There’s never been a better chance for young musicians and sound engineers in the Dundee area. Gardyne Studios, in conjunction with Creative Scotland and The Courier, are offering eight young musical acts a music mentoring programme. Rocktalk writer Alan Wilson explains…
The Gardyne music mentoring programme will offer bands and solo musicians the chance to receive expert tuition from some of Dundee’s finest musical talent. It will also offer the opportunity for 16 young people interested in studio recording and live sound to participate.
The Gardyne music mentoring programme aims to identify, inspire, engage and inform young musicians of the many creative processes and disciplines involved in the creation, recording, production, performance and marketing of their own musical material.
Four of Dundee’s top musicians, Stevie Anderson and Billy Fisher from AMWWF, Chris Marra (ex-Danny Wilson) and Paul (Lefty) Wright, all multi-instrumentalists with a proven track record in the industry, are the mentors.
In addition to receiving expert musical tuition and song-writing tips, young people will also be tutored in other skills including tour management and record production.
Grant Ritchie, depute principal at Dundee College and creative director at Gardyne Studios, said: “It’s all about a connection between the music, the theatre and the college.
“Everything’s there for the kids, and the aim is to provide the opportunity for young people to enjoy themselves and learn all there is to know about the music process, from playing and performing to writing, recording and marketing their music and finding out about band management, syncopation deals, media promotion, legal issues, touring and so on. It’s a connection with professionals who actually do it, and that’s invaluable.”
The key practitioner of Gardyne Connect will be Mike Brown, who will project manage and co-ordinate all activities within the programme, as well as oversee the sound production.
Mike, with more than 20 years experience in the business having previously owned Seagate Studios in Dundee, added: “The overall aim is to discover, develop and support new and existing talent across the region.
“Through this mentoring programme involving our panel of established industry practitioners, eight bands or solo performers will be offered a package that will include rehearsal and recording time in our studios, with a dedicated mentor to support their activities throughout this process.
“They’ll get six two-hour weekly rehearsal sessions with their mentor who will assist with the pre-production process in preparation for their two eight-hour day recording sessions, in which they will record and produce two songs for contribution towards the final album project.
“We’ll be holding a music industry seminar at the end of the project, hosted by a panel of industry professionals including The Courier’s Alan Wilson, Simple Minds bassist Ged Grimes and acclaimed music writer Tom Doyle.
“At the end of the course, the artists will then be given the opportunity to perform live in front of an audience in the Gardyne Theatre, showcasing their work and accomplishments.
“Each band will also be given 100 copies of the finished album to help them in their self-promotional campaign and a DVD video documentary which will give them a legacy to look back on the processes involved and experiences gained.”
Grant added: “Since opening in late 2011 we have worked with and supported many musicians.
“One example is Anderson, McGinty, Webster, Ward and Fisher. Since completing their debut album at the studios the band have performed on national radio, recorded the new Caledonia Best TV advert with Dougie MacLean and secured slots to perform at Scotland’s major music festivals.
“In addition support was given to The Hazey Janes, who performed live in the theatre and recorded a live album, plus The Boston Tea Party, The Mirror Trap and Seams.”
To be considered for the mentoring course upload one of your songs to a Soundcloud account and send the URL/link to m.brown@dundeecollege.ac.uk. For the sound engineering opportunity, send a note of interest to the same email address.