Aaron Wilson presents Guitar Summer School of Rock at AMS Edinburgh
AMS Edinburgh HND student Aaron Wilson will be running a rock guitar summer school series this year at the Edinburgh campus in Leith taking place over various dates.
The summer school will be 3 days a week, bi-weekly over 4 weeks in total, and the days will consist of 3 different groups: 2 hours Beginner group, then 2 hours Intermediate, then 2 hours Advanced. Group sizes will be limited to 5 people and all sessions will adhere to strict social distancing guidelines. There will be beginner, intermediate and advanced sessions to suit every level of experience, and anyone is welcome to come along!
Each lesson is designed to boost all areas of attendees’ guitar playing and knowledge covering everything from scales, modes, fretboard and general music theory, and chord knowledge, to covering genre and guitarist appreciation and learning how to jam with your favourite songs and in a band setting; Aaron will cover it all!
Dates:
Week 1: 6th, 7th, 8th of July
Week 2: 20th, 21st, 22nd of July
Week 3: 3rd, 4th, 5th of August
Week 4: 10th, 11th, 12th of August.
Prices:
£65 a week per person OR £240 for 4 weeks
To book your place, contact Aaron Wilson on any of the following:
07932071121 | [email protected] | www.aarronwilsonguitarlessons.com
About Aaron Wilson
Aaron is a lead guitarist, guitar tutor and session musician based in Edinburgh, about to complete his HND qualification at AMS Edinburgh. Aaron has been a lover of music for as long as he can remember, starting his musical journey at just 7 years old with his very first guitar. He has been passionately dedicated to playing and progressing with guitar in all ways ever since! Aaron has studied guitar at multiple different music institutions, such as the Academy of Music and Sound Edinburgh, and Morningside School of Music, and also currently teaches guitar for the Leith School of Music.
With a range of experience in several forms of music, including Blues, Rock, Metal, Jazz, Fusion, and Finger-Style Acoustic, Aaron has become a proficient, young teaching professional, confident tutoring many styles. He also has experience in the live music scene too, having performed within various bands and as a session musician.
Instagram page – @aaron_wilzo
Facebook Page – Aaron Wilson Music
Website – www.aaronwguitarlessons.com
Announcing our new Hip-Hop Free Mini Workshop with Steg G!
Love hip-hop or rap? Want to expand your skills? Considering further study? Come along to our free mini-hip-hop workshop with popular Scottish rapper and AMS tutor Steg G.
Gain an introduction into hip-hop and rap, and studying at AMS Edinburgh or Glasgow at this upcoming one-off mini-workshop. The 2 hour session acts as an introduction to our Hip-Hop and Rap course pathway, part of our accredited HNC/HNC qualification. Attendees will learn some basic hip-hop, rap and beat-making skills, plus get a run down on what our HNC/HND course entails, including the hip-hop specific pathway.
You will also have the chance to ask general questions about studying at AMS (Scotland – Edinburgh or Glasgow) and learn about the courses we offer, in particular the HNC/HND where students get the chance to focus particularly on hip-hop and rap. Sign up to get the Zoom link sent straight to your inbox.
Event Programme
- What is Rap? A brief history and how to start rapping
- Rap techniques for beginners: different kinds of rap and poetry
- Lean about techniques such as end rhymes and internal rhymes
- How to structure and arrange a rap song
- Finding your rap voice
- Freestyle lessons: how to freestyle and expand your rhyme
- Vocabulary: Advanced rap techniques such as assonance, alliteration and multi syllabic rhymes
- Beat making: Introduction to beat making software and hardware
- Introduction to sampling
- Introduction to midi beat-making
- Performance techniques and tips
- Introduction and Q&A to the AMS HNC/HND Course
Steg G
Steg is a Hip Hop Artist from Glasgow. In 2019 he released the album THE AIR IN BETWEEN and in October 2019 won Best Hip Hop artist at the SAMA awards. For the last few years he has been producing for lots of artists such as Loki, Freestyle Master, Empress, CCTV, Stanley Odd, Mad hat, and many more, helping them shine and showcasing their talents. In 2020 he fully produced the – Empress – Love wins album which was released in June 2020 year to critical acclaim. This year (2021) Steg G released his latest album – Live Today . The album is a concept / story that was wrote and produced around the themes of toxic masculinity and addictions.
Hip-Hop at AMS Scotland
Our new Hip-Hop and Rap HNC/HND pathway launched in 2020 – the first music college to run this option – and it has become incredibly popular. It offers weekly classes covering songwriting techniques, style analysis and live performance to improve technical aptitude and theoretical understanding.
