callum beatie - gateshead masterclass

Callum Beattie, Rory McLeod, Loft Studios
confirmed for Gateshead Masterclasses

The Academy of Music and Sound Gateshead have announced a series of masterclasses
led by professional musicians and industry leaders for the coming months.

Up-and-coming Scottish singer-songwriter Callum Beattie will be leading a class on
20 November, Newcastle based recording and mixing pro Anth Mills, Rob Meek and
the team from Loft Studios.

(Just added!) AMS Gateshead will host on Friday 15th November, an epic masterclass with Rory Mcleod – ex-circus clown and fire eater, and one man soulband, poet and storyteller. The event is FREE for CURRENT/EX STUDENTS, and is also open to the public for only £5.

Rory is a modern travelling troubadour using tap shoes, acappella, harmonica, guitar, trombone, spoons, finger cymbals, bandorea, djembe and various percussion instruments! He’s also a seasoned traveler, having explored places such as the middle East, Gambia, Cuba, Central America, Australia, North America, Canada, Europe and other nooks and crannies of the earth. ????

While on 20th November, Callum Beattie heads to AMS Gateshead for a masterclass. Managed by the team behind The Kooks, Michael Kiwanuka, The La’s, and Cast, the former Edinburgh busker recently signed a recordings deal with 3 Beat/Universal. Callum’s debut album is scheduled for release in 2019, In the meantime, he can be heard on the new single from High Contrast and is currently supporting Robbie Williams and The Kooks on there European tours. This event is also free for current students or AMS alumni, with a generous £3 entry fee for members of the public – who are also warmly welcome to take part! MORE INFO HERE.

Rory McLeod | 15th November | AMS Gateshead
Callum Beattie | 20th November | AMS Gateshead


newton faulkner

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!

NewtonFaulkner_logotype_small

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.


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.


A Masterclass with Anton Browne

A masterclass with Anton Browne

The Sing Thing..

On Friday 5th February, AMS hosted a masterclass with vocal coach Anton Browne.

Anton is a well-respected vocalist and educator in the UK. In his career, he has performed with The Len Phillips Big Band, was a resident member of the house band on TV show The Voice UK, co-wrote the Popular Music Vocals Grades for the London College of Music (as well as developing his own vocal tuition program ‘The Sing Thing’), all the while teaching at The BRIT School for over twenty years. He has also contributed material for our very own BTEC vocal courses.

In the masterclass, Anton talked students through a variety of exercises to help improve breathing, tone and range, as well as working with students to help pick out way in which they can improve their own voices.

Here’s what some of our students had to say about the class….

“Amazing – learned a lot about breathing. Must book again!”

“Very helpful and impressive.”

“I liked how he involved us in the class and asked about/worked on our problems.”

“Very informative and interactive – learned a lot!”

“Very fun – got everyone involved.”

“Even though I am not a singer, I found it really interesting.”

Find out more about Anton Browne on his website.


nat powers

A Masterclass with British producer/song-writer Nat Powers!

A fantastic masterclass with legendary producer Nat Powers!

This month AMS Exeter hosted British producer/songwriter Nat Powers for a fantastic masterclass!

He shared with students his own personal journey into the music industry and some of the challenges he has faced over the years, as well as offering advice and encouragement for all budding musicians and producers.

Nat has Produced for the likes of Snoop Dogg’s record label, Dizzee Rascal’s imprint, EMI, Virgin, Professor Green, D Double E, Skepta, The Pharcyde, Wu Tang, Three 6 Mafia, Death Row Records artists, The Stylistics, Maxi Priest, Omar and many more. He also became the first British producer to extensively work with the iconic Run DMC. Nat began his career in the USA, and his since been active across the US, Europe, UK and other locations globally.

Nat is also working on a Magazine and Publishing venture and an independent documentary film with SKY TV in Malawi (Africa) on the side of his music career. He debuted his magazine venture at TEDx with his own talk.


Phil Braithwaite

Swindon students feedback from Phil Braithwaite's Masterclass!

Phil Braithwaite, Guitar Legend heads to our Swindon centre, and impresses our students!

Phil Braithwaite is a session guitarist, songwriter, producer, musical director, composer, teacher and author based in London. He currently is the touring guitarist for Vanessa Mae and has worked with Westlife, has written songs for Rhianna and Kelly Clarkson, has composed music for the American Horror Story TV series and is the author of two books on guitar techniques – just to name a few!

Students really enjoyed the masterclasses and he passed on a lot of great advice and knowledge about employability in different sectors of the music industry.

Some feedback from our students:

“Very interesting and informative”

More ‘real world’ information and knowledge. Gave a good insight into the music industry.”

“Super cool guy. Really like him!”

“Very useful class, lots of tips and so interesting.”

“Extremely good information and provided drive
and motivation to get up and do something with
music and not sit around. Really enjoyed it.”

““Really informative and really relaxed masterclass.
I have learnt loads and have come away with a
Whole bunch of ideas. I think that I will be able to
take the stuff I have learnt away and apply it to my
music. He has also given us a whole load of
advice.”

More masterclasses here.