AMS Swindon BTEC students ‘Young Vintage’ are on the rise!

Young Vintage are booking out venues throughout Swindon and the surrounding area…

Fronted by talented singer-songwriter and current AMS Swindon student Charlie-Anne Bradfield, musical quartet ‘Young Vintage’ have been making waves on the Swindon covers circuit with their eclectic take on classic songs that you know and love. Lead guitarist/vocalist Charile-Anne is joined by fellow AMS students Bradley Cowtan (guitar/backing vocals) and Jason Keen (drums/percussion), as well as local musician Matt Morecroft on upright/electric bass.

You can catch Young Vintage live right now at various venues throughout Swindon and the surrounding area.

 

Check out the band’s Facebook page for up to date gig listings at https://www.facebook.com/youngvintageuk

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john tonks drum masterlass exeter ams academy of music

John Tonks Industry Q&A and Drum Masterclass

Over 30 Years of Industry experience!

John Tonks has worked in the industry as a performer, session musician, producer, musical director and manager for over 30 years.

John’s career to date spans numerous fields within the industry, countless ‘names’ that he has worked with including, Alfie Boe, Little Mix, Neneh Cherry, Amandine Bourgeois, Jess Mills, Chris DeBurgh, The Streets, Gabriella Cilmi, Paul Oakenfold, Tricky, Duran Duran, Lamb, Thea Gilmore, Fish, Stina Nordenstam, Lemonjelly, Steve Winwood, Sugababes, CirKus, Thunder and many more.

He has a wealth of experiences that he will be happy to recount during his Q and A session. Following the industry talk, there will be a drum masterclass for drum students from years 1 and 2.

John will be hosting his Q&A session and Drum Masterclass in our Exeter Centre on Friday the 22nd April @ 10.30 am.


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Newton Faulkner masterclass at Exeter centre

We are delighted to announce that the singer-songwriter will be holding a master class at our Exeter Centre on the 19th of May!

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We are delighted to announce that none other than Newton Faulkner  will be holding a masterclass at our Exeter Centre 12pm on the 19th of May!

Newton Faulkner is heading out around the UK on a lengthy headline tour of the UK this April in support of his new album Human Love. This will be followed immediately by a second tour for Newton throughout May and June as he takes on the lead role in ‘American Idiot’, the musical based on the songs of Green Day.  Newton is taking this opportunity to meet with students at music colleges around the tours to discuss his songwriting, performance and career to date, and play the odd song!

Newton picked up his first guitar aged 13 and began playing along to the Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, CSNY and Bert Jansch records in his parents’ collection at home in suburban Redhill, Surrey. An unlikely period at the Italia Conti stage school in London was followed by a stint at the Academy Of Contemporary Music in Guildford, where he studied under the late Irish finger-style guitarist Eric Roche. It was in there that he developed a playing style that enables him to produce a bewildering array of percussive effects on his instrument.

His first album, Hand Built By Robots, topped the charts in 2007, deposing Amy Winehouse, with over a million in sales and spending a year in the Top 40. The follow-up, Rebuilt By Humans, was a tribute to the surgeons who saved his career after his right wrist was shattered in a freak mishap in the French Alps. His third album, the upbeat Write It On Your Skin, gave him a second chart-topper in 2012, while 2013’s Studio Zoo was made over five weeks in his East London home studio, with every move streamed online and open to comment on social media. Newton’s audacious new album, Human Love, is a colourful statement of intent and his first for new label BMG. Moving on from what he dubs ‘an interesting, if weird, experiment’, he completed Human Love with a renewed sense of purpose, which he is touring again as the fulcrum of a three-piece band featuring drummer Toby Couling and his brother Toby.


AMS Swindon at Lechlade Festival 2016!

From 7pm on all 3 nights our Swindon students
will be taking over the festival’s Dance Tent…

Our AMS Swindon centre are very pleased to announce that they will be collaborating with Lechlade Festival this year. From 7pm on all 3 nights they will be taking over the festival’s Dance Tent to bring festival-goers live performances from some AMS Swindon students past and present, including a few special guest performances.

As well as providing a great festival experience for people of all ages, one of the long term aims of Lechlade Festival is to help fund music education for young people, so please get out to the festival and show your support!

The line-up will be released on social media streams over the next few weeks, so watch this space!

For more information on the festival and to buy your tickets, visit the Lechlade Festival website.


Craig Reynolds joins us for a drum masterclass

Craig Reynolds, an excellent example of a self-made working musician, gives us an expert class in drums.

AMS Swindon hosted an excellent drum masterclass from session player/drum tutor Craig Reynolds.

