Guitar Idol is the world’s biggest and best guitar competition and the much anticipated final will feature some of the world’s hottest up and coming guitarists. The new date for event will be on 4^th December 2011 at The Garage in central London.

The re-arranged date for The Guitar Idol Final comes as a result of the cancellation of the major music shows in London in 2010 and 2011. The Licklibrary team, working with Guitar Idol, have decided to stage their own high profile event ‘Licklibrary Live’ which will include the Guitar Idol live final.

To ensure that the event has something for everyone, visitors will be able to see a whole host of live performances from first class guest artists, plus limited spaces will be available in guitar master classes presented by a number of Licklibrary’s highly respected guitar tutors.

The Licklibrary management team, who also publish the free digital magazine iGuitar said ‘we are proud to be able to support the Guitar Idol Final. We know this is going to be a great competition and we are really excited about being able to bring guitar fans a complete day out with the Licklibrary LIVE event.

In addition, as Guitar Idol is an international competition, Licklibrary will broadcast the final live online. Anyone who cannot make the trip to London will still be able to fully participate and cast that all important vote for their favourite competitor.

To find our more and get updates on details of the venue, guest artists, live performances, judges and master classes, please visit the website.

Licklibrary and Guitar Idol look forward to seeing you at the Licklibrary Live experience on the 4^th December 2011 at The Garage, London.

Shola has won a Brit award for ‘Best British Female’ and two MOBO awards for ‘Best Newcomer’ and ‘Best R’n'B Act’. She is a world class recording artist, with a string of top ten hits under her belt, having worked with some of the biggest names in the business. Her debut album ‘Much Love’ has sold over 1.2 million copies worldwide.

Throughout the Masterclass – which was filled to the limit with aspiring songwriter students – Shola talked about her music industry experience and challenged attendees to write a song within a set brief and timeframe. After the event, she commented: “I love meeting and working with such talented and inspiring young students; it is a great opportunity to share what I have learnt from my experiences within the industry with the next generation of aspiring musicians!”

For more information on this event or songwriting courses at the Institute, contact us directly:

• www.icmp.co.uk
• 0207 328 0222
• enquiries@icmp.co.uk

Rockschool is Europe’s No.1 rock music exam board with qualifications covering the principals of rock music and much more. Music Sales is an international family of wholly owned companies with interests in the five main areas of music including music retail (Musicroom). Roland is a world leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of musical instruments including electronic percussion kits. Craig Blundell with over thirty years playing the drums is currently considered one of the best drumming clinicians and educators around. His stylish performances and own brand of entertainment have won him rave reviews across the world.

The demonstrations are based around the groundbreaking Hot Rock series – this incredibly popular series for Drums covers a wide range of artists. During the sessions Craig will be demonstrating tracks featured in  Grades 4 and 5 Hot Rock books including songs from Metallica / Lars Ulrich (Master of Puppets / Fuel), Foo Fighters / Taylor Hawkins ( All My Life), AC DC / Phil Rudd (Whole Lotta Rosie), Kings of Leon / Nathan Followill (Sex On Fire) and many more.

Simon Pitt, CEO of Rockschool says: ‘Hot Rock is a great way of playing hit tunes in our exams and this series for Drums and Guitar has been going great guns since 2009.  We are delighted to be teaming up with Roland and Music Sales for these clinics.  Craig is a great drummer and we expect these events to be well attended’.

The drum clinics will be held from 3pm to 7pm in the following Musicroom stores: -

• Bristol: Tuesday 8^th November 2011 – Musicroom Bristol, 30 College Street, BS1 5TB
• Lincoln: Wednesday 9^th November 2011 – Musicroom Lincoln, 161-162 High Street, LN5 7AF
• Edinburgh: Thursday 10^th November 2011 – Rae Macintosh, 8 Queensferry Street, EH2 4PA

The HD1 Roland beginner drum kit is convenient, compact and stylish – perfect for home, school and studio use with most components mounted on one stand for easy setup and transportation.

There will be special offers on the Hot Rock series of books in the Musicroom stores on the day of the demonstrations plus an amazing competition to win a HD1 kit and a full set of Grade and Hot Rock books.

For further information visit www.rockschool.co.uk.

Bryan’s career has spanned the globe since he began performing at the age of 13. Today he is considered one of the world’s most accomplished virtuoso musicians. Classical, jazz, electronica and most certainly rock, are all genres Bryan has mastered and shares with audiences all over the world.  During the course of this masterclass he covered the principle topics of rhythm, melody and energy, and how they are often overlooked and under-investigated by most musicians. And students were able to learn how to elicit these elements more effectively from their own playing.

Prior to the masterclass, Guitar Techniques conducted a filmed interview with Brian, at the Institute, which will feature on the cover CD of a future edition of the magazine.

