QUOTE OF THE MONTH “To be honest, my music taste is so hard to describe, like it’s literally everything except for the songs I don’t like” – (unattributed, but we’re thinking American Teenager on a first, and possibly last date) Don’t you love it when someone seemingly inarticulate manages to convey, with casual stupidity, a truth universally acknowledged? Here at the Premises though, hell is NEVER other people’s music. Meanwhile, we’ve been sobbing along gently to the viral footage of Joni Mitchell’s performance at the Newport Folk Festival, pausing only to wonder about stuff like, if you cut an earworm in half, will you get two entirely different live earworms. Well that plus, actual work. More of which… here:
WIN A FREE FILMING SESSION! Yep, you read that right. Are you insanely talented, and also improbably good looking? Or quite talented and passably photogenic? Or do you just belong to a good band, or perform solo, and have an ace track you need a video for? We can help, for free and all copyrights will be yours! Just send us your track (mp3 or a link) and our videographer Sheridan will pick one to shoot as a video in Studio 1. It’ll be a four-hour session using 4k cameras and full stage lighting, so if you get the call be ready to come in for half a day to create something special. Closing date for entries: Aug 15th. Send your track and contact deets to: michele@premiseseducation.org
WHO’S BEEN IN? Amongst many others in July… Maverick Sabre, Leonard Ng, Yazz Ahmed, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Bedlam, Yusef Days, Pip Millett, Marc Almond, Arlo Parks, Albion, Skinless Lizards, Perhaps Contraption, Stand Tall, Laura Mvula, Beth Orton, Nick Allum, Emeli Sande, Jean Toussaint, Chinouriri, The Staves, Shaun Escoffery, Dora Jar, Engines Orchestra, Jade Bird, Liberty Church, Billy Ocean, Juno James, Amy Michelle, Yumi Zuma, Daniel Casimer, Tanita Tikaram, Michael Olatuja, Osibisa, ICC Singers, Yazmin Lacety, Irene Serra, Clive Brown, Tellison, Pip Millett, Black Country New Road, Esprit D’Air, Sam Tompkins, Chevelle Franklyn, Sundora Karma, Dexy’s Midnight Runners plus soul royalty in the form of Brenda Russell, Regina Belle and Angela Winbush! Recording in Studio A last month were Mansur Brown, Jay Wilcox, Precipice, Nicola Schofield and Brass Monkeys.
FROM PAGE TO STAGE We’ve still got spaces left for our FREE drama workshop for 14-18-year olds. This will be a two-day taster session in writing and performing, led by writer, teacher and dramatist Lisa Ogun. If you know any youngsters who might be interested here are three cool things about it: 1. It runs in the summer holidays over the weekend, 20th and 21st Aug at the teen-friendly times of 12pm-5pm, so no horrendously early starts. 2.Young people can have a go at writing for stage, acting and learning about all the different people and skill sets it takes to put on a show in an informal, fun and interactive setting. All the world’s a stage, said the Bard (on TikTok, wasn’t it?) 3. It’s also about the hang. Meet and workshop with people who are into the same stuff as you. In a pro studio, with air con! To sign up, email: michele@premiseseducation.org
HELP MUSICIANS We’re hooking up with our friends at Help Musicians, an organization which does what it says, in the form of rolling grants, supporting musicians who have performance-related injuries or are out of work due to long term illness, bereavement, or are in retirement. They also run a 24/7 mental health support line called Music Minds Matter, which connects callers with a trained counsellor. This latter service is for anyone in the music business. AND, they run a much-needed service to help protect musicians’ hearing, with a full audiological assessment and customised ear plugs for a nominal fee, less still for MU members. For more info… So, they give you money, if you really need it AND you can tell them what’s eating you. We LIKE these people. If it sounds a little familiar to you, that’s because they used to be the Musician’s Benevolent Fund, which has been running in some form or other for 101 years. Here’s the money stuff. Grant applications run 365 days a year, so no deadlines or rounds. The only requirement is that you make over 50% of your living from your music. Best way to get an overview of all of the above is to go to one of their online Get Set sessions, which takes you through the different grants available and how to make the strongest application. Upcoming session can be found here.
UPGRADES AND MORE The eagle-eyed amongst you will take note of the nifty craftsmanship going on behind the scenes here. We’ve got a swanky new dance floor in Studio 2, stage lighting in Studio 1 and we’ve invested in a new Grand Piano and six keyboards. There’s a new state-of-the-art Apple Mac in Studio A and we’ve also replaced our rolling video in reception with ‘Life In A Day at The Premises’ featuring some of the fine musicians who’ve worked here. Including you maybe? So it’s been spend, spend, spend in these parts but… no price rises, we’re better than Truss or Rishi at the defying inflation business.
SUMMER PIANO WEEK We are delighted but in no way surprised that our 24th Annual Piano Week, running here from the 31st August to 4th September, is now sold out. The course, as last year, is run by Nikki Yeoh with Tim Richards, Robert Mitchell and John Crawford and involves intense tuition in improvisation, rhythm, harmony and modal jazz. All this, PLUS your own trio recording session in Studio A with Winston Clifford (drums) and Dominic Howles (bass) on the final day. But fear not if you missed out on this one, you can still pop your name on the waiting list, and if anyone drops out, we’ll be straight on to your good, piano-playing self. To get on the list, email: michele@premiseseducation.org
LIKE WE SAID, NO PRICE HIKES… Despite a big rise in costs, we’ve decided on a price freeze here for at least the rest of this year. As a member you can still hire a studio for less than £5 an hour (personal practice, same-day) – best value anywhere in town (or country).
THAT’S ALL FOLKS, EXCEPT FOR THIS…
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