Musicians Encouraged to Rock Again as ‘Weekend Warriors’ Hits Birmingham!

Saturday 28th November – 1pm
Professional Music Technology, Birmingham

On 28th November 2009, Birmingham’s ex-musicians are invited to Professional Music Technology, Lawley Middleway, and encouraged to return to their forgotten instruments to show their passion for rock music has lost none of its enthusiasm – or its potential to fill local venues – since its origins back in the sixties.

The Weekend Warriors programme, gives 35-60 year old lapsed musicians the unique opportunity to re-join a band and re-live their musical youth. MLC-Academy, a nationally recognised music school, and Professional Music Technology will group enthusiasts into bands, and provide them with equipment, rehearsal space and mentors as they become Birmingham’s Weekend Warriors. The bands will jam together, decide upon a set, rehearse and then perform in a concert to a live audience of family and friends on stage at Professional Music Technology, Birmingham.

Tim McLoughlin, Primary School Head teacher and Back to the Future band member agrees; “This has been a fantastic experience for all of us. Firemen, sales directors and medical reps have all been united by the common goal of getting back on stage and performing once more.

Craig Glover, Professional Music Technology, said: “We can’t wait to get Weekend Warriors underway. We’re convinced there are people in Birmingham that are desperate to fulfil an ambition to perform live in a band but have never had the opportunity. We’re going to help them get there…”

Paul Hose (CEO of MLC-Academy) said; “Weekend Warriors gives those guys who have had to shelve their instruments to bring up their kids, pay their mortgage or focus on their jobs, a chance to get back to the music they once loved. The sheer enthusiasm already generated from our schemes all over the country confirms there’s a very real demand from middle aged rockers to be able to take up their instruments and form bands again. We’re thrilled to be helping more people play music again.”

For more information about how to become a Weekend Warrior contact Paul Hose on 0121 288 3745 or visit www.mlc-academy.com.


For further information please contact MLC-Academy 0115 941 7493 or email office@mlc-academy.com.

ENDS

About MLC-Academy

MLC Academy is the brainchild of internationally recognised teacher, Paul Hose and in August 2007 MLC opened the doors of its first Academy. MLC Academy emphasizes the needs of the individual music student – be they a hobbyist or aspiring professional. As a result the MLC Academy Nottingham, Northampton and Birmingham has a number of unique syllabi that are thorough and stimulating yet flexible and fun.

MLC-Academy LIVE at the Central - November line up released!

Building on the success on "Live at Shaw's", MLC-Academy now bring you a second monthly night of live music! "Live at The Central" will feature MLC-Academy students and renowned professionals on stage. The music will be fresh and raw!

8:30 pm, Wednesday 25th November 2009
The Central
Huntingdon Street
Nottingham


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*** NEW CASSETTES ***

"One of the country's most exciting new bands" – Channel 4
“Cleverly constructed, carefree indie, which delights as well as inspires.” – Digital Encore

2005 brought us many things: Live 8, the birth of YouTube, Lance’s Armstrong’s record 7th straight Tour De France victory, but more importantly, the birth of the energetic, melody filled indie pop by the Northampton natives, New Cassettes.

New Cassettes you say? Aren’t they MiniDiscs? Not in this case! They are a 5 piece collective consisting of Tom Stubbs on vocals, Nik Gray on guitar/vocals, Owen Reed on guitar/vocals, Tommy Francis on drums, and Dan Battison on bass. One could argue that they have already reached their initial goal of forming the band with the purpose of “having a good time”, judging by their plethora of high profile gigs, such as playing Glastonbury 2007, BBC’s Electric Proms, Lattitude, Witness, Summer Sundae, and also supporting the likes of The Strokes and Adam Green.

Their first single, Young Won’t Stop, was released on Fantastic Plastic Records, home to The Guillemots and iLikeTrains. It instantly became a favourite of Radio 1 DJs and tastemakers Huw Stephens and Steve Lamacq, and was also featured on Channel 4’s popular comedy The Inbetweeners. The follow-up single, Recover/Retreat, was released at the end of 2007 on Last Space Recording, the label of Mercury Music Prize nominees and fellow Northampton band Maps. That’s not all - they also reached the final few in Channel 4’s Road to V competition, whose past winners include The Young Knives and Bombay Bicycle Club.

After spending the last year crafting their sound, they are now ready to unleash their debut album The Art Of… to the general public. The album is packed full of ten of the most upbeat, cheery and contagiously catchy anthems that you will hear all year. In addition to featuring their previous singles and last years download-only single, Hearts Don’t Beat Right, other stand-outs include the gang-vocal led Lighthouse, and the dancing shoes requiring, driving rhythms of Carnivals, which is possibly a nod to Northampton’s shoemaking ‘Cobbler’ roots! Plus there are also odes to their heroes (if their myspace page is to go by!) on the rifftastic Huey Lewis and the frenetic Lucille. Some would say the perfect mixtape.

With the album ready and a Japan release date planned, it’s all hands on deck for the band! So press play, as New Cassettes are all wound up and ready to go!

