A SCOTS college has created a playlist of soothing sounds to transport its 17,000 students into the noisy hallways, classrooms and studios they may have been missing while working from home.
The playlist is also aimed at giving the 1000 new students enrolling online for classes starting this month get a feel for the hustle and bustle of campus life.
It recreates sounds that most of the students have not heard for almost a year and includes a busy corridor, noisy engineering workshops, the campus gym and the serenity of the library.
Available on Spotify and YouTube, the soundtrack eases listeners in with a sensory walk down a college corridor, with the soft tones of mechanised lifts, lockers opening and the occasional rattle of a vending machine.
Listeners are then whisked off to the library where silence is only broken by the pitter-patter of keyboards, hushed conversations and the gentle rumblings of a printer.
Academic studies have proven that music can help people focus and improve learning, and each four-minute soundscape has been designed to help staff and students relax while working remotely as part of the college community. David Marshall, assistant principal for student experience at Glasgow Clyde College, said: “The vast majority of our students won’t have stepped foot on campus since March last year, so we wanted to remind them what college was like before we started working from home.
“It’s also a nice welcome gift for our newest students, starting their first classes in February and immediately fostering the sense of belonging we pride ourselves upon at Glasgow Clyde College.
“We designed soundscapes based on daily life across our three campuses – from a bustling engineering workshop, the joyful harmonies of our music studio to the calming environment of the library.”
Marshall added: “They can be listened to as a collection or individually, helping staff and students to reminisce or relax while they go about their day.
“Glasgow Clyde College is a community and, despite students being unable to attend classes, we’re working hard to keep everyone connected as we carry on learning online.
“We can’t wait to be able to welcome everyone back when it’s safe to do so but, in the meantime, these tracks let the college be enjoyed from anywhere.”
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