Craig is an excellent example of a self-made working musician. As well has being an established private drum teacher and online video tutor, Craig has worked with such bands as Brutality Will Prevail, Viatrophy, Deaf Havana and Architects to name but a few. Craig has also recently joined New York hardcore outfit Stray From the Path – we managed to catch him as he was preparing to leave on a 4 week US tour with the band!


ams online degree music fast track careers

Shaun Baxter has a new podcast - visualisation & learning guitar

A podcast from Academy of Music and Sound’s Academic Director Shaun Baxter..

A podcast with our every own Shaun Baxter!

UK based musician, producer, composer, arranger, music educator and journalist, Shaun Baxter tells us the process of developing all the different schools he has worked on.

Full Podcast episode and show notes at www.icmponline.com


A Masterclass with Chris Hargreaves!

Chris, who has toured all over the world with his band Submotion Orchestra, joins us for an epic masterclass.

On 15th March our bass students were treated to an exclusive masterclass from bassist and effects specialist Christopher Hargreaves!

Throughout his career, Chris has toured all over the world with his own band Submotion Orchestra, pop artist Alex Clare, grime legends Newham Generals and P-Money, as well as Andreya Triana, Mark Stewart, Adrian Sherwood, Alex Hepburn and many more.

In this interactive masterclass, Chris discussed using effects creatively to enhance bass playing and the importance of understanding different sounds and frequencies as a bass player.

You can catch Chris live with Submotion Orchestra on tour across the UK and Europe right now.


ams swindon end of term gigs

AMS Swindon End of Term Gigs

Both year groups performed exceptionally well!

On the 7th & 8th March, AMS Swindon hosted two end of term gigs for their BTEC Level 3 Music students at local venue, The Victoria. At the first year gig on Monday and second year gig on Tuesday, the students performed a repertoire of material that they have been working hard on this term.

The students performed to a fantastic audience of friends, family and fans at a highly respected local venue.

If you missed the night, fret not! There will be another gig soon, keep up to date with all of the centre activity on their Twitter page.


Nick Harper & AMS Exeter Singer-Songwriters at Exeter Old Timers

The Academy of Music and Sound are proud to present Nick Harper at Old Timers in Exeter. Nick will be performing live, supported by Alex Johnstone, Rev Hammer and a selection of students from our Singer Song Writer course in our Exeter centre.

Tickets are £10 and available on 01392 427 874 or in our Exeter centre:

The Academy of Music & Sound, 8 Coombe Street, Exeter, EX1 1DB.


AMS Exeter End of Term Gig!

The very talented BTEC students in our Exeter centre promoted and performed at an absolutely brilliant End of Term Gig at the Centre Point in Exeter on Tuesday 15th March. The students organised a fantastic evening of music and performed to a busy, and enthusiastic crowd of friends, family and fans. Demonstrating skills, songs and techniques they’d been learning this term, the students were rewarded with whoops, hollers and dancing from their audience.

If you missed the night, make sure you get along to the next gig! Keep up to date with what’s going on in the centre on their Twitter page! For those of you who did miss the night, here’s a hint at what you missed in some pictures taken on the night.


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Congratulations to Bruce Findlay

We are so pleased to congratulate our good friend and mentor, Bruce Findlay on his induction into the Glasgow Barrowlands Hall of Fame. Bruce has been a long time supporter of the Academy of Music and Sound and is a legend in the music industry, and so this award is so thoroughly well deserved and we are very proud to call Bruce our friend!

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A masterclass with bassist Chris Hargreaves

Bassist of the live electronica outfit Submotion Orchestra..

Our Swindon Centre will be hosting a masterclass with bassist Chris Hargreaves on the 15th March!

Chris ‘Fatty’ Hargreaves was born up north and has had a varied musical upbringing. From a young age he was listening to everything from Prog-Rock and Metal to Jazz, Soul, Funk and everything in-between.

Whilst studying Jazz at Leeds College of Music, he also expanded on his knowledge of effects and production. As a result of this, he became immersed in the local Hip-Hop, Grime and Dubstep scene.

His expanding knowledge of sounds and synthesis combined with his extensive knowledge of styles means he is constantly pushing boundaries – incorporating a multitude of sounds and techniques within his playing. This attitude towards making music has led to his signature experimental approach to his various electronic music projects.

In his career, Chris has toured all over the world with his own band Submotion Orchestra, pop artist Alex Clare, grime legends Newham Generals and P-money, as well as Andreya Triana, Mark Stewart, Adrian Sherwood, Alex Hepburn and many more…

He will be at the Academy of Music and Sound Swindon discussing his unique use of effects and techniques as well as talking about how he got started in the industry. For more info check out his website.