George Lauder Bursary - Week 7

The end of classes — and the start of some genuine free time!

I won’t lie — I’m really starting to feel myself settle in here. New York has completely taken my breath away, and I’m getting the feeling I don’t want to leave — quite a change from a few weeks ago. But for now, let’s focus on what I’ve been up to.

Monday 21st July

We’ve reached the penultimate ETR II class. Hard to believe my studies at the Clive Davis Institute are already coming to an end. We didn’t cover any new material today; instead, we focused on revising the quizzes from the last couple of weeks. We went through every question, discussing the answers and the reasoning behind them. Michael, our instructor, wished us luck on the exam and said he was looking forward to hearing our mixes tomorrow.

After class, we headed to the dining hall for lunch. We knew we’d need the energy for a long afternoon and evening in the studio to finalize our project. Once we’d eaten, we wandered back over to Clive Davis and booked studio time. Our plan was to wrap up any remaining vocals and piano parts and leave enough time to mix the track. We started with JV recording both piano and vocals while arranging the track to pull everything together.

A few hours later, we wanted food but couldn’t leave the studio unsupervised. We split into pairs to grab dinner in shifts — Jackson and I stayed back first to keep mixing, then swapped out later. By the end of the session, we’d managed to finish the song with time to spare.

As we packed up the equipment, it really hit me: this would be my last time in the Clive Davis studio. I wandered around slowly, admiring the space, the gear, and the feeling of being surrounded by everything I love. Jackson and I took the customary console photos (including a few together) to mark the evening. Then we checked out of the studio, knowing tomorrow would be our last day.

Tuesday 22nd July

It really set in this morning on the walk to Clive Davis — I couldn’t believe it was almost over. I felt like there was still so much more to learn, but first I had an exam to finish.

We listened to everyone’s final songs and got great feedback before the exam began. It was a mix of multiple choice, true/false, and short-answer questions on topics like equalization, compression, and stereo microphone techniques — all similar to our quizzes. I finished early but took extra time to double-check my answers before handing them in.

Once everyone was done, Jackson, Sabrina, and I thanked Michael for delivering such a phenomenal six-week course (technically three, since it was in two parts!). Even with my previous engineering experience, I learned plenty of new material and strengthened my existing knowledge. Michael kindly took a photo with me for the blog and social media — thank you, Michael, for everything!

At lunch, we chatted with Anthony, the dining hall chef. He’d memorized our usual orders and joked that he thought we’d become permanent fixtures. We wished him well before heading back to Clive Davis for our final Mix Intensive session with Jason.

In the critical listening room, Jason guided us through comparing our first and last mixes to show how far we’d come. He praised both mine and Jackson’s mixes, noting that any changes he’d make were purely subjective. After class, I asked Jason for career advice. He offered incredible insights on approaching life after graduation — thank you as well, Jason!

As we left Clive Davis, it really sank in: no more classes. I felt sad but also incredibly grateful for the opportunity to study here. Since it was Jackson’s last day before heading to New Hampshire, we spent the afternoon together. After dropping off my bag at my accommodation, we explored Manhattan, stopping by the Golf Wang store, grabbing food at Smashy, and talking for ages in Union Square Park. Eventually, it was time to say goodbye — here’s hoping it won’t be long before we meet again.

On my way home, I stumbled across a street basketball game on 6th and West 3rd. With no NBA games in season, it was a great surprise. I stayed to watch the entire game before heading back to Brooklyn.

Wednesday 23rd July

It felt strange not waking up early for class. Today I was meeting Alex again to visit the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in Midtown. I hopped on the subway to Union Square, met Alex, and we continued north to 7th Avenue.

The museum was incredible — we explored exhibit after exhibit, amazed by the variety of work and the contrast with what I’d seen at the Whitney. We even spotted a few familiar artists featured in both museums. Unfortunately, MoMA closed earlier than expected, so we didn’t finish everything, but that just means more to explore next time!

After leaving the museum, we walked south down 6th Avenue, passing Radio City Music Hall, the Steinway & Sons piano store, and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon studio. Alex took me to Bryant Park and the New York Public Library, where I was blown away by the architecture and the iconic Rose Main Reading Room.

We grabbed food near Union Square and sat chatting about music, life, and where we’re both from. I told Alex about Scotland — local phrases, pronunciations, and culture — while Alex (originally from Mexico, now living in Kansas and Texas) shared stories from their background. Eventually, it was time to say goodbye, so I walked Alex back to their accommodation before returning to Brooklyn.

Thursday 24th July

I decided to go and explore more of the West Village and Chelsea today since I had mostly neglected it, only visiting when me and Alex went to the Whitney Museum. But before I did more exploring, I decided to go and visit a cinema or "movie theater" as its called there! For those who may not be aware, on top of my other various interests and passions, I am a big motorsports fan! Primarily, I watch the Formula series and as such the F1 movie released a couple of weeks prior and I had missed the opening weekend as I was busy with other New York activities, so I decided that today was the day! I visited the AMC theater on 34th St, grabbing a drink and some waffle fries before getting settled in my seat. The film turned out great, I loved the visuals and music primarily, Hans Zimmer never fails to disappoint on a soundtrack!