Our team have been working diligently with industry professionals to finally provide this course in an area typically overlooked in music education. Alongside this we also run regular free hip-hop short courses each term. Find out more.
"Women in Music" The online course challenging inequality in music
According to ‘Counting the Music Industry‘, a study conducted by Vick Bain published recently in Music Week, just over 14% of writers currently signed to publishers and just under 20% of acts signed to labels are female. This large gap is indicative of widespread discrimination against women in the music industry – and a very real problem. A similar study conducted by Women In Ctrl found that just 19% of female songwriters are among the top 100 played songs on the radio in 2020*, while female producers make up just 3% of this.
Bain, former BASCA CEO now freelance music industry consultant and director of the board of Parents & Carers in Performing Arts (PiPA), hopes her study will be a “wake up call” for the industry. Her experience on on the UK Music board, the UK Music Research Group and the UK Music Rights Committee, as well as the UK Music Diversity Taskforce, has cultivated her expertise and passion for equality in the sector and is one of many women in the industry today fighting for a greater sense of equal opportunity.
Empowerment and Employability
Our short course (taking place over 2 weekends, 3-11 October) will be led by two formidable women in music and AMS colleagues, Melisa Kelly and Karlyn King, and is aimed at female identifying students and women in the industry. While laying bare these deep-rooted problems, the class sets out to be an empowering experience that will provide women in music with the tools and knowledge of gender dynamics in the industry, and hopefully inspire an upcoming generation will the vision to create a more balanced sector.
From feedback of Women In Music courses been-and-gone, we found that one of the most important and valuable things students took away from class was the incredible sense of community and support found within the class – even though it was delivered online for the first time this summer! It was a great chance for students to network and connect with other women in the industry and develop a solid sense of community and uplift.
Throughout the week-long course, attendees will cover everything from getting a background of gender and representation in the industry, to creative CV and mock interview skills, an introduction into music management, and a songwriting/performance masterclass. Day 1 and 3 will be hosted by Karlyn, while day 2 and 4 is to be hosted by Melisa. Take a look below for a day to day outline of the course.
There’s certainly a long way to go before equal representation and opportunity is achieved. These gaps are of course far more prevalent for women of colour and other marginalised groups in the industry too. While opportunities for women in music are much more varied and appreciated than they used to be, it’s still a long road ahead. As a male dominated sector, feeling empowered and valued as a woman within it is a vital step to changing the status-quo. Our WIM short course not only aims to share knowledge of the gender gaps and disparities in music, but to empower and build a sense of community between female and female-identifying producers and creatives.
Women In Music Short Course: 3-11 October
The course will take place over two Weekends, starting on October 3rd and ending on October 11th.
Day 1: We will cover why the course is necessary and start to reflect on what valuable skills and experience we already have and want to gain.
Day 2: Refine your creative CV and mock interview skills.
Day 3: Learn how to deal with challenging work situations and get an introduction to music management.
Day 4: Songwriting and performance masterclass with Melisa Kelly (professional singer and songwriter and academic).
You will gain info on what other areas there are available to work in music, and how to gain access to them whether its performance or business, writing – how to monetize is a big focus.
APPLY NOW
Check out some of Melisa Kelly and Karlyn King’s work…
Melisa is a successful performing artist and music tutor, perhaps best known for her leading role in the group, Melisa Kelly and the Smokin’ Crows.
Karlyn is a prolific academic, who specialised in music business and the vinyl record industry.
Free 'Digital Marketing for Musicians' Masterclass in Gateshead
AMS Gateshead team up with Plectrumm Social to offer the free marketing session.
We've said it once, we'll say it again. Social media and savvy digital marketing can be an excellent way to enhance your band's profile!
Good news then, Academy of Music and Sound Gateshead have collab'd with Plectrumm to offer a free Digital Marketing Masterclass. Gateshead students - get involved!
Founded by Matthew Wooton, Brighton-based Plectrumm brings a fresh and dynamic take on digital advertising. With over 5 years experience, the team have worked with some of the biggest artists in the game, including Thirty Seconds To Mars, Noel Gallagher, Four Tet and Freya Ridings.
"Born out of the desire to bring a memorable tailored service, Plectrumm's vision is built around growing engaged artist audiences, retaining key data and converting interest into income. With a creative and innovative campaign Plectrumm can help join the dots between the live, recorded and social streams."
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"Proudly based in Brighton, Plectrumm looks to take the industry forward by delivering an untouched standard of e-commerce and advertising, exclusively to the world of music."
"The team are as passionate about breaking talented new acts as they are keen to work with household names. With a developing roster of some of the most exciting new acts around, this ethos fuels the belief that connected digital marketing will break the musicians of tomorrow."
