Free Rehearsal Space THIS SUMMER: Exeter, Southampton & Gateshead
Our Level 3 music and degree students have broken up for the summer holidays, so we’re offering you FREE rehearsal space. It’s the perfect chance to practice for up and coming festivals or even to kick start a new band.
Book now as we have limited availability and space – we can only offer free space during office hours. Please contact the centre you wish to rehearse at for further details and booking availability.
Exeter
8 Coombe Street, Exeter EX1 1DB
[email protected]
01392 427 874
Gateshead
191 High Street, Gateshead NE8 1AS
[email protected]
0191 478 7879
Southampton
11a High Street, Southampton S014 2DF
[email protected]
0238 082 9666
We offer paid for rehearsal space out of office hours.
This offer will end on September 1st 2018 and is subject to availability.
APPLY NOW
Applications for September 2018 start are open for:
Level 3 music (16-18 year old)
Foundation Degree in Music Performance
Foundation Degree in Creative Music Production
BA (Hons) Professional Music Performance
BA (Hons) Professional Music Production
Masters in Popular Music Performance
Professional Musicians
We can map your experience as a professional musician, against the first two years of a degree, to fast-track you onto a 1 year BA (Hons). This saves you time and money so you can progress in your career, or start a new one such as teaching.
Contact us for more information: [email protected]
AMS Presents The One Big Showcase @ Bearded Theory 2018
The Academy of Music and Sound will be launching a NEW unsigned stage at Bearded Theory 2018!
We have unsigned artists from the Academy of Music and Sound, AND highly talented hand-picked (earpicked?) bands and artists from up and down the country. Plus, stage management is being supported by our production and performance students.
It would be greatly appreciated if you could spare a little time out of your busy festival schedule (hard to do, especially with Bearded Theory's AMAZING line-up this year) to support the talent we have, both on and off the stage.
Dan Donnelly and Rev Hammer are kindly appearing on Sunday 15.00-15.30 as special guest and friends of the Academy of Music and Sound.
Tickets are selling fast, if you're quick you might still be able to grab some www.beardedtheory.com.
SPOTIFY PLAYLIST: Academy of Music and Sound Presents the One Big Showcase
FULL LINE-UP
Show your support, follow the links & like their pages!
| Time | Friday 25th | Saturday 26th | Sunday 27th |
| 21.15 – 22.00 | Swanvesta Social Club | The Winachi Tribe | Shy Billy |
| 20.15 – 21.00 | Indigo Velvet | Winnie & the Rockettes | Patersani |
| 19.30 – 20.00 | Will Whisson | Pattern Pusher | LONGY & the Gospel Trash |
| 18.45 – 19.15 | Kimwei | Paisley Sundae | Baron Goodlove and the Dreadful Noise |
| 18.00 – 18.30 | Riskee & the Ridicule | Bleedin' Noses | Tensheds |
| 17.15 – 17.45 | F.O.X | Record Street | Broken Bones Matilda |
| 16.30 – 17.00 | Spidasense | SCHEMA | Cohesion |
| 15.45 – 16.15 | The Quincies | Human X | The Seagulls |
| 15.00 – 15.30 | Amy Hopkinson | Posion Crow | (Special Guests) Dan Donnelly & Rev Hammer |
| 14.15 – 14.45 | Jake Holt | Wish Hounds | Sam Ryan & Connor Walsh |
| 13.30 – 14.00 | Exhibitor | Gav Hamilton | Maddie Whittaker |
| 12.45 – 13.15 | Chain the Phoenix | Kara Jade | Connor Thomas |
| 12.00 – 12.30 | Thin White Line | Shereen Eltayeib | Kevin Harding & Shaun Baxter |
MIA: Creative jobs set to grow faster than STEM
(Source: www.mia.org.uk/2018/04/creative-jobs-set-to-grow-faster-than-stem)
The number of UK creative jobs is set to grow 5.3% by 2024, faster than STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) at 5.1%, and double the average rate of employment which will increase by 2.5%.
This means, for children who start secondary school this year to graduate in 2024, there will be 119,495 new creative jobs.
The new analysis was carried out jointly by the Creative Industries Federation and Nesta on workforce projections, used by Government in its industrial strategy. Previous research suggests that, increasingly, the jobs in high demand will be ones that combine creative, technical and social skills. But fewer children are taking creative subjects:
● entries for GCSEs in creative subjects fell by 46,000 last year
● 2016 entry rates to creative subjects at Key Stage 4 fell to its lowest in a decade
As robots and automation take over routine tasks, this generation of young people will need skills that are future-proof.
Recommendations include:
● Government should back an industry-led Creative Careers initiative.
● Government should ensure that its technical education and apprenticeship schemes are fit for purpose.
● Ofsted should limit ‘outstanding’ to schools that warrant it: a school must teach creative subjects to be eligible for an ‘outstanding’ rating.
● The Government’s upcoming Curriculum Fund should be resourced to help the delivery of high-quality materials for creative and technical subjects.
www.creativeindustriesfederation.com/publications/creativity-and-future-work
Open Days at our Southampton site
Southampton is having some Open Days!
