elearning for music

Mike Banfield December 2005 Hi Pete, I hope it’s alright that I used a strings sample from your website in a piece of music I’ve done for a friends short film, they’re loads better than any of the apple loops samples! Its background music to a 15minute film about mentally ill people taking part in government funded art courses. It will be shown on a continuous loop at the Whitworth Art Gallery where the students work will be displayed for around 6-8 weeks. I told the director to list us on the credits.

Pete Hewison December 2005 An advert I composed for won best commercial produced for less than £20,000 at the Roses Advertising Awards 2005.

Mike Banfield September 2005 Yeah I’m teaching guitar three days a week at Riff’s Guitar School in Stockport which brings the cash in, then dividing the rest of my time between playing cool dinner jazz on my guitar and rehearsing and writing lots of new jazz punk tunes with Mamaroux. I’m loving it!!!

Lisa-Marie Glover September 2005 I’m in a local film called “Fameless”. It´s a piss take on these horrible Simon Cowell pop idol things. A bunch of talent scouts go to salford to find little stars. There is a scene with lots of school kids, going up one by one and doing whatever they do, such as screaming and attempting to do tricks with footballs etc. I had to go go down dressed as a school girl and play a groovy riff on my sax. The talent scouts shout “next” and then I pull a scowly face and scutter off. I haven´t seen the film yet but it was premiered at the Lowry, and its going to Cannes as well apparently.

John Munnelly September 2005 Hi Pete and friends

I’m still in New York- Living in Brooklyn and working now in Manhattan on the Bowery home to the famous CBGBs and the Five points at the other end. Its great – I have Chinatown and little Italy on my doorstep at work. Great grub everyday. Brooklyn is a different matter but it is nearer to my work than before.

Musically I have been playing out at an open mic night and writing away as always. I was hoping to attend a funky music course at CUNY ( Sonic Arts Centre) but due to processing delays etc I am going to wait till spring to see if I get in. Thanks and Kudos to Pete and Jason for helping me with the multiplicity of bureaucracy involved in that application. It doesn’t seem fair that they have no admin support to help them with all that sort of admin thing – note to City College. But anyway thanks are due.

Recently I have changed work so I am now a Senior manager of an Ecommerce firm www.lightingbygregory.com I was working for an Irish organization before that. www.eiic.org some pictures of me there. It’s a new skill I am learning – management- so I welcome it but it is hard work in fairness. It’s a far cry from the Holiday filled jobs I have been used to. It is amazing what can happen when we take risks I didn’t totally welcome my new milieu at first but I think this city is going to be good for me. From a song writing perspective there is plenty of ‘grist for the mill’ in my experiences of transition.

With the full time job I hope to get the ‘guitar I’ve always wanted’ as my trusty acoustic is moribund. there are some great music stores here like the mandolinbrothers store on Staten island but it is only in the 3rd year here that I’m beginning to ‘fit in’ as it were.

I am still writing what I feel are great songs so that always keeps me happy from a creative point of view next thing is to is to get them down on record and play out more.

Hello to all my HND compadre’s- holla back as they say here. I hope you all are having a laugh I sure am!

Peace

Julia Gordon September 2005 Wel wel well i have settle my self in Liverpool after the successful tour in new Zealand. It was amazing and i left my tracks to be playing on 2 radio stations down on the south island. Pretty dam cool. Did some interveiws n all, that was fun. So yep after running out of every sinlge penny i didn’t own i have come here to work full time in a restaurant bar cheffing for a place called Tabac. I have started a band with a harp player/guitartist singer songwriter, fiddler/ sqeezebox player and a flutist. The rehearsals are amazing but it is only early days so be awhile before we start gigging i reckon. But they are definately on the same imagination lets dress up and have a laugh capacity. so it’s gonna be fun . I am also working along side a genius 18yr old warped,electronica/ techno producer. his beats are mean and his soundscape remixing of life are a resemblance of pure dreamlike astrocitys. I love working with him we did some good stuff last night. nice to use innocent but sometimes alittle bit raspy vocals expressing poetry of west insinuations. yes yes…. so yep alls goodand it’s not so bad being back in England after all. I hope everything is good over there and the new year group are ripe buds of flourescent talent. biglove**********

Chris Furness September 2005 am sitting in an internet caff in melbourne – sun is shining as i write this, altho the first coupla days here were windy / cold, edinburgh-style! Have been Doon Under for five days now – am beginning, finally, to feel as tho I have actually arrived! Spent two weeks in Malaysia on the way over, one week of which was spent on a wee tropical island, Perhentian Kecil, doing f*** all, lyin on me ass on the beach n getting burnt! Still peelin now : ) That was just the ticket man, but glad to be in Oz now… staying with my bro in Richmond, an inner city suburb of melb. Played five-a-side fitba’ with my cousin Pip last night, she’s really good!!

Music-wise, not much to report as yet; lookin forward to buying a semi-acoustic guitar and gettin playin n practicin n giggin – plan to do some open mic nights and work on me singin, stretch those vocal chords a bit, y’know… I played a couple of open mics in Manchester before I left and really enjoyed it… otherwise I’m looking for bar work, and hope to meet like-minded musicians to collaborate with / jam with / form band with…. that sorta thing.

Anyways, will keep you posted with all o that… Hope everything’s going smoothly back in Manc… I do miss that big rainy city sometimes y’know….

Kay Adams September 2005 hey pete still studying hard in university, in my final year now AHHHHH STRESS!!

will be coming out with a degree soon planning on doing a PGCE at the end so I’ve got to start applying for that.
Also supervising at a jewellry store in the trafford centre nothing else to report.

