Case Studies

Hari

When we began our PORTAL programme, Hari was a standout candidate for our Marketing Assistant role. He was eager to get started in the music industry and highlighted NQ as the label in Manchester that he really wanted to work for. He was impressed with the work he'd already seen from NQ, from the grassroots of Aitch's career to their modern website and social media, and he knew it was a brand he wanted to be a part of.

Since Hari began working with us, initially via the Kickstart Scheme and then PORTAL he has made lots of developments both in his career and personally. He feels he has learnt loads about music business and how the industry works. He's also been able to develop his communication and networking skills as he's had to step out of his comfort zone and network with new people from all levels within the industry. He has also learnt how to manage a number of tasks and campaigns at once. His hard work and quick learning have allowed him to take on more responsibilities at work and even run his own label and marketing campaigns. Hari hopes that this role is his first step in a long career in marketing.

 
 
“I’m so much more confident in myself after being trusted to run my very own marketing campaign. Always put yourself out there, because you never know what might happen”
— Hari
 

Sully

Sully began volunteering at NQ in March 2022, after meeting Adex in December 2021. He spoke to him about his goals and his interest in working in the music industry. As Sully wasn't going to college, he wanted to get stuck into his career and began working hard to get his foot in the door. He made regular visits to NQ House, taking on any task he could from taking out the bins to handing out flyers, Sully made sure to make himself useful and to learn things where he could.

Impressed with his hard work and dedication, Adex gave him the opportunity he was looking for and Sully began interning at the label and has since gone on to sign some developing artists and released a plethora of new records. Sully wanted to work at NQ because he felt like it would be a good starting point for his career. He wanted to work somewhere where he could learn and grow before progressing in his career. "NQ is a label on the come-up, and so am I. It just made sense." - Sully. Sully has learnt a lot so far since working at NQ. But his biggest lesson is learning how to be patient.

 
 
“Before NQ I was so impatient! I wanted everything to happen quickly, there and then, but I’ve had to learn that the industry takes a lot of patience, planning and commitment”
— Sully
 

Jack Kong

Since joining the team as studio assistant via the PORTAL scheme back in summer 2022, Jack has worked his way up the ladder to become Studio Manager. Starting his journey engineering for NQ’s development artists, he has since been entrusted to engineer and produce for established artists which secured his position and allowed Jack to stay on as a member of staff at NQ beyond the 3-month placement.

In addition to his engineering and production duties Jack has also redesigned the Main Talent studio, known as Studio 3, including sourcing and fitting a new desk set up and mic and speaker spec and has also been involved in setting up NQ’s latest studio in London. Over the past year Jack has found himself working with up-and-coming artists and major talent alike, leading sessions and creating comfortable writing environments. Some of his most notable moments are working at the famous Abbey Road studios and working with artists such as Aitch. Bebe Rexa, Jordan, JNRChoi, Deno, Aystar, Mowgli, D block Europe, Arz and many more.

 
 
“I’m massively grateful for this opportunity to work regularly in the same studio space that I’ve been able to grow my skills as an engineer, mixer, producer and as an artist myself.”
— Jack Kong
 

Tonya

When Tonya joined the Beats, Bars and Braun Programme she'd never done anything like it before. She was used to writing music alone but had never recorded anything or even shared her music with other people, but she gave her all during the 10-week programme and came out on top as one of our most improved artists.

When the opportunity to join the NQ Legacy programme came along, she wasn't 100% sure what to expect, but had been encouraged by a friend who was also a part of the programme, they told her this was an opportunity she couldn't afford to miss. Tonya doesn't regret her decision she had no idea what she was capable of and she’d never been in a real studio to record or write music before, so everything was new to her. While she was nervous about sharing her music for the first time, she seemed to take everything in her stride as she hit the ground running and managed to write, record and produce two new songs from scratch with the help of producers and engineers on the programme. Tonya says the support she received from the mentors gave her a huge confidence boost as they showed her just how talented and capable she was.

Following the Beats, Bars and Braun Programme, Tonya also won a £1000 commission as part of the PORTAL programme at NQ Legacy and has recorded her first single and music video to be released later this year. Tonya intends to use this time to get back in the studio and create some more music to release for the world to hear. She's excited to keep working and improving and we are excited to continue supporting her on this journey.

 
 
“I believed genuinely for the first time that I could actually be a singer and a songwriter if I wanted to”
— Tonya