Fancy a Career in Music? Then head down to the Academy of Music and Sound in Southampton to learn more about our courses in Music. You can thrive in a small focused learning environment and learn from industry professionals.
We offer College and University courses in Guitar, Bass, Vocals, Drums and Music Technology.
Most of our students qualify for funding for these courses!
Gain real experience and learn from some truly awesome tutors. Gain recognised qualifications and start to build your Career in Music.
Your first step is to come and meet us at one of our Southampton Open Days.
Open Days – Dates and Times
11th of April 2018 6pm til 8pm
14th of May 2018 6pm til 8pm
Can’t wait till then? No worries! Give us a call: 02380 829 666
Why Study in Southampton?
Here is what our level 3 students think!
New Recording Studio and Production Suite Opens on Exeter High Street
Exeter high street will be home to a professional recording studio, Studio 54, and Academy of Music and Sound’s new Higher Education building
officially opening on 22nd February with live performances from Sound of the Sirens and Pattern Pusher.
Studio 54 has not one, but two control rooms patched into the acoustically treated live room. It’s kitted out with an Audient ASP4816 analogue console designed by the legendary designer David Dearden, Focusrite Clarett 8 Pre X linked with Scarlett Octo Pre, Joe Meek VC1, Drawmer DL 241 Drawmer DS 201 – Giving 16 channels of superfast A/D D/A conversion allowing for professional tracking and mix downs.
Students at the music college and university, Academy of Music and Sound, will be lucky enough to work alongside and in Studio 54, as their new Higher Education building and production suite with 13 Logic and Pro Tools licenced Macs, directly integrated with the state-of-the-art studio.
To celebrate the studio opening, there will be a launch on Thursday 22nd February. Live performances from acoustic folk duo Sound of the Sirens and promising electronic rockers Pattern Pusher. As if the night couldn’t get any better, it will be host to an exclusive launch for Pattern Pusher’s new single – Lose Myself.
If you can’t make the opening, you can always pop along to an open day at the Academy of Music and Sound, Exeter for a sneaky look around.
Studio 54 can be found on at 54 High Street, Exeter EX4 3DJ – Across the road from Dr.Martens. For more information on Studio 54 or the Academy of Music and Sound on 01392 253 470 or [email protected].
Pattern Pusher – www.patternpusher.com
Sound of the Sirens- www.soundofthesirens.net
In the meantime check out this:
WIN Logic Pro X
Our Exeter centre is expanding, we’re opening a brand new Higher Education building! The building is situated on Exeter High Street and our students will have the opportunity to take full advantage of the facilities on offer, including a brand new state-of-the-art recording studio, Studio 54, and production suite, complete with analog and digital mixing desks.
The centre will offer:
- Foundation Degree in Music Performance
- Foundation Degree in Creative Music Production
- BA (Hons) Professional Music (with 1 year fast-track option for experienced musicians)
- Masters in Popular Music Performance
SO, to celebrate – As a new course enquiry through the contact form below, you will be entered into a draw to win a copy of Logic Pro X.
We offer specialist music performance and production education, preparing you for a career in one of the best industries in the world, the music industry, with recognised music qualifications. Our students also get FREE use of our recording studio and rehearsal space while they study with us!
If you would like to come and have a look around, please see our open days for Exeter here. We also offer a full-time Level 3 qualification for young musicians at college level education for 16-18.
The winner will be chosen at random and will be announced 27th April 2018.
Please note that this is an enquiry and you will be contacted regarding courses.
Christmas Number 1: Cultural Force or Forgotten Relic?
Since 1971, when Slade battled Wizzard for the coveted spot at the top of the charts, Christmas number one has been seen as an achievement of huge cultural significance in the UK. However, with the influence of pop radio dwindling, number one spot being monopolised by Simon Cowell’s X-Factor and guerilla campaigns aiming to get unlikely candidates to clinch it, is the Christmas chart battle still relevant?
When compared to previous festive chart battles such as Slade vs. Wizzard, The Darkness vs. Gary Jules or even the legendary Rage Against the Machine vs. That Guy from the X-Factor, 2017’s race can’t help but feel a little bit underwhelming. Speculation seems hard to come by and in amongst the stress and excitement of the season, the old chart battle struggles to find a place even in the back of one’s mind. One reason for this could be our potential candidates. A google search indicates that this year's race will most likely be between Ed Sheeran and Beyonce or...Ed Sheeran and Eminem. There is a potential wildcard in the form of a campaign to get Last Christmas by Wham! to number one for (unbelievably) the first time, but it’s hard to get excited when it’s overwhelming likely the crown will go to the man who has been omnipresent in Pop culture for the rest of the year anyway.