Bryan’s LA based rock band Black Baptista has just released its album debut titled “Thread the Needle” July 2011. He has also compiled his experiences in Principles of Music, a book which delves into original and thought provoking methods of improvising and composing, as well as his philosophical look at the totality of a musical experience. He is currently touring the UK and the Netherlands with Bob van Luijt.

For more information on this event or courses at the Institute, contact us directly:

• www.icmp.co.uk
• 0207 328 0222
• enquiries@icmp.co.uk

Andy James is a master technician and a major contributor to the Lick Library in heavy rock and metal styles. As a songwriter he shows creative flare and originality, having recently released his debut self-titled solo album through Transcend Music.  Now endorsed by Blackstar Amplification, ESP Guitars and Rotosound, Andy can be found holding workshops and masterclasses as far afield as N.A.M.M. and it has just been confirmed that 2011 will see Andy release his very own custom signature ESP guitar.

Andy will be talking with students from the Institute about his experience, the development of his technique and the importance of originality and creativity as a musician. A graduate of the Guitar Institute in 2004, Andy has a wealth of knowledge to impart on how to build a career as a musician during your studies and after graduating. Having recently been voted in the top 20 of all time shredders by TruthInShredding.com, one of the world’s most popular specialist guitar website, this is a masterclass not to be missed.

Following the masterclass, Andy will also be joined by his band, Sacred Mother Tongue, for a live gig at the Good Ship, Kilburn. The set will comprise material from Sacred Mother Tongue’s new album, as well as tracks from Andy’s self-titled album release, including the leading track ‘War March’ and critics’ choice ‘Burn it Down’.

For more information on this event or courses at the Institute, contact us directly:

• www.icmp.co.uk
• 0207 328 0222
• enquiries@icmp.co.uk

Organised by BASCA (British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, the campaigning organisation also known for hosting the Ivor Novello Awards) Songfest will this year take place at the Bedford in Balham, London, a venue synonymous with promoting new, up-and-coming songwriting talent and a venue regularly used by Institute students. Aimed at the Ivor Novello-winning songwriters of the future, Songfest gives attendees the chance to learn from the professionals, network with industry executives and develop their song writing skills.

Speakers already confirmed for this year’s extravaganza include: Chris Difford (Squeeze); Nerina Pallot; MOBO-nominated acts Omar and Mike Hough; beatboxer extraordinaire Shlomo; world renowned producer Steve Levine; newcomers and youtube sensations Sam Beeton and Dan Priddy; Pete Kirtley (songwriter with Guy Chambers, Ryan Tedder and Kim Wilde) and Bill Padley (songwriter and producer with Sheryl Crow, the Fugees, Ronan Keating, Blue, Atomic Kitten).

Each panel and session has been carefully curated to appeal to the next generation of songwriters and includes ‘The Secrets of the Chart-Toppers: What makes a No.1 Hit Record?’; ‘The Craft of Songwriting’; ‘Common Pitfalls of Signing Deals’; ‘Tips on Bedroom Recording’; ‘Self-Promotion and Making Money’; and ‘How to Become a You Tube sensation!’

Delegates will also be given the opportunity to network with professionals and executives working in the British music industry. Each day will end with a live music showcase at the Bedford. Tickets are on sale now exclusively via We Got Tickets. Day tickets cost £20. Tickets for the entire three days cost £50.

For further information, please contact:

• www.songfest.org.uk
• www.twitter.com/songfestUK
• events@icmp.co.uk
• Nicola Riches: nicola@basca.org.uk (020 7636 2929)

World renowned instrumentalist John Renbourn career has spanned four decades and his prolific output as a highly respected solo artist continues unabated with the release this year of his critically acclaimed album Palermo Snow. He continues to tour, record and run workshops and will be also playing on the live stage at the London Acoustic show with Stefan Grossman.

Rotosound will be featuring a wide range of their acoustic, classical guitar strings and accessories on their stand at the show as well as having some great show offers. They will also be debuting at the show the award winning new Cooper guitar stand. This versatile, compact, and wooden guitar stand only weighs 16 ounces (500gms), can be opened with one hand and folds up to fit conveniently in gig bags or the headstock area of most guitar cases.

The Rotosound team are looking forward to meeting you at the show and also welcoming John Renbourn on their stand where you will have the opportunity to meet this great guitarist.

For more information about Rotosound and its endorsees visit www.rotosound.com.

to raise thousands of pounds to help and support the Joplin community and in particular Glory Days Music Store destroyed by the tornado. The Auction (lots 1 to 30 only) has been running since July 18^th and set to finish on Wednesday 24^th August when the final live on-line auction begins at 10.30 am Pacific Daylight Time (USA) or 18.30 British Summer Time.

The auction has raised worldwide interest and the media have been widely supportive including a feature on CNN http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/29/joplin.tornado.music.store/index.html and coverage from much of the music press.

