60s soul student event
ATM/RNCM students celebrated the music of Motown and 1960s American soul at a packed gig at Blueprint studios on Wednesday 17 June. The band featured a variety of vocalists who gave stunning and passionate performances, backed by a tight rhythm and horn section.
Snake Davis @ RNCM
Snake Davis treated students to a first hand insight into the journey of the session musician. He gave advice on how to get into the industry, including the importance not only of performance but also of the business skills needed, such as self promotion. He said that being an excellent musician is only half the package, you also need to have skills such as being punctual, organised and positive.
In addition to the excellent business advice Snake gave, he also demonstrated the importance of stage presence and personality in performance and gave ideas and strategies for mental and physical preparation, including how to manage stage fright and nerves.
Snake’s own musical career didn't begin with a 'big break' but was a gradual rise from gigging in pubs and clubs, to cruise ships, to Lisa Stansfield, M People and The Eurhythmics and then performing with Take That and Paul McCartney.
The students appreciated the advice and honesty given in a top masterclass by a top musician.
The Session Live!
Blueprint Studios was the venue for a fantastic selection of tunes from bands formed on the session musician Foundation Degree. The event took place on Thursday 5 February.
More info.
Top session singer gives masterclass
Kim Chandler who has sung with an array of stars including Michael Jackson, Bjork, Jocelyn Brown, P Diddy and Michael McDonald visited Session Musician students to give a masterclass. www.kimchandler.net
Jools Holland, Snake Davis and
Jim Davis support Session Musician Course
ATM patron, band leader and host of 'Later With...', Jools Holland has this to say: 'As a music artist who regularly employs session musicians, I wholeheartedly support this course as it gives a fantastic opportunity for aspiring musicians to get the training they need to work in this role'.
International saxophonist Snake Davis is widely known for his solos on tracks such as Lisa Stansfield's Change, M-People's Search For A Hero (currently the 2012 Olympics theme) and Moving On Up and Take That's A Million Love Songs. He has played and recorded with artists ranging from James Brown to Paul McCartney, The Eurythmics to Amy Winehouse. About the course, Snake says: 'Back in my younger days there was nothing like this! It was generally assumed that if you were outside of classical music you had to sort it out for yourself. I firmly believe that this stuff can be taught and that all musicians going into the music business should receive business advice. Therefore I whole-heartedly applaud and welcome the arrival of this course'.
Jim Davis, session musician with the likes of the Prodigy and Pitchshifter says: 'As a guitarist, session playing can be a bit of minefield. This course will make sure you enter the business as clued as you could be. Knowledge is power and this course can give you a big edge over the other many players out there aiming to get in the same profession. Session playing can be very rewarding and challenging, but without that business knowledge the chance for an unsuspecting player to get a bad deal is huge! This course will make sure you get the very best deal and chance at succeeding. I totally recommend it'.
Snake and Jim are just two of the many musicians who will be sharing career advice with students studying on the Popular Music Practice (Session Musician) Foundation Degree.
Find out about our clinicians who performed at our Masterclass & Open Day in August.
