Category Archives: News

Guitar Idol, the World’s Biggest Guitar Competition announce venue for Live Final

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Planet-Musician

Licklibrary, one of the world’s leading suppliers of online guitar lessons and guitar tuition DVDs has stepped in to find Guitar Idol a venue for the Live Final of the 2011 competition.

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 4th 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 4th December 2011 at The Garage, London.

Posted in Events, Guitar, News

MOBO Award Winning Songwriter delivers exclusive masterclass at the Institute

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Planet-Musician

The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance was delighted to welcome Mobo award winning vocalist and songwriter Shola Ama to their London facilities this week to deliver an exclusive interactive masterclass to students.

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:

Posted in Education, Events, News

iDrum Issue Four Featuring Carmine Appice, Chester Thompson and Thomas Pridgen

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Planet-Musician

iDrum, is back with a packed fourth issue full of exciting video interviews, plus a host of product reviews and of course tuition to inspire every drummer, beginner or advanced.

Carmine Appice – the legendary drummer renowned for his showmanship talks to Stuart Bull about his work with Vanilla Fudge, Rod Stewart, Beck and Ozzy Osborne amongst many. Carmine recalls recording sessions and the evolution of his drum kit in this exclusive interview.

In April 2011 Las Vegas saw a stellar line up of drummers get together for the first annual John Wackerman Drum Festival. Exhibiting their skills were, Chester Thompson, Thomas Pridgen, Kit Chatham, Chad Wackerman and John Wackerman.

Other featured interviews include Bonobo’s Jack Baker, the evergreen Brian Tichy who is currently touring with Whitesnake and the legendary Roy Burns, drummer, educator, historian, innovator and industry figure following his involvement with Aquarian Drumhead Company.

There are over thirty pages of product reviews where you can not only read what the reviewer thought of the product, but also watch videos of the products being put through their paces and hear what they sound like. Products covered in this issue include, Korg Wavedrum, Natal Ash Kit, Sonor Select Force Drums and Gavin Harrison Special Edition snare, Traps E500 e-kit, Meinl Classic Custom Cymbals, Sabian Omni Cymbals, Zildjian Chinas, Remo Powerstroke Pro Heads and Rhythm Tech Hat Trick G2 tambourines.

There is a whole host of CD and DVD reviews covering all musical tastes complete with links so you can easily find out more. Then there is the Tech Sessions – full of inspirational drumming tuition to test and improve your skills, broaden your palette, and develop your style. The Jungle Drummer looks at left arm workouts with Double Snare Drum ideas, Jamie Borden takes 3-Note Groupings to another level, Pete Lockett explores Grooves From Odd Units and Pat Garvey takes a closer look at Double Kick Based Groove Construction. Plus Ed Williams get funky with various hi-hat accents, Tom Chapman continues his introduction to the Cajon and special guest Peter Retzlaff talks about developing speed and swing with a tech session from Hudson Music’s Baby Steps to Giant steps.

iDrum brings you the complete experience, interviews, features, reviews and tuition, all of which is totally interactive and FREE!

Subscribe now at www.idrummag.com/issue4.

Posted in Drums & Percussion, News

Guitarist and songwriter Bryan Baker hosts exclusive masterclass at the Institute

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Planet-Musician

The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance was proud to welcome one of the most innovative guitar virtuosos, Bryan Baker, to the UK for an exclusive masterclass at their London facility on 8 September 2011.

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:

Posted in Education, Events, News

Orange Amplification, Classic Rock and Jeff Beck

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Planet-Musician

Orange Amplification is proud to announce they are the headline sponsor for The Classic Rock Roll Of Honour 2011, in association with currencies.co.uk. The awards over its seven year history have attracted and honoured some of the greatest musicians the world has ever seen, and 2011 will be no different.

Damon Waller, Managing Director said ‘sponsoring The Classic Rock Roll Of Honour 2011 represents a perfect partnership which reflects Orange Amplification’s over forty years of  rocking history in the music industry.

In addition to being the headline sponsor, Orange Amplification will also be sponsoring the coveted Living Legend Award, which this year goes to one of the most influential lead guitarists of all time – Jeff Beck. He is the recipient of six Grammy Awards and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, as himself, and also as a member of the Yardbirds. Presenting the award, is the host for the evening, rock god and Kiss frontman, Gene Simmons. This will also be filmed for his Gene Simmons Family Jewels TV Series.

Orange Amplification endorsees Rival Sons and the Black Spiders are nominated, both for the Album of the Year Award, and Rival Sons are also nominated for the Best New Band Award.

