Aspiring musicians have the chance to strike the right note in their quest to realise their dreams.
Local businesswoman and die-hard fan of Paul Weller Melanie O’Toole, launches The Band Project this Saturday (27) at a new venue in Chiswick.
Following on from the success of its Brighton based centre, Band Project offers children and teenagers a place to learn and progress with their chosen musical instruments.
This can be guitar, keyboards, bass, drums or just those blessed with a powerful voice.
They will also be able to build on their team work skills and eventually progress to the stage where they can get together and form a proper band.
Signing up for a course, which costs £288 + VAT for 11-16 year olds (£192 + VAT for juniors) gets you 11 weeks and 30 hours of tuition (20 for juniors), along with four hours in a recording studio (11-16s only) and at the end of the course a gig in a real music venue.
Expert tutors will be available for first-hand help and there will also be a guest workshop with a number of top UK session musicians.
These special guests include Graham Dee, Simon Carter and Katie Holmes and they come direct from the industry with experience of regularly working with international stars including Westlife, Leona Lewis, Sir Tom Jones and Professor Green.
Centre manager, Melanie, who has a background in music herself and thanks to her parents a love of Elvis and 60s albums, said: “There is real potential for some of the children to go on to become successful musicians or songwriters.
“I also think recording a CD and putting on the end of course gig will be extremely motivating for the children.”
The fun and supportive environment will keep the children motivated and inspired, as they build confidence and develop their musical skills.
“It’s an incredibly rewarding process and many will find they gain a real confidence boost both musically and personally.” Melanie added.
Learning and working as a team, the project will cater to both those who are beginners or already have experience with their instruments.
Chris Mountford, the creator and founder of The Band Project, which also has a centre in Loz Vegas Studios, Ealing, said: “By engaging children with music they love in a supportive and encouraging atmosphere, we’ve seen the massive impact the courses have with so many benefits for all the children involved”.
The Band Project Chiswick starts at 11am on Saturday (27) at the Arch Studios, Arch 196, Prebend Gardens, Stamford Brook.
Payment plans are available for all courses and there is a free trial opportunity for the first session, however places are strictly limited.
To ensure you don’t miss out register your place by visiting www.thebandproject.co.uk/free-trial or contact Melanie on 07828 156 332.