*** THE MONEY ***

The Money are a four piece pop rock band Based in Nottingham.
They formed a year and half ago and within 8 months had written, recorded and produced there debut album ‘A Secret Shared’. There next step was to create a fan base and they have done this in a very Unique manor.

They have been gigging out in Rhodes 5 nights a week for the past 3 months and in there time there have sold over 700 of there albums, bring our total to well over 1000 sales.

Not only this but they have added over 1500 friends to there social networking sites, people that they have met face to face. There mailing list has over 600 new contacts, waiting to see them live around the country and Europe



Ends.

Further information available from MLC-Academy.

Free drum lessons in Birmingham this Christmas!

If you're planning on gifting a musical instrument this Christmas be sure to visit Professional Music Technology and claim your free 30 minute music lesson at Birmingham's MLC-Academy!

Ends.

For further information please visit the MLC-Academy website.

Subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply.

Free drum lessons in Northampton this Christmas!

If you're planning on gifting a musical instrument this Christmas be sure to visit Professional Music Technology and claim your free 30 minute music lesson at Northampton's MLC-Academy!

Ends.

For further information please visit the MLC-Academy website.

Subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply.

Free music lessons this Christmas courtesy of MLC-Academy

If you're planning on gifting a musical instrument this Christmas be sure to visit Nottingham Drum & Guitar Centre and claim your free 30 minute music lesson at Nottingham's MLC-Academy!

Ends.

For further information please visit the MLC-Academy website.

Subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply.

My first post...

So here's a thought about being busy.... Which, thankfully I am at the moment. I wouldn't be able to keep on top of it all without a few lists, Set Lists, To Do Lists, Playlists, Diary etc.

I am trying something with all of this, I'm literally crossing things off my lists and for the first time in years I feel like I'm actually achieving things. After spending a wonderful summer with a much less complicated work load (I still protest that I was working hard!!) it's been touch to see the forest for the trees never mind actually get anything done. Thank you lists.

So things to do...

Make a cup of tea

Scales

Tempo Exercises

Reading practice

Rehears set lists

Wish me luck...

PS here's a Spotify playlist, I'm gonna keep these coming. This ones some classic nineties Hip Hop from my youth...

90's Hip Hop

Scott

Thomas Leeb Master Class

- Fingerstyle acoustic guitar master class

Nottingham music school, MLC-Academy in conjunction with city centre venue, The Central present an amazing master class with Thomas Leeb.

Sunday 15th November 1-4pm at the CENTRAL, Nottingham, £20 per person


Austrian born Thomas Leeb plays a style he calls 'the bastard child of acoustic fingerstyle'. This style owes as much to percussive techniques as traditional fingerstyle guitar as his tunes are usually punctuated by slaps, pops and beats. Adding to the overall effect is his frequent use of ringing harmonics. The resulting blur of busy hands and fingers has to be seen to be believed.

His repertoire consists of self-penned numbers, traditional tunes and occasional covers of Guns 'n' Roses, Bjork and Bob Marley songs..

Leeb released his first album, the now out of print Reveller, as a precocious 17 year old. However, his unique style didn't come into full force until his 1999 album Riddle. He has since released four further albums and toured Asia, North and South America and Europe.

Along the way he has picked up a number of influential fans such as Eric Roche who was his guitar teacher, "for about five minutes and then I heard him play" and Guthrie Govan who thinks that "what Thomas does on an acoustic guitar probably shouldn't be legal."



Reviews and Comments


"20-Finger-Guitarist"
"Guitar Magician"
"Guitar Acrobat"
"Leeb regularly takes his audiences by storm."
Various Newspapers
(Austria)

" Every last fibre of his guitar is wrung dry to produce either rhythm, bass, chords or melody and very inspiring it is, too. Upside Down is indeed an album full of joy and spirit."
Acoustic Magazine
(UK)

Thomas' technique and compositions have certainly put him into the 'world's greatest unknown guitarists' category. He has to be seen to be believed.
Guitar Techniques Magazine (UK)
"I was his teacher for about five minutes and then I heard him play."
Eric Roche
(IRL)

He is one of the most original and captivating guitarists we know.
Nammusic
(Brasil)
"Moving music - movingly played."
Parnass
(GER)

Thomas showcased all the skills and abilities of the top-flight fingerstylists on the scene today years ago.
Bridge Guitar Reviews (Holland)
Melodic and tasteful Fingerstyle CD's like this one have unfortunately become rare.
Concerto Magazin
(Austria)
NOBODY LIKES A SHOW-OFF!
Un-f***ing-real!
Good stuff.

Buy your ticket here: MLC-Academy

Christmas gift vouchers now available!

MLC-Academy offers a wide range of music lessons that suit the needs of the individual. Bass, drum, guitar and piano - all lessons given on a 1-2-1 basis! Why not gift a course of music lessons this christmas? Click on the voucher above and browse through our range of gifts on offer.

MLC-Academy: located in Birmingham, Northampton and Nottingham. Call the main booking number 0115 941 7493 for further information.