Iain’s blues brighten up Sound Production students’ games project

Sound Production students and lecturers once again enlisted the help of a fellow Forth Valley College student – and renowned blues guitarist Iain ‘Gator’ Donald – to create the music and sound for a blockbuster computer game trailer.

NC Sound Production (A and B Groups) led by lecturers Barry Frame, Neil Martin, Peter Flett and Ian Fairclough, were delighted to welcome local renowned Delta Blues man Iain ‘The Gator’ Donald – who is currently studying for a HND Graphic Design qualification at FVC - to add his guitar skills to the project which focuses on the western gunfighter based Red Dead Redemption 2 made by Rockstar.

Lecturer Barry Frame, said: “Last year we had Iain come in and collaborate with our NC Sound Production students on their Red Dead Redemption 2 sound design project. It was a huge success and the story even ended up featured in Blues Matters magazine.

“We brought Iain back this year to work with both NC A and NC B groups, and it’s honestly been even better than before. The students got to direct him in proper recording sessions, shaping the guitar tracks for their trailers while learning how to collaborate with a working musician. They were absolutely buzzing—loads of creative ideas, strong teamworking, and a real sense of purpose throughout the whole process.

“What’s made this year even more special is Iain’s role in mentoring them. He’s been introducing them to proper Delta blues and other traditional blues styles—genres he feels are often overlooked by UK musicians and fans. For many of the students, this was their first time engaging with the raw, expressive heart of American blues, and it’s had a real impact on how they approached the sound design for the trailer.”

Fellow Sound Production Lecturer Neil Martin added: “We try wherever we can to show our students how varied the audio industry is, thanks to Iain our students have been exposed to some seriously high-quality blues whilst increasing their skills and confidence.”

Barry continued: “And here’s the part that blew us away—I filmed Iain doing a short blues jam in the FVC studio, totally off-the-cuff, and he shared it with a few of his contacts in the blues world.”

The reaction to the studio work from the ‘Blues community’ has been unbelievable:

• Michael Messer – British slide guitar icon: "You two sound great together."
• Arlen Roth – Legendary American guitarist & founder of Hot Licks: "Sounds great."
• Charlie Musselwhite – Grammy-winning harmonica player: "Sounds real nice."
• Memphis Gold – Respected D.C. bluesman: "Sounding great little brother."
• Barbara Marx – daughter of blues legend Howlin’ Wolf: "Absolutely loved it."

Barry continued: “So we’ve now got legendary blues musicians across the U.S.A. hearing about the work our students are doing here in Forth Valley College. Unreal!

“The students were genuinely grateful—not just to Iain for taking the time to work with them, but also for the opportunity being set up in the first place. Loads of them have told me how much they appreciated having something this hands-on and inspiring to be part of. It’s really lit a fire under them.”

Frank Kelly (62) from Balfron one of the students who worked on the project, said:   “Getting to work with someone like Iain in a proper studio session was unbelievable. It made the whole project feel real.”

Classmate Dylan Baty (31) from Falkirk, said: “This is exactly the kind of buzz I needed—it made me realise what a career in Sound Production could actually look like.”

Fellow student Tyler Harrison (18) from Dunblane, said: “Easily one of the best experiences I’ve had at college so far. The whole thing felt professional and inspiring.”

Iain ‘Gator’ Donald, said: “I really enjoyed working on the project with the students it was great. It was great to expose the blues to people new to it and show them what it is all about. I thought they were all exceptionally direct and very professional as well, which was very impressive.”