SEMA

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

(FAQs)

When does the next Beginner Music Production (BMP) course start?

SEMA BMP will run from Monday, April 15th, 2024, to Friday, May 24th, 2024.

Classes will take place Monday through Thursday for 5 weeks, from 10 am to 2 pm EAT.

No class on Wednesday, May 1st (Labour Day)
In Week 5 (Monday, May 13th) students are required to come in every week day; Monday to Friday
In Week 6 (Monday, May 20th), SEMA will be hosting wellness training sessions on Monday, May 20th & Wednesday, May 22nd.
The SEMA Graduation & Showcase will take place on Friday, May 24th.

Where do classes take place?

The Mall (Basement Level), Westlands, Nairobi.

Students are advised to arrive by 9 am before class starts to avoid being held up in traffic, and to get in some production time or consultation time with your tutors.

Does attendance count towards being certified?

Yes. SEMA has an attendance protocol in place that tackles student absence, class participation and Final Project submission, all of which count towards receiving a SEMA certificate of participation.

How much is the course?

Standard tuition: 32,000 KES

SEMA Alums & Partners offer: 27,000 KES

If I don’t finish the course do I get my money back?

Once enrolled onto a SEMA course, students sign Terms & Conditions that specify the eventualities under which funds paid are refundable.

Are there flexible ways to pay?

A 10,000 KES enrollment fee must be paid in order to secure a slot on either course as a deposit.

The tuition balance must also be settled by orientation.

Can I sample a class or visit the space before I decide to commit financially?

Totally! You can visit the space during our working hours from 10 am - 5 pm on weekdays at Santuri East Africa, The Mall, Westlands, Nairobi.

Students are required to financially commit with a 10,000 KES enrollment fee in order to secure a slot on SEMA’s BMP course.

I’m ready to settle my tuition fees. How do I pay?

The first step is to fill in the SEMA Admissions Form for the BMP course.

Instructions on how to make your tuition fee payment can be found towards the end of the form.

I won’t be able to make it for the April BMP course. When can I join SEMA next?

Our next offerings will be communicated via our social media platforms and newsletter.

REQUIREMENTS

Do I need to be a musician or have any musical experience?

No previous musical experience is required for SEMA’s Beginner Music Production course.

Do I need a laptop?

Having access to your own personal laptop that you can bring to class is preferable.

SEMA’s wide equipment inventory also has several iMacs that students can use if they don’t have laptops.

What software is the BMP course taught on?

Ableton and FL Studio, with the skills acquired transferrable to other music production software.

Once I apply, how long will it take to get accepted?

The SEMA Admissions Team will contact you within 1 week of receiving and reviewing your application.

GENERAL

What courses do you offer?

SEMA offers music production courses at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. We also offer DJ courses at the beginner level, with intermediate and advanced levels to come.

All SEMA curricula are expansive and in-depth, tackling the technical fundamentals, the aesthetic elements of electronic music culture, music business, wellness & wellbeing, and lots more!

How do I apply for a SEMA course?

By filling in the SEMA Admissions Form for the course you wish to study.

Depending on the course level, you will need to share some information about your interest and experience in music production or deejaying, demonstrate that you share Santuri’s core values, and are able to settle your full tuition fee.

We run a SEMA Scholars program, for outstanding applicants with limited resources. However, for this cohort of BMP, Scholarships are not available.

What will I receive after completing my course of study?

You will receive a SEMA certificate. Santuri’s reputation is global, having strong partnerships with key music technology players globally, and a network of festivals, labels, music platforms, and further education establishments.

Students who successfully complete their respective course can have the opportunity to join the lively SEMA Alums program.

This grants you access to studio time, gear hire, showcase opportunities, and continued support and guidance in your music career.

After attending SEMA, what can I do with the skills I have learned?

Previous SEMA Alums have gone on to a variety of careers and opportunities. Ranging from producing professionally, signing to labels, regional and international tours, working in studios, teaching music production and deejaying, and much more.

Follow our socials for examples of what our SEMA Alums are up to.

Are Santuri and SEMA the same thing?

The Santuri Electronic Music Academy (SEMA) is the educational wing of Santuri East Africa. Santuri is a music innovation hub that offers studio services, gear hire, events, curation, research, consultancies, community building, on top of music production and DJ courses at SEMA.

What’s so special about SEMA, anyway?

SEMA is designed and implemented by artists, producers, and DJs who have a deep connection to alternative and innovative music, and a strong sense of community purpose. We adopt a progressive pedagogy based on Project Based Learning, so students are always hands-on with their own studies - this is not a traditional classroom. Each student is challenged to surpass their own expectations and encouraged to develop critical thinking about the work they produce and the industry they wish to be a part of. Santuri also intentionally addresses the gender imbalance in the music scene and highly encourages applications from non-male-identifying practitioners.

Some direct questions we’ve received:

If a student is not able to clear the fees before orientation, are there flexible payment plans offered?

It is mandatory that applicants settle their enrollment fee in order to be onboarded onto their desired course. However, we are a reasonable team, and if there are urgent or extenuating circumstances, we can look into flexible payment options.

(note: this may incur an additional fee and remains within SEMA’s discretion)

In the case of a student undertaking both courses, is there an incentive to reduce the fee to ease the burden of payment or because of their difference in terms of course structure and teaching faculty, any changes would be difficult to look into?

As aforementioned, we discourage applicants from taking on two courses at a time. SEMA is dedicated to providing unique and progressive training across several electronic music disciplines - there will always be an opportunity for you to sign up for more courses in the future.

It being a paying class, are there any perks or differences compared to free cohorts?

SEMA is the leading electronic music academy in East Africa. We previously were offering students stipends to attend, though transitioned into a paid course model and are now offering courses at fees that are affordable for our community. As such, our market friendly fee is already a perk compared to regional and global institutions.

Are there work placements or applied work experience that you receive with the course or is it purely educational without outside interactions?

There are many industry interactions through our extra-curricular and Santuri / SEMA-wide activities, events, and programs. These include opportunities to showcase your work via our networks, perform at local venues, interact with international communities and platforms such as CDR, Oroko Radio, Currents FM and more.

For DJs, we have offered opportunities at pristine locations like Jenga Jungle, Unseen, The Mist, Shelter KE and Beneath the Baobabs festival. Our music production graduates have performed on international stages like Suoni Per Il Popolo, Nyege Nyege, CTM Festival, Sonar Festival and top local venues. SEMA also offers niche opportunities such as live film scoring, soundtracking, and artist residencies.

If someone may have a day job or a full-time job, are there sessions that could be set up for them to learn either part-time, evening or weekends?

SEMA is currently in the process of formulating alternatives suitable for working students that will be communicated through our socials and newsletter once designed.

How can I get in touch with your admissions team?

The best place to begin is by filling out the SEMA Admissions Form.

If you need to get in touch with the SEMA Admissions Team, email us at admissions@santuri.org and we will try to answer any questions you have.

The final decision to grant admission to any applicant lies solely with Santuri Electronic Music Academy. SEMA reserves the right to refuse admission to any applicant based on its own criteria and discretion.