With so many people around the world currently self-isolating, it’s a great time to set your sights on learning a new skill.
In light of that, we’ve put together a list of 6 great resources where you can upskill, or simply learn new things, for nothing (or next to nothing). From learning guitar to taking a university course, check out our list below.
If you’re stuck at home isolating, now is a great time to learn. We’ve put together a list of 6 great educational resources which are free of cost.
Guitar lessons from Fender
Fender is offering free lessons on their online service, Fender Play. The offer is open to the first 100,000 new subscribers, and the lessons available include guitar, ukelele, and bass.
So many people wish they could learn how to play an instrument, yet often have so little time to dedicate to it. So if you’re at home in isolation, why not make the most of it by finally picking up the guitar?
The platform is easy to use and the lessons go along way. Head to Fender Play to sign up.
Let’s play through this together.
To get started: https://t.co/sojpqRvJNw pic.twitter.com/tIdOoN8YrZ— Fender (@Fender) March 20, 2020
University courses at Open Culture
What better time than now to take a university course – for free? Open Culture offers 1,500 online courses from the likes of Stanford, Yale, MIT, Harvard, Oxford and more. Topics include history, philosophy and literature, to physics, biology, psychology, and computer science.
Some examples of courses on offer include Aesthetics & the Philosophy of Art, Fashion as Design, Crash Course in Design Thinking, Storytelling, Cryptocurrency and Blockchain: An Introduction to Digital Currencies, and many, many more.
Head here for more information.
Audiobooks from Audible
In light of the pandemic, Audible have made hundreds of their titles available for free. You don’t even need an account, all you have to do is head to their website and start browsing.
Some of the titles available include Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre (narrated by Thandie Newton), Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (narrated by Dan Stevens), Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World (narrated by Michael York) and Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray (narrated by Simon Vance).
It’s also a fantastic resource for children, with plenty of kid-friendly titles including Winnie The Pooh, Timeless Tales of Beatrix Potter, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and many more.
Music workshops from APRA/AMCOS
Australian music rights organisation APRA/AMCOS are offering three online sessions as a chance for members to collaborate, network, and upskill. Dubbed The At Home Sessions, they are available to all APRA members, and if you’re not already one, it’s easy to sign up.
For anyone looking to collaborate remotely, 3-2-1 Sessions is a chance for two songwriters to get together for three hours and write one song. Whilst Meet The Locals allows you to converse with a top-notch roster of industry pros and creatives for one-on-one sessions, including reps from radio, publicity, music supervision, and law, as well as producers, songwriters, and more.
Finally, Ableton Masterclass is exactly that. Led by certified trainers, it will give you everything you need to take your Ableton Live game to the next level.
To partake, all you need to do is register your interest and make sure you have a working webcam and video conferencing software (Skype, Google Video, Zoom etc). Once you register your interest, APRA will pair you up with another member. Head here for more information. FYI, this one’s only open to Australian residents.
(Almost free) Ableton Live course
Ok, whilst this one isn’t free, it’s well worth the mention. Down from the usual price of $1,400 to just $29, you can get a lifetime of Ableton Live music production training. Named the Ableton Music Production Mastery Bundle, the seven-part training course features 28 hours of lessons, perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to produce their own or others’ music or develop their skills as a DJ.
Starting with a quick rundown of the basics, like navigating the interface and recording, the course will then take you through any hardware needs, and the essentials for producing your own music – everything from using drum samples to create your own beats to insights from internationally renowned DJs.
The course also offers lifetime access, so you can go about it at whatever pace you like. Head here to get it.
