Dundalk IT pathway opens new chapter for music industry veteran

A musician with deep links to Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dave Molloy’s return to education highlights how local higher-education pathways like DkIT’s Recognition of Prior Learning are opening doors for experienced professionals across the region.

Originally from Dublin and now living in Forkhill, County Armagh, Dave entered the fourth year of DkIT’s BA in Audio and Music Production through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) route, following a long and accomplished career in the music industry. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a process by which prior learning and experience is valued to gain exemptions and fast-track through degrees. 

After completing his Leaving Certificate, Dave opted to go directly into the world of professional music, instead of going down the university route. A talented guitar player, he toured extensively throughout Europe with bands, before moving into roles behind the scenes. This included working as a stage manager and front-of-house engineer for Brendan O’Carroll, gaining invaluable experience in live production and technical management.

Over the years, Dave built a strong reputation as a songwriter and composer for film, television, and recording artists, collaborating with musicians such as Terry Conlon and Paul McDonnell. He regularly attended the annual MIDEM conference in France—the world’s largest music industry event—broadening his professional network and deepening his industry expertise. Alongside his composing work, he performed with the house band on RTÉ’s ‘The Voice’, and is a music educator within LMETB’s Youthreach programmes.

Despite decades of industry experience, getting a formal qualification was always on the back of Dave's mind:

"It's something I had been thinking about for over ten years,” he reflected. But heading to college after so long in the working world, seemed a bit daunting. Discovering the Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) process at DkIT was a gamechanger for Dave. Through this process, he worked closely with academic staff over a month-long period to map his professional experience onto the learning outcomes of earlier modules in the Audio and Music Production programme. "With this support, I finally made the leap into my degree," Dave said. 

Dave’s extensive and diverse background meant he met the required standard to enter directly into Year 4 of the Audio and Music Production degree, an achievement that reflects both his skill and the depth of his professional career. Although he joined in the final year, Dave approached the course with fresh eyes and a determination to embrace the academic experience fully.

“I might have a lot of previous experience, but I want to get everything done right. I don’t want to rely on old work, I treat every project as a new one and approach it with fresh eyes.”

Production Sound for Media has been the stand out module for Dave to-date as a discipline he had never explored before starting the degree. He also enjoyed Advanced Mixing, which challenged him to expand his capabilities in an area he hadn’t previously specialised in.

Dave admits that the beginning of his degree felt daunting, a reversal from his usual role as the seasoned professional guiding others. But the teaching team in Audio and Music Production at DkIT quickly put him at ease “The lecturers are great,” he said. “They all have really different styles and have high expectations of all of us.”

The idea of navigating the university experience, particularly after such a long time out of education can be daunting for many. Having travelled the RPL pathway himself, Dave encourages others to acknowledge the value of their experience.

“Take a step back and consider what you have done as valuable, even as insignificant as it may seem.”

He says that the process was made far easier by the supportive staff in DkIT, noting that every module essentially required him to show what he had done and provide evidence for it, a process that made him realise the true depth of his experience in the industry. 

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Dave believes the Audio and Music Production degree is exceptionally relevant to today’s music world, where job roles are increasingly fluid.

“The broad nature makes it relevant. Routes are no longer defined in the industry—you need to understand as many facets as possible without necessarily being an expert in all of them. In my opinion, the course can’t be broad enough.”

Going forward, he hopes to apply everything he has learned at DkIT to his own creative practice, while continuing his work supporting young people through music education.

With two daughters who have completed degrees—one in Zoology at Queen’s University, Belfast and one in Midwifery at DkIT—Dave now joins them in achieving a long-awaited academic milestone of his own.