Following the film, I ventured further west and stumbled across The High Line boardwalk and Pier 76. I visited Pier 76 first as I would be heading south next, which is the direction of The High Line. The pier was incredibly busy, with large dance classes taking place. I managed to find a quieter spot to sit for a moment and take in the view of the Manhattan coast, the Hudson river and the Jersey City skyline across the water. I walked back and started my walk along The High Line. For context, the boardwalk is a city-owned 1.45 mile long linear park made from old decommissioned rail tracks which leads through Chelsea and the West Village. It is a fantastic part of NYC and one of my favourite areas to get away from it all. I quickly stopped to grab food then continued down the line southward, eventually having to leave as they were beginning to close for the evening.

I wandered around exploring more of the West Village before deciding to head back towards Brooklyn. I also made the decision to try out the Citibikes which I had seen all over the city. They are relatively affordable and follow a similar scheme to the usual rent-a-bike(s) which are seen in most major cities. I unlocked one and headed straight for the Brooklyn Bridge! I definitely found the initial climb up the bridge a tad more difficult than anticipated, this was also the first time I had cycled in ages! But eventually I made it over the bridge quicker than if I'd walked to a subway station which was a bonus! I arrived back at the accommodation and rested up for the evening.

Friday 25th July

Today I decided to do something I haven't done yet while I've been here, go cycling! I had planned to try out the CitiBikes again after my enjoyable experience last night. This time I had planned to take one for a spin round Central Park! However after I had gotten myself ready and hopped on a subway, it started to pour down with rain! So I had to briefly postpone my cycle, I ended up sat in a coffee shop for a while until the rain died down. Eventually once it was dry enough, I made my way to the bottom of the park, hopped on a bike and started my journey! It was honestly such a great experience to get some proper exercise and see a few parts of Central which I'd missed on foot. Afterwards I was pretty tired so I found a nice spot to cool down and relax for a bit.

Saturday 26th July

Today I decided to be a bit more productive than usual and head out to do a bit of work on the blog without distractions. As I was no longer able to go to Clive, I decided that I would see if I could use one of the study areas at the Paulson Centre, the same building that my Music Licensing class in summer semester 1 was held in. I walked along to Jay Street to hop on a subway to take me directly to Broadway & Lafayette which was only a short walk away from the centre. I managed to find a quiet area and got started on my next blog post. I managed to crack through a decent amount of the post, taking occasional breaks here and there. After a couple of hours, I needed to get out for fresh air so I packed up my bag and went for a walk. Luckily, Washington Square Park was nearby! This is one of my favourite parks in NYC due to the location, vibrancy and constant activity! There is always something going on there, whether it be a local band playing, some stalls selling cool artwork and accessories or just interesting characters. I made sure to grab something to eat and ended up staying in Washington Square longer to enjoy the weather, atmosphere and get a bit more blog work done on my phone. I then ventured east to go and explore around the East Village where I found myself at Tompkins Square Park which was also beautiful! I enjoyed the remainder of my day wandering around this part of the city before heading back to the accommodation in the evening to relax and watch some shows on my MacBook!

Sunday 27th July

I had been looking forward to today as I would be getting to see my first baseball game! I had looked at a few different options over the last couple weeks to try and find the most affordable way to see a game. I ended up settling on the New York Yankees, whose stadium is situated north in The Bronx. Today they were playing against the Philadelphia Phillies. Thankfully the 4 subway, which was located within a 10 min walk from my accommodation, led straight to the stadium so I could easily hop on and head straight there!

After around 45 mins on the subway, I arrived at the Yankees subway stop and it was so busy! As expected, the streets surrounding the stadium were closed but I immediately felt the atmosphere and energy from the fans in the area. I got through security and immediately went to find a drink and some food to take to my seat, I managed to get one of the special options which involved a big bowl of chicken strips and fries which attached to a litre cup of Pepsi. It was absolutely huge!

After a brief walk I managed to find my seat and found myself to have an incredible view of the stadium! I sat back, relaxed and watched as the game got underway! Baseball is definitely a slower paced game compared to other sports like football and basketball but the crowd engagement, frequent use of popular songs and sound effects as well as the infamous organ kept the atmosphere alive! Halfway through the game they even stopped to dedicate a minute of appreciation to a Korean War veteran who was attending the game which I thought was an amazing gesture! Soon enough, the game came to and end and the Yankees ended up winning 4-1! On my way out I grabbed a couple of souvenirs like a landyard to take home as a gift for my dad. I chose to not take the same subway back as I knew it would be packed so I wandered south into Harlem to get explore for a bit and call with my friends. It was great to get a look at the area as I had yet to properly explore Harlem during my trip. I hopped on a subway to get back into the city centre and stop by a pharmacy/grocery store for some supplies. In the evening, I went back to the accommodation and finished off my blog post!

by a pharmacy for supplies, then returned to Brooklyn to finish my blog post.