QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“I mean, if you took the computers away and all the internet away from everybody and made them play an instrument, that’s all anyone would do all day.”
- Carole Kaye, 89-year-old session bass player icon
We love this quote from Quincy Jones’ go-to session bass player, who reckons she has recorded on over 10,000 tracks with every major recording artist you can think of, and way more than that. If we could welcome Spring by taking everyone off their devices and giving them instruments, the world would sound gloriously noisier, which is at least the optimistic view. If we were zapped into some weird interstitial vortex, who knows? We could have a bunch of banjo players doing Death Metal, making the little budding plants sink back into the soil to cover their plant ears. For us at Premises however, it’s always business as usual. We love the idea that everyone comes here to get better at what they are already good at. If that’s not a great work ethic, I don’t know what is.
And speaking of getting better at what you are already good at, we are putting another big shout out to piano players who want to gain confidence to play live with a top class band, and work on the all-important improv.
There is still time to sign up to this course. See below:
LIVE PIANO WEEKENDER WITH NIKKI YEOH, TIM RICHARDS AND JOHN CRAWFORD
Piano players who want to play with a live band in front of an audience, and learn the art of comping and improv in modal jazz, Latin jazz, blues and soul, please do come and join our Jazz Piano Performance course on 17th, 18th and 19th of May. Days run from 10-5 with an hour for lunch. You learn tons, gain performance confidence, but also get to play a gig, here with Mark Mondesir, Dominic Howles and Denys Baptiste. You can read more about it here. You need to be a competent player and be fairly confident in reading music. You can invite friends and family to the performance, and we will provide wine, beer, soft drinks, salty snacks and ambiance. It’s gonna be great, cos it always is. All for the LOWER THAN PREVIOUS YEAR price of £275 for everything. FURTHER DISCOUNTS FOR STUDENTS. To register interest, email: michele@premiseseducation.org
FREE SPRING BREAK ACTIVITY! VOICE JAMS FOR HACKNEY AND TOWER HAMLETS SECONDARY SCHOOL YOUNG PEOPLE. FINAL SHOUT!
PARENTS! We know Easter break can feel longer than it is, so why not get your youngsters over here on the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th of April to sing, rehearse and record two songs with our Voice Jam choir master and all-round good guy Clive Brown? The good bits: The kids and Clive take regular songs and jive them all up, with three-part harmonies, raps, solos, improvs …the works. The days start at half two and run til half six, so the singers can have mornings free. AND, there is a “wrap” party on the last day, with food, soft drinks and freestyling on the mics. All that is needed is a desire to sing and a willingness to rehearse lots. For more info and to sign up: michele@premiseseducation.org or scan the QR code in the above ad to go straight to our sign up sheet.
THE ALTERNATIVE CONSERVATOIRE
We’ve been happy to welcome a group of diverse musicians coming in to work with Dr. Joel Bell, founder of the Alternative Conservatoire, a project whose name intrigued us so much we had to hunt him down and ask how it all works and where we can check them out, as the sounds from studio one have been pretty spectacular.
Can you tell me your idea behind the alternative conservatoire, that is, what makes it alternative and why is there a need for that?
The Alternative Conservatoire grew from what I felt was a need to find a creative home and community for those who don’t fit into traditional categories, are interested in music from other cultures and want to explore new ways of making music. It’s very hands on, with the young artists working with the house band every week. As well as a space to make music we actively work on developing the students’ craft, knowledge and collaborative skills. It is also entirely free to attend and the first course of its kind where we have written the curriculum around the students.
Nine young music creators have been engaging in immersive lectures exploring composition, creative leadership, trans-disciplinary concepts, improvisation and creative projects with cross-genre house band GOKUMI. We will have a final concert performance with the house band at Rich Mix on the 18th of May.
Are you currently closed to recruits or how can people find out more?
Auditions are now closed, but if anyone is interested they can get in touch with me via the website and also join our mailing list. We are looking for students from any background and also welcome those outside a Western music tradition. We are looking for the ‘rebels’ hungry for knowledge and welcome a challenge. For more info: https://thealternativeconservatoire.org
UPDATE ON VIV
Viv Broughton, our dynamic CEO who was taken ill with a stroke last month, has been working hard to make his body strong again and is now recovering at home. The outpouring of love has been tremendous, and he is most grateful for all the cards and notes and flowers. Though we miss his smiling face, cheering demeanour and great banter, we at the extended Premises family know that like all the best things in life, these things take time, rest, patience and tolerance. He has already popped back briefly to say hello and have some of Nural’s magic Tropical smoothie, and as the weather gets nicer, he’ll be making his way over here more often because he misses you lot as much as we miss him. If you have any special messages or want to chat to him, please email me and we’ll try to sort something out: michele@premiseseducation.org
WHO’S BEEN IN?
Amongst other luminaries, last month we welcomed, China Moses, Salvation Worship, Barry Can’t Swim, Folded Wing, London Voice Academy, Fossils, Trinity Laban, Mafro, Writhe, The Jam, Cam Meads, Octavia Landy, Shiva Nova, Kat Five, Andy Gyves, Miraculous Mule, Angelo, Hope Winter, Tom Odell, Kawala, Autoheart, Mount Kimbie, House Gospel Choir, Say She She, Dark Moon, Alternative Conservatoire, Albion Band, Lotte Cutts, London Voice Academy, Neville Hughes, Perhaps Contraption, Destiny, Elephant Kind, Wendy Bevan, The Staves, Alfie Whitbread, The Warehouse, Nectar Woode, Alex Friedman, Triggerfish, Asian Dub Foundation, Jason Singh, Celebration Church Worship, Spearmint, Kokoroko, Dan Croll, Issy Wood, Gia Ford, Bob Moran, Holly Walker, Patchwork, Rob Fleming, Jamie Malton, Duke Street Big Band, Certain Blacks, Scout, Riot Woman, Jupiter and Sunrise, Issy Cross, Victoria Smith, Yazmin Lacey, Byte The Music, Jana Carpenter, The Cuban Brothers, Syrup, Florence Rose, The Swingle Singers, Glory Choir, Lewis Ezeoke, Ruff Squad, Tammy Faye Workshop, Fergus Ellis, Irene Taylor Trust, Galaxy, The Squires, Zoe Rahman, PP Arnold, Ellie Pybus, Wunderhorse, Madame Gandhi, Michael Fitzgibbon, Lucy McWIlliams, Johnny Hates Jazz, Tom Dunning, Saloni Thakkar, Anoushka Shankar, The Thin Men, and many more.
AND FINALLY...