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Date And Time:
Fri, February 14, 2020
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM GMT
Location:
Academy of Music and Sound, Gateshead
191 High Street
Gateshead
NE8 1AS
Book now
Find out more on Plectrumm's website.
The Big Gig at St Lukes Glasgow2019 Official Film
In November 2019 we completed our year of 25th birthday celebrations with an epic showcase at St Lukes in Glasgow. Wandern Media were on hand to capture the entire event, as well as providing some sick snaps, they caught the entire gig on film in this epic gig video. Check it out below.
In PhotosThe Big Gig at St Lukes Glasgow
November 2019 saw us take to the incredible venue St Luke’s & the Winged Ox in Glasgow for an epic BIG GIG celebrating our 25 years in music education. It was a joint birthday affair along with the Scottish Alternative Music Awards (SAMAs) and the Scottish Music Centre who were celebrating their 10th and 50th birthdays respectively, and was sound-tracked by a whole host of amazing bands and artists.
Cloth, Vandal Palace, Marina Rolink were all there to help celebrate, with Melisa Kelley and the Smokin Crows playing an outstanding headlining set. The atmosphere was incredible and we couldn’t have asked for a better venue, crowd, and line-up to help mark our 25th year, and to send of 2019 in style with. Thanks to all who made the Big Gig possible.
AMS Scotland’s Marc Sharpe made a statement about the event:
“Having been employed at AMS for over ten years I have been privileged and humbled from the amount of raw musical talent that not only was developed from students forming bands, collaborating and watching the first iterations of the original material created, but what they have continued to work towards when their studies with us have ended – some of them on the brink of not only breaking and becoming known locally but also across the UK and Europe.
The Big Gig was not only a celebration of 25 years of the Academy of Music and Sound but also a celebration and recognition of the students/alumni that have developed under our tutelage, supporting local businesses/networks, charities close to our heart.
We collaborated and shared our birthday with the Scottish Alternative Music Awards and Scottish Music Centre who respectively turned ten and fifty this year and always appreciate and welcome their support, we always strive to maintain close industry networks and collaboration to share unique opportunities to current and former students. Not only this, we invited industry professionals such as; Creative Scotland, The Musicians Union, 23rd Precinct, Hit the Road, Help Musicians UK to provide inside knowledge on what they can offer people during and beyond their studies.
The evening also had some additional support from current HN students (Cameron Wilson and Jack Geddes) who are also developing their own photography skills and offered to take pictures alongside our media partner (former BA(hons) alumni) Emma Bryceland who have their own creative film company. Additionally, we had thirst-quenching sustenance from local brewers Drygate who provided a healthy stock of drinks for everyone who attended.
From start to finish, from the opening act to the final act, every single performer, musician, artist was flawless. The night featured an eclectic taste of music and on paper, you wouldn’t typically see many of these performers on the same bill however, I also think that this demonstrates a key understated area in that AMS helps develop musicians regardless of their musical background or interests. Furthermore, I think it shows great strength in the musical talent in Scotland and I’m sure that it’ll continue to grow.
Thank you to everyone involved and I mean absolutely everyone.
Wandern Media, Cameron Wilson and Jag Media were on hand to capture the event in all it’s glory. Check out all the photos in the gallery below.
AMS Edinburgh host Women's Employability in the Music Industry workshop
Free short course: Women's Employability in the Music Industry
The Academy of Music and Sound in Edinburgh is hosting a free four day course for anyone identifying as female looking for opportunities in the music industry.
The event is a completely free four-day course, running over two consecutive weekends the 11th, 12th, 18th and 19th of January 2020. The course is for anyone identifying as female who wants to enhance their knowledge, network and toolkit with the aim of being employed in the music industries in any capacity, whether it be performance, behind the scenes, journalism or event management.
The course will be hosted by Karlyn King, (BIMM, ICMP, University of Birmingham, UWS, AMS) who will teach attendees about gaining confidence in a competitive and harsh industry, how to find a musical direction, and female specific struggles and strengths in the music world and broader culture. The final day will be a masterclass with the wonderful Melisa Kelly of Melisa Kelly and the Smokin' Crows - the incredible blues band who killed it at our 25th Birthday Celebrations in Glasgow last week.
The course will take place at the Academy of Music and Sound, 88 Giles Street, Edinburgh EH6 6BZ. The deadline to book is Thursday 09 January 2020 at 23:55.
For further information, please contact [email protected] or call 0131 656 0600.
