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About the Blackpool Music Academy
CLICK HERE FOR YOUR ENROLMENT FORM
Whether you're a complete beginner, or a returner to music, BMA is a community based, not-for-profit organisation, here to help you make the most of your keyboard or home organ.
In September 2007 the academy was granted £7500.00 for the children of the community to learn a new skill in music.
Part of this grant also enabled us to offer graded exams to all students that attend the Academy. We're pleased to let you know that 7 pupils all passed the exam with marks of 75% to 88% - 1 pass was with distinction and 1 with a merit.
Click here - ---------------- - to visit our shop
Drum Tuition Update from Mick McDonald Tutor
A quick update - November 2009.
After only a few months the Drums are now going strong. Already The students
are progressing at a great rate and have just entered six of the students
into the next rock school grading.
The addition of the new electric drum kits have been excellent for the students to experiment on, and are great for adjusting to different specifications for the size of the student (For example, Dania, is around 8 years old and is too small to reach the pedals on an acoustic kit, but on the electric kit, she's already playing full beats and progressing at an amazing rate for such a young student.)
Obviously, having two kits allows us to teach two students at the same time, but at present organising the students into pairings hasn't happened due to students being at different levels of progression. Recently we have had a couple more students join, and having quickly getting them to a point where they too can start going in for grading, we will soon be able to start placing the students into grading pairs. Hopefully this will happen by the end of the year.
As for the future of the drums, I am currently creating a catalogue of music that the students can start learning. Learning music they like is crucial to keeping the interest of the student as drum beats can be quite monotonous. As I can imagine its quite hard for students to listen to modern music, especially with families in hardship, I have been thinking of the purchase of cheap mp3 players that we can either give or subsidize to the students. This way they can bring their personal Mp3 players to each class where I can supply them with any tracks, be it a band that they like or a piece of grading music, that they can take with them and have the ability to listen and learn from music more often.
In the long term, I would like to create a loose syllabus based around the rock school grading material and modern music in order to create an interesting and accessible teaching guide in which we can bring an additional drum tutor in and enlarge the drum section into classes of four to six students. This way we can bring the cost of lessons down to make this project more accessible to those who can’t afford the current costs. By the word loose with the syllabus, I mean creating an optional route for the tutor to choose when teaching in order to accommodate to the students needs.
All in all, I am so pleased with the progression of the students, and
the interest they have in learning, and I am proud to be more involved
in a charity that offers these services to children and adults. Something
I have recently found with those that haven't normally been able to do
music, is that they take to it with a passion, which is a great joy to
see.
Mick MacDonald
The academy covers most instruments. We have eight highly qualified tutors plus one assistant tutor; you can read about them in the 'about us’ page. We have many choices for learning for example a session of one to one in the academy, or for those with special needs we come to you.
Music can be learnt as a leisure learning activity or you can go down the more formal exam route to get internationally recognized qualifications and hopefully reach a high grade. We teach from the ages of 8 years to 100.
Anyone needing information should ring --- 07887873309 or 01253 807978
Thanks for visiting and we look forward to seeing you.
SATURDAY MUSIC
The academy was founded by a group of 'leisure learning' students, who wanted to keep on meeting and playing keyboards together after their music course at Blackpool & The Fylde College unexpectedly closed in autumn 2004.
The students were upset to learn that their experienced tutor had retired because of the burden of extra paperwork on leisure learning tutors.
Several students had also spent hundreds of pounds on new keyboards, and were suddenly left with no class.
But instead of giving in to disappointment, the group, led by student John Shaw, set about creating a music school, with just as much learning, fun and socialising - but without the reams of red tape and paperwork!
Originally, the group's aims were to find a venue, and a tutor who would be able to give keyboard and organ lessons to themselves, and any other older or disabled residents. The students also hoped their new 'school' could provide one or two keyboards for anyone physically unable to bring their own.
Later in 2005 a suitable venue was soon found - Springfield Methodist Church halls, Bispham Road, Blackpool - and the first classes scheduled for January 2006.
The students persuaded their former college tutor, Jim Lomas, out of retirement, and he was joined by another Fylde Coast music teacher, Stephen Austin, to make up the original teaching team for the newly named 'Blackpool Music Academy'.
In December 2005, BMA's committee heard they'd made a successful bid for funds from Blackpool's Community Chest Fund - which will go a long way to realising the academy's eventual dream of offering music lessons to all age groups, and on various instruments, and if possible, for free.
John Shaw says: "I am over the moon! Hopefully this is the start of things to come for the future of Blackpool Music Academy, to the benefit of young and old and the disabled - and is what I have dreamed of, bringing free tuition to all in the learning of musical keyboard."
BMA's founders have proved that where there's a will there's a way - and they're determined to keep on going with their enjoyable music lessons at this friendly community project.