You can vote for your favourites at http://awards2011.classicrockmagazine.com/vote.html.

The awards will be held at the renowned Roundhouse in Camden on the 9th November 2011 and Jeff Beck and Rival Sons have been confirmed to play the awards.

To find out more about the Orange gear and their artists nominated for this years awards visit www.orangeamps.com.

Posted in Amplification, Guitar, News

Triumphant BBC Commission for Institute tutor

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Planet-Musician

Maurizio Malagnini, a leading member of the teaching faculty at London’s Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, has recently completed an extremely high-profile commission for the BBC. Maurizio composed all music for the series ‘Body Farm’ (BBC1 9pm Tuesdays), which premiered last week to 5.5 million viewers. To complete the commission, he produced and recorded an incredible 240 minutes (that’s 4 hours!) of music in 91 days.

At the Institute, Maurizio teaches the Arranging and Composing modules on the BMus honours degree programme. Students who enrol on the degree course therefore benefit directly from the teaching and experience of people like Maurizio, who is an outstanding professional musician, composer and educator with an incredible CV.

Paul Kirkham, Director at the Institute, had this to say:

“We are extremely proud of Maurizio who has once again demonstrated what an outstanding musician and composer he is. Although we are a school of contemporary music, we believe it is important that students on our degree courses have the opportunity to learn from and work with classically-trained professionals, as this gives them a unique insight into music and enhances their opportunities for employment post-graduation.”

For more information on this story or details on how to enrol on a course at the Institute, contact the following:

Posted in Education, News

Composer of ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ joins Institute teaching faculty

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Planet-Musician

The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance is delighted to announce the appointment of Pete Cunnah to its already-outstanding teaching faculty.

Pete is a songwriter, producer and musician best known as the lead singer and songwriter with D-Ream whose worldwide hit ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ was recently voted by Time Out as one of the 100 most influential songs of all time. As an artist/producer he’s sold in excess of 3 million records including 12 top 40 singles and two top 5 albums.

He has produced, remixed and written with artists as diverse as Duran Duran, Honeyz, Deborah Harry, Steps, EMF, Graham Gouldman, Rob Davies, Steve Craddock and Motown legend Lamont Dozier. Pete is also a regular guest speaker at BASCA and PRS for Music events.

Pete Whittard, Director at the Institute, had this to say:

‘We are delighted that Pete Cunnah, a professional with an incredible history of success and credits at the highest levels, has decided to join our teaching faculty. Pete brings with him a wealth of industry experience which will be of huge benefit to our students and we are looking forward to working with him into the future.’

For more information on this story on about course sat the Institute, contact the following:

Posted in Education, News

Metal Guitarist Andy James to host exclusive masterclass at the Institute

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Planet-Musician

The Guitar Institute (part of London’s  Institute of Contemporary Music Performance) is proud to welcome one of the UK’s leading metal guitarists, Andy James, for an intimate and exclusive guitar masterclass focusing on techniques and musical creativity at their London facility on Friday 30th September 2011.

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:

Posted in Education, Events, News

Institute to support 2011 Songfest event

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Planet-Musician

The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance is delighted to announce that it will be supporting this year’s Songfest event, which is set to return for a second year after an explosive start in 2010.

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:

Posted in Education, Events, News

Institute graduate ‘Daughter’ plays Reading Festival

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Planet-Musician

The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance is delighted to announce that songwriting graduate Elena Tonra, aka ‘Daughter’, has made her mark on the big stage with two outstanding performances at Reading and Leeds festivals.

Featured on the world-renowned ‘BBC Introducing’ stage, Daughter performed to a jam-packed tent, and received great feedback from a crowd who were more than ready to appreciate her soaring melodies and angelic vocals. Previous acts that have performed on BBC’s Introducing stage include Florence and the Machine, Biffy Clyro, Ed Sheeran, and Everything Everything.

After reaching #3 in the Most Popular Song Chart, Daughter were thrust in to the spotlight once again, gaining their first national radio play on BBC 6 Music w/ Tom Robinson and first national radio session on Jo Good’s BBC London. Stakes were raised once again when The Independent’s Barometer column tipped her as a’ One to Watch’ because of “beautifully-sung, literary folk” and “ethereal melancholy”.

Daughter was chosen by the BBC to feature on their Introducing Stage along with other top up and coming artists from the UK. It’s a fantastic achievement and we’re sure it’s only the start of a very bright future for her. The Institute would like to congratulate Elena and wish her all the best with her career.

For more information on this announcement or information about how you can follow in Elena’s footsteps by joining a course at the Institute please contact us directly:

Posted in Education, News