You can follow the only international metal training in the world in Eindhoven

In the basement of the Dynamo Eindhoven cultural center, the walls are shaking. Behind every door, a different sound: pounding bass drums, screeching guitars, and raw vocals. Here, you're not in a classroom, but in the heart of Summa Metal Factory. The only international vocational college in the world where metal music takes center stage.

“The music industry is international. If you want to participate in it, you need to be able to do more than just play well. You need to be able to collaborate, communicate, and present in English. Everything we do here is geared towards that,” says Kevin Quilligan from the staff room at Dynamo. He is the coordinator of the international program and mentor for Year Two, a class of twenty students. Kevin has been active as a singer primarily in death metal bands since 2004, and he is also a vocal coach. The international branch of the program was established with the help of Regio Deal funds and is intended to prepare young talent for a career in the international, alternative music industry. “That support was truly crucial. It allowed us to set up projects where students have direct contact with the professional field. Take the Roadburn and Metal Masters festivals, where they got to play live. Those aren't ordinary school projects. Those are real stages, with real professionals.”

An hour before the interview with Kevin, each second-year student in their mentor class presents their "musical moment of pride" in three minutes. Images of shows at the Roadburn Festival, but also Dutch Design Week, which featured heavy metal, flash by. There's laughter, but there's also room for candor. One student sheds a tear, expressing pride in the path he's taken, even though it wasn't without its challenges. Another boy recounts how this program allowed him to truly belong for the first time. He designed the album cover for a band that was heard live on BBC Radio and, after three minutes, is allowed to sit down to loud applause.

Back to the staffroom, where Kevin reflects on the presentations. "It's not just about the music the students make. I want to know how they handle success and setbacks. I tell them it's okay to play a mediocre show fifty times, if it means you'll also leave the stage feeling great a hundred times. Those stories are just as important as the notes they play."

Kevin prefers to call himself a coach rather than a teacher in the three-year MBO-4 program. He helps students with artistic choices, band dynamics, and personal development. "We also discuss how to present yourself on social media, how to handle criticism, or how to build a set that resonates with people. The material isn't just in books, but primarily in practice." This practical focus is evident. Students organize their own shows, work with recording programs, mix in the studio, and rehearse at Dynamo. The graduation project, Metal Masters, is a self-organized festival where students present their musical work to professionals. "That's the moment they show what they're made of."

The Metal Factory is small-scale, consisting of three years of twenty students each, and is taught entirely in English. This is not only to master music jargon, but specifically to prepare (international) students for a career beyond national borders. “If you want to get into music seriously, you need to be able to communicate professionally. You email venues, bookers, labels, and that is all in English.” Not just anyone can get into the Metal Factory . Anyone wishing to join must audition. “We are not looking for people who ‘just enjoy making music’,” says Kevin. “We are looking for people with ambition. You don’t have to be able to do everything yet, but you do need to know where you want to go. We assess that in the conversation after the performance. That conversation is more important than your musical level.”

Second-year student Tijs van Dorsselaer (18) from Zeeland remembers his audition well. “I gave it my all. I jumped, screamed, pretended I was performing live at a festival. That was necessary to show who I am.” He is now the singer of Infliktion, a band he started during his studies. “We have performed a lot and thanks to Kevin's lessons I have improved my singing and growling technique .”

For classmate Joris Cox (22), the course was an escape from higher professional education. “I wasn't happy there. At the Metal Factory, I immediately felt a connection.” He was selected for the Roadburn Festival and played there with his band Haatdrager for 400 people. “We wrote the songs ourselves and rehearsed for months. I will never forget that show.” He now wants to specialize as a drum technician. “I learned how to position microphones and how to properly adjust a drum kit. There are fewer good technicians than talented drummers.”

At the end of the afternoon, peace slowly returns to the halls of Dynamo. Kevin removes his earplugs after a tour of the rehearsal rooms. Not a single textbook was used this afternoon. And yet, you can sense that every Metal Factory student is learning to understand the craft, but more importantly, themselves. "That's exactly what it's all about. Their talents don't stay within the walls of this program. They take them with them. On stage, in the studio, and into whatever future they may have."