Seated behind the mixing console in TasTAFE’s audio design department, the noted punk rock producer shared stories of his time working with rock stars, owning the New Jersey-based ​Big Blue Meenie Recording Studio and his tips and tricks for audio production. 

For the last 20 years Gillies has been continuing to produce records while offering advice and teaching others who want to enter the industry.

“I did audio engineering as a mentored craft in New York for years, learning from the old guys, and after a while you become the old guy and you have all these kids learning from you,” he said. “What I’ve been doing here is focused on the actual record production.”

Gillies prefers not to think of producers as separate to the musicians creating music, rather he sees all those working as a team.

“Collectively we’re individuals, changing sound pressure levels to evoke an emotional response,” he said. 

Student Jesse McPherson found the advice Gillies gave to his fellow classmates invaluable.

“He’s a goldmine,” he said. “He speaks with so much conviction and he’s got a lot of time under his belt and the way he speaks about that, even emotionally, it really stays with you.”

Students will have more opportunities to learn from Gillies as he has decided to call Tasmania home.

The producer has purchased a home at Beauty Point.