Jack Newton September 2005 I’m doing fine! Enrolled at TVU (Thames valley uni) in london in september starting a degree in pop music performance. I’m starting in first year which isn’t great for my finances but i’ll be able to relax as i’ll all ready know it all already thanks to you bad boys! Lookin forward to starting my degree and having a good time! I’ll let you know more when i can! Thanks 4 everything! BIG UP City Coll!

John Gibson September 2005 I’m doing the HND music course ‘cos I decided to stick it out. I cant believe Im the only one tho. we were a family!! On the side, Ive only just (This morning) got a job working for Cafe Nero in the Trafford Centre! Crap pay, but I’ll keep it if these other interviews dont go well. and I’m still doing the Hour of power at CSV Media club house. (Am I putting too much on my plate?) I dopnt know… If ANYONE is gigging and still unsigned, I can put your name out there. Give me a call! Tell me when/wher your gigging! Get an interview! 07944246721 Thehourofpower@hotmail.co.uk email me here, or at my personal one. Love John.

Chris Park September 2005 I have now moved to london to study at tvu(thames valley uni) in west london, to study music technology and advertising, so down here for three years.

Lisa-Marie Glover September 2005 Well now, I’m in the middle of recording an album at an ex-city college boys studio. He’s called Marting Hurley and I knew him about 7 years ago. I suddenly randomly bumped into him actually at his studio when I was taking my car to the garage next door. He oftered me a free day of recording and now I’m making an acoustic album.

I’ve also been doing some writing and performing on Duncan Prestbury’s tunes. I’ve recorded on a Brazilian style track so far and We’ve got more stuff on the go.

I was playing sax with an Egyptian group called the Nile band earlier this year. I did a lot of gigs with them including one in a castle up in Northumberland. We stayed over night and I got food, 70 quid and also locked in a dungeon with 2 other girls for fun!

I’m still doing the 9 to 5 thing, but I’ve got regular naughty work on the weekend playing sax with a UB40 covers band called Homegrown. We play in some scary bars around Salford, but the crowds are always really up for it. I never realised how popular UB40 are. We also play some big social club venues, and we did a wedding in a Irish club last night.

All the extra money on the weekend is going into my travel fund as I’m off to Tenerife for the winter to try and get some work playing covers on my geetar and selling albums too!

John Jenkins September 2005 Well now, I’m in the middle of recording an album at an ex-city college boys studio. He’s called Marting Hurley and I knew him about 7 years ago. I suddenly randomly bumped into him actually at his studio when I was taking my car to the garage next door. He oftered me a free day of recording and now I’m making an acoustic album.

I’ve also been doing some writing and performing on Duncan Prestbury’s tunes. I’ve recorded on a Brazilian style track so far and We’ve got more stuff on the go.

I was playing sax with an Egyptian group called the Nile band earlier this year. I did a lot of gigs with them including one in a castle up in Northumberland. We stayed over night and I got food, 70 quid and also locked in a dungeon with 2 other girls for fun!

I’m still doing the 9 to 5 thing, but I’ve got regular naughty work on the weekend playing sax with a UB40 covers band called Homegrown. We play in some scary bars around Salford, but the crowds are always really up for it. I never realised how popular UB40 are. We also play some big social club venues, and we did a wedding in a Irish club last night.

All the extra money on the weekend is going into my travel fund as I’m off to Tenerife for the winter to try and get some work playing covers on my geetar and selling albums too!

Ian Beardwood September 2005 Ive had a fairly busy year although havent earnt much! Ive completed the soundtrack to an amature film called ’scallywag’ and am currently working on another short film by the same guy. I am currently in the proccess of making a showreel for film/tv musicwhich i hope may help lead to something although i know its a tough business to get into! Ive also been studying drums with Dave Hassell, and have spent the last 6 months working very hard trying to get my playing up to an professional level. In the mean time ive been drumming/gigging with a few bands, mainly the dave egerton band www.daveegertonband.co.uk and this rain www.thisrain.com (i made this cheesy site – dave tracy’s lessons helped!). Ive also done a couple of days of rock school teaching cover for Jonas!

Christian Christian September 2005 Im back in uk living and working in Oxford at the momment as a manager of a lounge bar…moving soon back to london to try my luck in music.
i will be soon in manchester maybe early of octomber so i will come to see u.
i would like to know if u know any music colleges or somewhere that i can have singing lessons here in oxford or in london !

John Blaylock September 2005 Music is working out pretty fuckin amazingly at the moment. I´ve hooked it up with the scousers to do just 2 days a week (100 quid a day) teaching guitar and then just doing the odd solo gig and private teaching on the side. 3 day weeks is where it´s at!

But the really good **** is this. As I´m writing now I´m in the most amazing recording studio with the biggest live room I´ve ever seen. Plus it´s in Ronda, Spain!! International One are doing two weeks recording with Phelan Kane engineering and Phil Vinall (put that name into google, it´s ridiculous) producing. Aziz´s manager has got us out here all we had to pay was the flights. We´re having the time of our lives, yesterday we recorded from 12 – 9pm then played footy (the band and Phil Vinall against the local Spaniards) til about 10.30, back in the studio at 11pm to do another 3 hours and then a fat smoke! I can´t begin to tell you how mint this is.

The plan is to get 4 tracks nailed and then these guys are hitting In The City to try and get us a deal to finish the album. The tunes are sounding top and the influence of Phil is making them sound even better

Still working with Aziz as well. we went to Chenai in India in July just gone and there´s talk of the Phillipines coming up. Not bad at all

Jason you know all this **** is happening cos you hooked me up with Az I aint gonna forget that **** man

Proper Bo

John