I was about to write a blog about my recent realisation of where I fit in in the music industry. Then I started and it became a mini autobiography! Then I thought that I may as well include it as a background story.
Since around the age of 11 or 12 I presumed that someday, I would be a professional musician. It was clear that I had some musical ability that wasn't apparent in my peers. Throughout secondary school I benefited very little from the schools musical reputation, but in the last couple of years my peers had benifited from the lessons that they had taken and were involved in some good musical projects. Unfortunately I wasn't regarded as a musician and therefore wasn't allowed to take part! Nevertheless I got an A at Music GCSE, even though they disputed some of my work...even my performance!
I began a music tech course at a sixth form, alongside some subjects chosen for me by the head of the sixth form. I was being taught the basics of music recording, something which I had been doing for a few years now.
My father and I both thought I'd be better off leaving and persuing a music career. At this point I was becoming socialy distracted, I was entirely socialy distracted and unfortunately none of my social circle shared my musical pursuits. I did write a 4 track demo based around hip hop, but using live instruments for the backing. I tried promoting it a little and sent it off to a few record companies.
After working full time for a few months, my father and I decided to get me back into college. We found what looked like a great course, Access to music - performing. Two weeks before the course was due to start they cancelled it! I then enrolled in the normal college, doing a couple of other courses that I could put my mind to. After 1 year of study, I wasn't committed enough to it and I didn't return for the second year. I continued to write hip hop and was collaborating with emerging emcee's.
I began working full time again and continued with the hip hop tunes. After a couple of years I decided that hip hop wasn't fulfilling me musicaly. I had always enjoyed playing the drums and decided to look for bands to join. My brother, a guitarist, was in a band called Red Light Go and they were looking for a drummer, so I went in for an audition. I was hired as the drummer and began gigging.
My girlfriend began going to uni in London and I began to feel my time being stretched, burning the candle at both ends. I became fairly unwell whilst in London and decided that I wanted to spend my music time writing music rather than lugging a drum kit around. This was the point where I began writing more musical music, as apposed to hip hop tracks.
A year went by my girlfriend and I decided that it would be a good plan to move in with each other. I got a transfer from my job to a london store and we moved in. I set up a mini studio and continued my new songwriting. We moved a year later and had more space and I had more equipment, still writing in the bedroom studio, this was where I wrote and recorded the songs under 'Unclassified'. I found my desire to perform a little overwhelming again and joined a band called Cloak & Dagger again playing drums.
Again I found that all of my musical endevours were going into the band. As the music we were playing was defined and written by two of the band members and I didn't feel that my music fitted in, so I decided to leave the band and focus my energies on my own music again.
I made the decision to produce a demo CD of my latest work and then get promoting, performing my own music with a band. I designed the cover and was on the verge of ordering CD's to be printed. In the last year my father had been looking around france for a place to live where he can set up a studio to write his music. He was in partnership with a girlfriend who also wanted to move to france.
They came to stay for a couple of days and on the last day, they asked my fiance and I if we'd like to spend a year with them in france to help Dad set up the studio and help them set up a B&B as my Dad's girlfriend needed a business. This was an amazing opportunity not to be missed! We had arranged to get married and wanted to do that before moving, so 2011 was a crazy year!
We moved to france but progress was slow moving, there was lots to do around the house and there wasn't much in the way of planning. It was a huge change for all concerned and problems arose...naturally. I learnt how to make websites in order to record the studio build: www.movingmyrecordingstudiotofrance.weebly.com
Just as the studio was nearing completion we were asked to leave! This was tough and there are many revelations since, that go some way to explaining this strange turn of events.
We packed up and left within 2 days, luckily the in-laws back in Bristol were able to put us up and offered alot of support. We are now in the exiting times of change and I have been carefully thinking about what my next adventures in music will entail, one thing's for sure it's going to be exciting!
Since around the age of 11 or 12 I presumed that someday, I would be a professional musician. It was clear that I had some musical ability that wasn't apparent in my peers. Throughout secondary school I benefited very little from the schools musical reputation, but in the last couple of years my peers had benifited from the lessons that they had taken and were involved in some good musical projects. Unfortunately I wasn't regarded as a musician and therefore wasn't allowed to take part! Nevertheless I got an A at Music GCSE, even though they disputed some of my work...even my performance!
I began a music tech course at a sixth form, alongside some subjects chosen for me by the head of the sixth form. I was being taught the basics of music recording, something which I had been doing for a few years now.
My father and I both thought I'd be better off leaving and persuing a music career. At this point I was becoming socialy distracted, I was entirely socialy distracted and unfortunately none of my social circle shared my musical pursuits. I did write a 4 track demo based around hip hop, but using live instruments for the backing. I tried promoting it a little and sent it off to a few record companies.
After working full time for a few months, my father and I decided to get me back into college. We found what looked like a great course, Access to music - performing. Two weeks before the course was due to start they cancelled it! I then enrolled in the normal college, doing a couple of other courses that I could put my mind to. After 1 year of study, I wasn't committed enough to it and I didn't return for the second year. I continued to write hip hop and was collaborating with emerging emcee's.
I began working full time again and continued with the hip hop tunes. After a couple of years I decided that hip hop wasn't fulfilling me musicaly. I had always enjoyed playing the drums and decided to look for bands to join. My brother, a guitarist, was in a band called Red Light Go and they were looking for a drummer, so I went in for an audition. I was hired as the drummer and began gigging.
My girlfriend began going to uni in London and I began to feel my time being stretched, burning the candle at both ends. I became fairly unwell whilst in London and decided that I wanted to spend my music time writing music rather than lugging a drum kit around. This was the point where I began writing more musical music, as apposed to hip hop tracks.
A year went by my girlfriend and I decided that it would be a good plan to move in with each other. I got a transfer from my job to a london store and we moved in. I set up a mini studio and continued my new songwriting. We moved a year later and had more space and I had more equipment, still writing in the bedroom studio, this was where I wrote and recorded the songs under 'Unclassified'. I found my desire to perform a little overwhelming again and joined a band called Cloak & Dagger again playing drums.
Again I found that all of my musical endevours were going into the band. As the music we were playing was defined and written by two of the band members and I didn't feel that my music fitted in, so I decided to leave the band and focus my energies on my own music again.
I made the decision to produce a demo CD of my latest work and then get promoting, performing my own music with a band. I designed the cover and was on the verge of ordering CD's to be printed. In the last year my father had been looking around france for a place to live where he can set up a studio to write his music. He was in partnership with a girlfriend who also wanted to move to france.
They came to stay for a couple of days and on the last day, they asked my fiance and I if we'd like to spend a year with them in france to help Dad set up the studio and help them set up a B&B as my Dad's girlfriend needed a business. This was an amazing opportunity not to be missed! We had arranged to get married and wanted to do that before moving, so 2011 was a crazy year!
We moved to france but progress was slow moving, there was lots to do around the house and there wasn't much in the way of planning. It was a huge change for all concerned and problems arose...naturally. I learnt how to make websites in order to record the studio build: www.movingmyrecordingstudiotofrance.weebly.com
Just as the studio was nearing completion we were asked to leave! This was tough and there are many revelations since, that go some way to explaining this strange turn of events.
We packed up and left within 2 days, luckily the in-laws back in Bristol were able to put us up and offered alot of support. We are now in the exiting times of change and I have been carefully thinking about what my next adventures in music will entail, one thing's for sure it's going to be exciting!
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