As John puts it: "My aim is to give free tuition to all if possible
but I also would like to start a younger generation class with a subsidised
fee. We would also be looking at expanding the academy into other instruments
when this is a viable proposition."
"Really this project is a prototype to see how it goes, as I feel
the potential is so vast there could be an academy in every town in years
to come and that is my dream for the future."
Blackpool Music Academy's Committee Members
Mr John T Shaw Founder, Director and Chairman
Email: info@blackpoolmusicacademy.com
Directors:
John Shaw - Chairman Director
Ray Jones - Director
Joyce Walters - Director
TUTORS
Amy Stretch Parker piano Keyboard Vocal tuition
Steven Austin Piano Keyboard Organ
Mick Macdonald Drums/ Guitar
Chris Hodder Classical, Jazz, Rock, guitar/ piano/ Keyboard
Ray Jones Saxophone Clarinet ??????
James Howell Guitar
Veronica Flete, Flute/ Clarinet/ Guitar /piano/ keyboard
Ann Williams, Banjo /Guitar /singing
Tom Vernon, Classical, Jazz, Rock, guitar
Mr Jim Lomas (Tutor and Trustee)
Email jim.lomas@blackpoolmusicacademy.com
Jim Lomas
Born: Miles Platting, Manchester on 26/3/35.
Now lives: in Poulton-le-Fylde, near Blackpool.
Education: Manchester's Holland Street Elementary School, then North Manchester
Grammar School.
Musical qualifications: all grades up to Grade 8 Piano (London College
of Music), Jim has performed professionally for 53 years and is an experienced
teacher.
Current keyboard: Technics 2400.
Started playing: aged five - "it was the thing for kids to learn
piano then".
Stephen Austin
Stephen Austin - fast facts:
Born: Cliveden House, Taplow, Buckinghamshire.
Now lives: Poulton-le-Fylde, near Blackpool, Lancashire.
Musical qualifications: teaching certificate (Cert Mus) and Fellowship
with Honours from the Independent Contemporary Musical Awards (ICMA).
Started playing: piano, aged eight, followed by classical organ and theatre
organ.
Main keyboard: Technics GA1.
Career highlights include:
- playing the organ in Liverpool's vast Anglican Cathedral - a somewhat
nerve-wracking surprise for his 40th birthday!
- adjudicating the piano and organ section at the prestigious ICMA music
festival, Stratford-upon-Avon, in both 2000 and 2003;
- giving an impromptu concert at Norway's beautiful Voss Cathedral during
a visit in the early eighties.
Mrs Veronica Flete B.A. PGCE with QTS
Education
University:
BA, Music - 2:1 (1994-1997)
Other (UK) University
Music
Plays the piano, flute,clarinet, church organ and guitar.
Also plays in a ceilidh band, doing public performances approximately once a month.
Veronica takes part in 'jamming sessions' at local venues.
Ray Jones
At 14 studied clarinet & Saxophone at Poulton school of music under
Dougie
Drake and then privately under Leo Robson.
Joined Royal Air Force Music services at 18 and toured all over the world playing
for Royalty and heads of state. Also played for cup finals and England
internationals at Wembley and Twickenham.
On leaving the RAF in 1980 played for two years at the Ice Drome and Horseshoe
bar at the pleasure beach.
Joined the Rakes Parade Jazz Band in the mid 80's and joined the rock
and roll band FBI in 1987 till 1994.
In 1995 studied computers, music and film at the University of Wales at
Wrexham and in 1998 to present day.
Joined former pupil Ray Williams to form Jazz, Swing and Soul duo Hip
Hip 2 Rays.
Specialising teaching in the clarinet and saxophone Akai windsynth
Amy R L Stretch-Parker
Music Tuition, Pianist & Composer
Pam Parker School of Dance - Pianist for ballet lessons
Auckland, New Zealand - Assisting with the arrangement of children’s music
for the TV program ‘The Magic Box’
Composer/songwriter for ‘The Flippy Chicks’ girl band
Jennifer Pardoe School of Dance – Ulverston, Cumbria.Pianist for ballet
lessons
Rehearsal pianist for Ulverston Amateur Operatic group
Composer for short film ‘The Missing’ – Signal Films.
Creative Score Writing Workshops – Millom School, Cumbria.
Session work for film scores guitar/vocals/piano/other instruments
Accompanist for ABRSM practical music examinations
Accompanist for ‘The Savoyards’ Gilbert and Sullivan Society performances.
Composer of carnival music (brass and percussion) and light percussion/brass
workshops - Barracudas Community Carnival Band, Barrow-in-Furness.
News: 23/02/2009
The Academy needs your help
We are looking for those instruments that you may have in a cupboard or in the attic that you have no more use for.
The academy gives free tuition to people who cannot afford the tuition fees of the private sector, but in order to achieve these donations of instruments into the academy would be sold in our web shop to raise money to achieve the above.