The live auction event will be handled by Fame Bureau, who are one of the world’s leading experts in music equipment and memorabilia. Highlights from the auction lots include a rare Orange Amps Union Jack half-stack, Sabian cymbals personally signed by RUSH’s Neil Peart and an Orange CR50BXT bass amp, signed by RUSH’s Geddy Lee. Since the launch of the auction support has been coming in from a wide range of companies and artists wanting to support this worthy cause and new lots added to the auction now include:

• Mastodon signed Drum head and vinyl – Donated by Mastodon
• Jerry Cantrell Signature Cry Baby Wah Pedal signed by Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains – Donated by Dunlop
• Slash Signature Cry Baby Wah Pedal signed by Slash – Donated by Dunlop
• Taylor Baby Acoustic Guitar signed by country star Trace Adkins – Donated by Taylor Guitars
• Theory Of A Deadman Signed Drum Heads, Drum Sticks, Shirts, and copies of their new album “The Truth Is…”
• David Gravette signed Skateboard, Shoes, and Poster – Donated by C1RCA
• Guitar Picks from Gearpipe.com
• Para-Strap Guitar Strap and Solder-Free Pedal Board Kit – Donated by Lava Cable
• Samsung Series 9 Notebook – Donated by Intel
• Aria PE Elite Electric Guitar with Duncan Designed Pickups – Donated by Aria Distribution
• Seymour Duncan 35^th Anniversary Commemorative JB/Jazz Humbucker Set – Donated by Aria Distribution

To assist Orange Amps and its fellow manufacturers to help and support Music Aid for Joplin, please go to Fame Bureau’s website or link via www.orangeamps.com  and bid on one of the many items available. There are only three days left to go, so get bidding for these unique items and to help raise funds for this good cause.

Eight finalists were chosen through a combination of public voting and a panel of experts from the Institute’s impressive songwriting faculty. The finalists were presented to Everything Everything, who have been making a notable impact in the music industry with their debut album ‘Man Alive’. The band were impressed by the high level of the entries and chose two winners: Bobby Evans for a full scholarship and Alex Losardo for the partial scholarship.

Commenting on their winners the band said:

We gave Bobby first place because we were really impressed with his simple and direct song. It has a great, hooky vocal melody, uses simple but really lovely harmony, and rhythmically his drumming on his guitar is really effective. Overall, a great song performed beautifully.

‘Alex’s song impressed because of his strong voice, creative use of quite jazzy harmony, and relaxed performance. The song takes some unexpected turns and keeps the listener on their toes in a really enjoyable way.’

Bobby and Alex now have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to professionally develop their talent and skills with a free place on the Institute’s one-year Professional Diploma in Songwriting course (worth £5,250). As well as enjoying this great opportunity to learn, Bobby and Alex will also benefit from the many opportunities that arise at the Institute to write, collaborate and perform in live London showcase events in front of key industry professionals.

For further information about the Institute and the 2012 Shure Songwriting Award, visit www.shuresongwritingaward.com or contact the Institute directly:

• www.icmp.co.uk
• 0207 328 0222
• enquiries@icmp.co.uk

AAF’s original members Mike Cosgrove (Drums), Tye Zamora (Bass), Terry Corso (Guitar) and Dryden Mitchell (Vocals) were reunited in 2010 and are currently working on new material prior to the release of a new album later this year. The critically acclaimed AAF were different from other bands right from the start. They are hard rocking, yet melodic, thunderous but introspective, with rock anthems that were passionate and warmly infectious.

Mike Cosgrove is widely regarded as a ‘drummer’s drummer’ forever seeking to improve his drum technique and his musical prowess. Modern Drummer’s review of their last album TruANT recommended checking out his signature splash accents, shuffles, ghost strokes and Kick drum playing. His visit to Drum Channel with the band will be an exciting opportunity to see Mike’s technique close-up in action, plus you can check out more of Mike’s playing on DrumChannel.com with his side band Mystery Schools and see his splash hi-hat technique on Mike’s Secrets From the Pros Lesson also on the DC website.

To celebrate this incredible exclusive, Drum Channel will be running an exciting competition to win a DW snare drum and double pedal, a copy of the photographic book A Drummer’s Perspective, a set of Remo heads, Zildjian sticks, practice pad and a twelve month Access All Areas pass to Drum Channel. There is also a runner up prize of a selection of five Drum Channel DVD’s. All drummers can enter by uploading a video of themselves playing a cover of one of AAF’s original songs.

The closing date for the competition is June 30, 2011, and the entries will be judged by a panel of professional musicians. To find out more and enter please go to http://www.drumchannel.com/categories/Drum_Channels_Alien_Ant_Farm_Contest

To watch this band concerts and other live shows go to DrumChannel.com.