Main image credit: Andrew Graham-Brown
Two dBs Institute students recently joined a dBs Pro shoot at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, recording a live music performance surrounded by rare JMW Turner watercolours.
Louis Alberry and Oliver Grace were on work placement with dBs Pro Creative Director Jay Auborn, handling the sound recording for a music video filmed inside the museum's 'Prince of the Rocks' exhibition. The shoot captured multiple live takes of 'JMW', an original song performed acoustically by Bristol group Goldfinches, right in front of Turner's work.
"We loved working on this project and contributing in our own way to the celebrations for 250 years since Turner's birth," says Jay. "The project has real cultural substance and local significance to Bristol, and as a team we felt inspired by this to do something special for the museum, the band and Turner."
Image credit: Oliver
The gallery space threw up some genuine challenges. The acoustics were far from ideal for recording music - all those white, reflective walls - and the team had to find ways to capture clean audio without getting in the way of the film crew.
"We built a portable studio custom for the performance, something we could set up quickly but get a studio sound from for mixing later back at dBs Pro," Jay explains. "Working with video means compromises on the audio - for example, we couldn't have a microphone blocking Shaun's face as he sang, even though that would have been sonically the best place for it. So we took a more classical approach with microphones and used rugs, which had to pass museum moth checks to be allowed in, to help dampen the room acoustics."
The approach meant the band had to be tight across every take, and they delivered under real time pressure. Louis and Oliver kept things running smoothly on the sound side throughout.
"The student team were cool and collected, supporting the band and video team to get the best out of the music," says Jay.
Oliver Grace, a second-year BA (Hons) Music Production & Sound Engineering student, said:
"It was great to get an insight on how to deal with problems you might not consider in a typical music studio, such as the odd acoustics of the room and positioning mics to get both a good sound and keep out of the camera's way. The crew were fantastic to work with and it was interesting to see how each element of the shoot came together."
Image credit: Grace McCrindle
Once the music had been mixed in stereo and the film edited, Jay and the team wanted to do something extra for the launch screening at dBs Bristol. They enlisted Nova Oughton, a third year BA (Hons) Music Production & Sound Engineering dBs Plymouth student, to create a Dolby Atmos mix for the lecture theatre's Atmos system.
"At the launch event we got to showcase Dolby Atmos and, importantly, treat the audience to a really immersive experience," says Jay. "It sounded like you were in the museum with the band."
"Working with students across centres on this project really showcases the fluid technical capability we have at dBs, and how our students are at the forefront of these possibilities - showcasing their talent and technical ability. We hope the project goes on to reach an audience of art and music lovers and maybe even introduce Turner to new audiences."
Image credit: Grace McCrindle
The 'Prince of the Rocks' exhibition ran from September 2025 to January 2026 and celebrated JMW Turner's connection to Bristol. It displayed four rare watercolours the artist painted during his first visit to the city in 1791, when he was just 16 and spent so long drawing the Avon Gorge that he picked up the nickname 'Prince of the Rocks'.
Songwriter Shaun McCrindle was invited by Bristol City Council to film a performance of his Turner-inspired song inside the exhibition. McCrindle has worked with dBs Pro before and approached Jay again to handle the sound. The film was directed by documentary filmmaker Andrew Graham-Brown of AGB Films.
Watch the music video for 'JMW' by Goldfinches:
dBs Pro is dBs Institute's in-house creative studio, providing students with real-world industry experience alongside their studies. Find out more about dBs Pro and the projects our students work on.
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