Last week we were back at Saint Luke’s & The Winged Ox where 70 of our Glasgow students attended an educational music event hosted by YouTube and Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA).

Singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt, who originally hails from Livingston, spoke to over 120 people from Glasgow’s thriving music scene, including 70 students from our very own Glasgow centre about how YouTube helped to bolster her career in music when she was just starting out.

Speaking to The Evening Times Nina said, “I started my YouTube channel when I was 15, and I think it made a massive difference to starting off my career.”

“Myself and musicians like Gabrielle Aplin, Lewis Watson and Orla Gartland are just a few that I used to listen to who all started in the same way, and I think they will agree that using YouTube in the way that we did was life-changing.”

She also commented on how social media helped her make connections in the industry; “I was from a small village in Scotland and there wasn’t much in the way of a music scene, or even any connection to the industry. Using social media and YouTube was my only form of connection to that world. The site has obviously changed since then, but I want to help teach other aspiring musicians the ways they can use it to help them nowadays. Visuals are so important.”

Commenting on Instagram, Nina said, “Hopefully my story can remind you even if you aren’t from a musical family, rich background or have the connections around you there is still a chance to get where you want to be.”

David Mogendorff, YouTube Music’s Head of Artist Relations for Europe, the Middle East and Africa hosted the event. David, who hails from Aberdeen said, “Having grown up in Aberdeen and always been a huge fan of the brilliant music scene in Glasgow, it was fantastic to come back to the city today with YouTube.”

Throughout the evening there were performances from Nina Nesbitt and Free Love, and YouTube Music’s Head of Artist Relations for Europe spoke at the event.

Want to know more? Why not check out our blog on the importance of social media for aspiring young creatives.

Parts of this article were originally published on The Evening Times.

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