and more broad in their scope,’ explains MA Music course leader Andrew West. Students will share a 50/50 royalty rate with their writer on any successful tracks. The plans are all part of an attempt at moving the college into a more pop-friendly direction. Founded in 1965, the specialist music conservatoire has previously been seen as jazz and classical centric. Though they do offer a range of courses in pop music, music production and a newly launched music business course alongside the classical and jazz pathways, historically, their alumni have included far more notable names in jazz than any other genre. Saxophonist Alan Barnes, pianist David Newton and composer and trumpeter Richard Iles are among early graduates.
Helping students access the global market: MA Music course leader Andrew West
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Despite a smattering of popular musicians to have studied at LCM who have been lucky enough to land a record deal in recent years – namely Victoria Hesketh (AKA Little Boots) and drummer Michael Spearman of Manchester band Everything Everything – none have yet hit the big time. Hesketh didn’t quite live up to the expectations of the BBC Sound of 2009 poll after being announced winner to only split with her record label after releasing her debut album. Tasked with changing LCM’s fortunes is West, who has history as a singer/songwriter himself as one third of the trio Cornwell, Cook and West, alongside Hugh Cornwell and Roger Cook. He joined LCM in 2011. ‘I want students to be engaging with those people working in the industry; I want there to be dialogue,’ he says. ‘This is one of the things that has changed in the music industry – the dialogue. When I first got signed to a label, you could talk to anyone who worked there, but now things are different.’ While record label executives might have become ever more elusive, the internet has given aspiring artists a way of getting their music heard by a global audience, without the need for any of the marketing or promotional muscle a record deal might bring. Brighton singer-songwriter Passenger seemed to come out of nowhere when he topped the charts with his single Let Her Go in 2012. Released on his own label, the track has now clocked up more than three million sales in the US alone and topped the charts in 20 countries. Says West: ‘Students need to be aware of the number of opportunities that exist in the global market. As musicians they don’t necessarily need to sit in one place, there are so many markets open to them. By bringing in these business mentors to sit and work out what might work best, songs can get that global scope.’ During a songwriter’s conference last year student Leo Wyatt got the chance to have a two-hour writing session with Iain Archer. Archer co-wrote Snow Patrol’s 2005 hit Run and has worked with a number of notable acts since, including Jake Bugg, Luke Sital-Singh and Nina Nesbitt. Titled Steeplejack, the track was the result of around 45 minutes of chat and ten minutes of playing. According to Archer, the
conversation is the most important part. ‘The residue of the conversation resides in the song. There’s lots of fleshing ideas around, talking about what’s good, talking about what’s bad and talking about life – who you are, what you love and what your experiences are, trying to unearth shared experiences. If I had had access to and been able to ask questions to people who were working professionally in the industry when I was attempting to make my foray into it all it would have been hugely useful to me.’ ‘The track records of those involved – particularly with regard to quality – is such that whatever they are involved in stands a good chance of being noticed,’ concludes West. ‘All the collaborative work will be written with currency and individuality of sound in mind, and be subject to high production values. Each of these factors should improve the chances of recognition.’ MT
MEADEN STEPS DOWN The biggest change on the cards at LCM is perhaps that which is happening at the very top. LCM’s current principal Philip Meaden is stepping down this year, and a successor will be announced in time for the new term in September. After nearly seven years at the helm he’s ready for someone to take the college into a new era. ‘The next stage is to get the message out about what LCM is and does a bit more than it’s been possible to do to date,’ he says. ‘We need someone who is an effective ambassador for the institute both nationally and internationally, while keeping the stream of development going. That hasn’t been possible in the past few years because we’ve been sorting the business of the institution out – getting all the frameworks in place for that kind of development to take place.’ With around 1,100 students at the moment, there are hopes to grow that number and recruit from a wider international pool. ‘The students are going to be living and working in an international community and it’s important that the college community reflects that,’ Meaden says. musicteachermagazine.co.uk
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