Full Sail University Hosts Ableton Live Workshop for Music Production and Live Event Students

When the bright Florida sun hit Winter Park on July 6, 2026, Full Sail University opened its doors to a wave of music makers eager to dive into Ableton Live.

The private, for‑profit campus partnered with Ableton’s education team for a two‑day, hands‑on workshop aimed at students and faculty in its Music Production and Live Event Production programs. The event let participants explore Ableton Live, the industry‑standard digital audio workstation that powers both studio recordings and live shows.

Ableton’s education team brought Certified Trainers who carry real‑world experience from touring, studio work and teaching. The collaboration was designed to expose attendees to Live’s workflow—from beat‑matching and arrangement to real‑time performance control. Participants learned the differences between Live’s Intro, Standard and Suite editions, and how the Suite version incorporates Max for Live.

On the first day, Christina Horn—musician and Certified Trainer—led the session “Everyone Can Make Music.” Horn performed with her band Feral Kitty, using Live to trigger sounds and vocal effects live. She then walked the audience through the technical aspects of the performance, explaining how the software managed effects, tempo and track automation. Students finished the session with a jam, applying Horn’s tips to their own projects.

The second day was steered by Timo Preece, another Certified Trainer. Preece focused on playback engineering and live‑show design, drawing on his experience with Electronic Creatives and artists such as Charli XCX, Ariana Grande and Troye Sivan. He demonstrated how to set up cue lists, manage audio routing and integrate external hardware within Live’s session view.

A separate session, “Getting Started with Ableton Live,” was tailored for Full Sail faculty. It covered classroom integration, lesson planning and how instructors can support students’ use of Live in coursework. Faculty were shown how to incorporate Live into assignments that cover songwriting, beat‑making, arranging, sound design and performance.

"[The workshop] gave Music Production and Live Event Production students a great opportunity to see how Ableton Live is being used in real creative and live production settings," said Dr. Timothy Stulman, Program Director for Music Production at Full Sail. "The experience helped students connect classroom learning with industry practices and provided practical ideas for projects, portfolios and future careers."

Full Sail University, which began as a recording studio in Dayton, Ohio, moved to Florida in 1980 and now offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in audio, design, computer animation and business administration, is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges. Ableton AG, headquartered in Berlin with a U.S. office in Pasadena, California, develops and distributes Ableton Live and related hardware such as the Push controller.

The workshop illustrates how educational institutions and software companies can collaborate to bring professional tools into the classroom. Students left with hands‑on experience in a live‑performance‑oriented DAW, while faculty gained resources to enhance their curriculum. The event is part of an ongoing effort by Ableton to support music education through certified training and industry partnerships.

Participants expressed appreciation for the chance to work directly with Ableton Live in a live‑performance context. Full Sail and Ableton have not announced further sessions, but the collaboration sets a precedent for future educational initiatives that bridge studio production and live event workflows.