Press Coverage - Echo Basildon

Point Blank Music College opens Basildon branch in the Towngate

Tuesday 24^th February 2009

By Emma Palmer

BASILDON is to get its own music academy, with top names from the music industry helping to set up the new college.

The new Future Sounds Academy will open at the Towngate Theatre, in St Martin’s Square, in April.

It is being set up by the prestigious Point Blank Music College, whose tutors have worked with bands including Oasis, the Rolling Stones and massive Attack and will offer professional qualifications to students aged 13 to 18.

Former Point Blank students include X factor winner and top-selling singer Leona Lewis and BBC 1xtra presenter Gemma Cairney.

Students will have a choice of seven 30-hour accredited courses with subjects including singing and song writing, music production and live sound engineering.

More than 100 free places are being offered at Future Sounds, funded by more than £40,000 from the children’s music charity, Youth Music.

Kelvin Blake, Basildon’s councillor responsible for leisure, said: “This gives young people a great chance to learn new skills which they can apply in a hobby or a future career.

“They can receive tuition form top professionals who have worked with some of the biggest names in the industry.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to earn a recognised qualification and get a foot on the career ladder.

“Having been the lead singer in a rock group in my teens, I would have loved this opportunity.”

Among the course tutors will be Ian Burton, guitarist with the band, Death in Vegas, and Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter, Phil Ramacon.

Under the scheme, seven promising students will be given the chance to win a prestigious scholarship  to Point Blanks main music college in London.

On the music production course, young people will learn to produce their own tracks to a professional standard, making beats and baselines and mixing and mastering their finished tracks.

Anyone interested in signing up for one of the courses, is invited to the official launch on Saturday, March 14, at the Towngate Theatre, when taster sessions will be offered.