"The Big Gig" AMS Scotland mark 25 Years Loud with SAMAs and Scottish Music Centre
SAVE THE DATE
Here at AMS have been celebrating 25 years in music education this year. After an amazing showcase this summer in
Exeter, Academy of Music and Sound Scotland are bringing a joint party, along with the Scottish Music Centre – (who are marking a
mahoosive 50th year!) – AND the Scottish Alternative Music Awards (who turn 10 tonight!) to Saint Luke’s on 21 November. We’re calling this one, the BIG GIG.
The event will include a gig with guest acts such as Mellisa Kelly and the Smokin’ Crows, Marina Rolink, Vandal Palace, and Quiche.
Plus the band Cloth – who were nominated for the Best Newcomer Award as part of this years SAMA’s (a category the Academy of Music
and Sound were proud to sponsor this year). With even more acts TBC, this is definitely one to put in the diary.
Alongside these acts, there will be tables represented by Resonate, Musicians’ Union, Help Musicians UK and the Scottish Music Industry Association.
PLUS there is going to be free beer (yes free) from sponsor Drygate Brewery and Wandern Media will be shooting and snapping the entire event. ????
????For more info click here to sign up to AMS Scot’s mailer!????
FOR TICKETS, CLICK HERE. ????
Click HERE for the FACEBOOK EVENT ????
Graduation season and award announcements
It's graduation season at AMS and to mark the occasion, as usual, we have given out awards to some of this year's outstanding students.
It was very hard to choose, as there have been some exceptional students, projects and performances this year, but in the end our panel of industry experts and AMS tutors whittled it down to three dedicated students.
There were three prizes on offer, one for songwriting talent and output, another for production based skills and achievements, and a final award for performance. Check out the list of winners below.
The Shaun Baxter H.E. Award for Performance - Steven Moore, AMS Gateshead.
Steven was nominated by Tom Pottage (2nd marker), for his University Ensembles "Other Ensemble" - a performance of Ney Rossauro's Marimba Concerto. His performance was described as "absolutely astounding" and "one of the best performance submissions I've ever seen from an AMS student." by Pottage. Shaun Baxter commented, "the whole performance was absolutely top class."
"This candidate executed concert-style repertoire, requiring virtuoso-level knowledge and technique, with composure and assurance. His performance, displaying a very demanding but impressive four-mallet marimba technique, continued to excel even when placed under the harsh microscope used to scrutinise any lead instrument in a large ensemble."
The Rev Hammer Award for Songwriting - Beth Goudie, AMS Online student
Beth studied BA (Hons) Professional Music (Performance) with AMS Online, and is set to graduate this summer. Her debut album out in July, adding to an impressive set of recent achievements. After receiving the news of her win, Beth commented: “Receiving the AMS Graduation Songwriting Award has been such a special addition to what was already an incredibly rewarding year. As a songwriter, an award like this is a real honour and encouragement as it gives me a new level of confidence as I move forward in my career. My time with AMS has added so much to my professional and personal life and it’s an experience I would recommend to any musician. Thank you so much to everyone at AMS for providing such an enriching opportunity, it’s one I will be forever grateful for.”
Beth was nominated by AMS Tutor Kimwei McCarthy, who spoke about Beth’s songwriting portfolio: “An astoundingly crafted EP of songs, which appear simple of first listen, but are in fact meticulously arranged, so that every note and every syllable fuse and ignite. These songs sound ancient and yet current, showing that they speak to something timelessly human in us”
Rev Hammer commented saying, her songs are "Utterly charming recordings. The sparseness of the approach works perfectly with the lonesome feel and longing of the message. I particularly liked the lyrical content of songs such as Hiraeth, Bouncy Castles, Ashes and Home. Bouncy Castles in a particular felt perceptive and wry and encapsulated the song writers dream of making the personal global. All in all a very rewarding and enriching listening experience with the beautiful recording of the voice adding both poise and fragility.
Beth's prize includes a free recording day at Studio 54 in Exeter, at her graduation ceremony. Two other awards, one for Performance and another for Production up for grabs, though details on winners are yet to be announced. Head to the AMS Online website to read more.
The AMS Music Production Award - Matt Stevenson, Exeter
Matt was nominated by tutor Rob Dymond. After much deliberation it was decided that Matt deserved the award due to the professional quality of his music for production project:
Overall this production is well arranged for the Idiom, as well as showing that Matt has a good grasp of mixing audio, mastering, sampling and recording instruments. Musicians have been directed well and perform to a very high standard in his work. Rob said, "each track is competitive in terms of loudness without losing dynamics and the low end definition is where this project shines, it would be suitable to be played on large speakers in club or at a dance music festival." Careful considerations have been made throughout his work in terms of processing, saturation, stereo width and balance. Rob also said, "I very much look forward to hearing this music within a professional context in the future."