS, we want to ensure that talent and potential are not limited by financial circumstances. As the cost of living pressures rise, we’ve doubled the number of financial aid places. There are now four places available to applicants who face significant financial hardship.
We consider an applicant to be experiencing financial hardship if their financial situation prevents them from meeting basic living costs and genuinely keeps them from joining this course. Our approach to assessing applications for free places will be guided by principles of empathy, clarity, and trust.
To Apply for a Free Place
There will be a check-box in the application. You will be asked if you are currently on a support payment like Jobseeker or the Disability Support Pension and/or have a Health Care Card. We’ll also provide an opportunity to add further detail, but it is not an expectation.
Free places will be given based on the strength of the application and demonstrated need.
Applicants can choose to be considered for either a free place or a fee-paying place, but not both.
Access
If you have access requirements other than financial, there will be space in the application for you to let us know. We welcome applications from all passionate and driven people. We will approach access with the principles of clarity, transparency and empathy.
Course Dates
September 22 until December 8
Mondays 6:30 pm – 10 pm AEDT
Course Overview
Learn more about the course, prerequisites, requirements and class schedule.
Apply Now
This course is by application only.
Applications close at 6:00 pm, Monday, 4th August 2025.