Another possible reason for the muted (or nonexistent) excitement for Christmas number 1 in modern times could be the effect that the X-Factor had on the charts. From 2002 onwards, Simon Cowell strategically planned his yearly karaoke competition to culminate in the release of a winner’s single which would, inevitably, due to the popularity of the show win the Christmas number one. This sense of inevitability took the excitement from the chart battle for many, with Dan of aforementioned band The Darkness stating “when it stops being a question of ‘who’s going to be number one?’ and starts being ‘which X Factor competitor is going to be number one?’ all the fun’s gone out of it. In a way, it’s changed British culture for the worse, because the Christmas number one was a cultural phenomenon.”
When considering the reasons for the change in attitude towards the charts, it must also be considered that the way people listen to music and the cultural monoliths that shaped the charts have changed considerably. Traditionally, people got their music from the radio and TV shows like Top of the Pops. This meant that popular culture was fairly homogenised, with people old and young often consuming the same music. However, in 2017, music has never been more accessible with the internet and streaming, which leads to people discovering different types of music and relying less on the traditional mainstream outlets. Radio 1 does still have an effect on the charts, as can be seen by Sheeran’s dominance, but it’s audience is smaller than ever and mostly consists of those under 30. For a Christmas hit on the scale once seen, a single has to reach people across various age groups.
The lessened interest in the charts is a self-fulfilling prophecy, with press and media outlets being more hesitant to cover the chart battle and people therefore thinking about it less. Online streaming means that many tracks from the classic Christmas canon enter the charts once again, which shows that appetite for quality festive singles isn’t going anywhere. But can artists capitalise on this and start releasing singles which reinvigorate the race for the once-coveted number one spot? Maybe next year.
Why Distance Learning is a Powerful Tool for Musicians
Are you a musician who feels like your playing or general musicianship has stagnated? Feel like you could benefit from a new approach? Got some bad habits that need fixing?
AMS Online could provide you with the skills and resources to massively enhance your musicianship, and with the flexibility of distance learning, you can make studying work around your life.
If you are an experienced musician, you may be suitable for our unique Fast Track BA course. This allows you to use your prior learning to bypass the first two years of a degree and begin at BA Hons (Level 6.) Meaning you can enhance your musicianship and earn a highly-regarded qualification without a four year commitment and at a third of the cost.
With the fast-track course, you have the option to complete your BA full-time over 1 year or part-time over 18 months, the latter would be the optimal choice for actively working musicians, producers or teachers. This grants you access to online lessons from world-class tutors, online mentoring and also allows you to use the facilities at your local AMS centre if you wish.
There has never been a better time to pursue distance learning, with The Guardian reporting that an increasing number of professionals are updating their skills by studying remotely. Furthermore, AMS Online is set up to allow the student to choose their own path and study topics which are directly relevant to their interests and career development. So whether you’re a performer, songwriter, producer, composer or an event manager, you can become more effective and more qualified studying at AMS Online!
For more information about the course and what is involved, head to this link - www.academyofmusic.ac.uk/amsonline/ba-hons-performance-industries/
The Importance of Streaming in 2017 and Beyond
It’s that time of year again. The time when a vast array of music blogs fight for your attention with their end of year lists, all vying to be the definitive voice on which music was the most influential.
If you use social media with any frequency, you may have noticed your social circle sharing their own listening habits and opinions. This week, Spotify launched their “2017 Wrapped” project, providing a variety of statistics on every user’s listening throughout the year including total listening time, top artists and top genres.
The increasing importance of streaming services within the music industry has been evident for some time now, Eamonn Ford of the Guardian claiming that “in 2017, if you’re not on them, you might as well not exist.” Despite some pushback from high profile artists such as Thom Yorke and Neil Young, it is evident that streaming sites are here to stay and getting your music on these platforms is an essential endeavour for any artist who hopes to compete.
However, the “total time listened” feature of 2017 wrapped shows just how widely used Spotify, in particular, is for music consumers. My own personal time amounted to 36,349 minutes, or around 25 days! Even at that, I’ve seen numerous friends with higher numbers and with Spotify alone having over 140 million active users,the amount of music being consumed is massive. This shows the vast potential for music to be heard on Spotify, which is particularly vital for small and unknown artists, for whom getting people to bother checking out a track can seem like a mammoth task.
The change in listening methods brought on by streaming has also seen a move away from albums and towards playlists which means single tracks are more important than ever. Being featured on influential playlists can give previously unknown artists worldwide exposure almost overnight. A recent example is former AMS apprentice Lewis Capaldi, who’s first single, “Bruises” was released in March and has now racked up over 30 Million streams on Spotify alone after generating a huge online buzz, taking him around the world playing shows.
For any musicians unsure about getting their tracks on streaming services, whether due to lack of confidence, being unsure about the process or being worried about the expense, I would highly recommend looking into it. I have listed some of the most widely-used distributors below, which offer a variety of packages and often let the artist keep 100% of royalties earned. Digital distribution is fairly inexpensive and essential to a musician’s career in the modern music landscape!
EmuBands - www.emubands.com
TuneCore - www.tunecore.co.uk
CD Baby - www.cdbaby.com
Ditto Music - www.dittomusic.com