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Fog this morningMagazine
Graduating from the school of hard rock
by Conrad Astley21/ 7/2005
THIS weekend will mark the end of a long hard term, but these
students won't be putting away the heavy hard back books that have
helped them pass their exams.
While others don their mortarboards and cloaks, the graduates from
the city's School of Rock will play tonight (Friday) at Manchester
Metropolitan University's students union on Oxford Road, to
showcase their talents and prove their hard work has paid
off.
Like the hit comedy film starring Jack Black, youngsters who attend
classes at the school are shown the basics of being in a
band.
The 35 students, aged 12 to 21, have been put into nine bands and
find out about performing together, writing music, recording and
organising gigs.
Director Andrew Turnbull, who set Bandskool up nearly two years ago
- before the film School of Rock was released, he jokes - said he
saw the need for it after working as a private music teacher.
Andrew, who teaches guitar, said he came across many talented young
musicians who wanted to become more involved in music, but were
being held back because they didn't know anyone else who they could
play with.
He said: "It's a problem that young people can't find the right
musicians to get it together. I taught a lot of young people and I
thought the best thing for them was to be in a band where they can
learn from each other.
"It makes sense that if you're learning an instrument that's played
in a band you should get together with other people rather than
being a bedroom musician.
"There's been a rock resurgence in the last four or five years and
lots of kids have been picking up guitars recently, but a lot of
them get frustrated because they can't take it any further.
"Sometimes if they're in a band it can be difficult to get any gigs
because you've got a few hurdles to overcome. You've got to get a
PA system, find gigs, find the right musicians and stay together,
and sometimes you've got to have the right leadership."
Members meet every Saturday at Altrincham Boys Grammar School and,
although many of the youngsters come from the surrounding area,
pupils have now started coming from as far away as New Mills, St
Helens and Rochdale.
The youngsters are put into bands according to age and musical
taste, and left to develop under Andrew's watchful eye.
Each band is given an individual classroom to rehearse in during
the three-hour session, while Andrew and other tutors pop in to see
how they're doing and give advice.
The bands can also benefit from lessons in songwriting, sessions in
a recording studio, and there are plans for the school to expand
with masterclasses held by visiting professional musicians.
Andrew said some of the bands who learned their trade at the school
have gone on to perform regular gigs in Manchester, while others
showed a lot of promise.
The Jackanapes, made up of six 12-13-year-olds, had recently come
up trumps in a competition, in which the school's recruits had been
asked to write original material.
And tonight's concert - Bandskool Live - is an opportunity to find
out what the youngsters have been learning.
Bandskool is now enrolling for the next term, starting in
October. For more information visit
www.bandskool.co.uk
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