Now that the UK is in its third lockdown due to Covid-19 the music industry is facing further unprecedented times of hardship. Self-employed musicians are encountering widespread unemployment and hundreds of UK based rehearsal rooms find themselves confronting devastating closures. Musicians of every age, from hobbyist to professional, could therefore face the very real threat of being denied the opportunity to rehearse, connect and create together once lockdown has lifted and life begins again. In response to this, The Band Project has created The Band Project Network: a collaborative, countrywide referral-based campaign aimed at local tutors and parents.
The local area representatives under this scheme are Under The Bridge Studios, who are located at 7 Trafalgar Square, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 4EQ. You can read their latest news updates, including Covid essential guidelines HERE.
The Band Project Network works by offering money back, depending on course, at either £15 or £25 per student introduced. Through courses, rehearsal rooms will be provided with regular bookings and core annual revenue to help their doors stay open and ensure local bands and artists will always have somewhere to practise. Furthermore, courses launched by TBP Network will help keep TBP’s team of tutors, all self-employed musicians, in the profession they are dedicated to and have trained for. Finally, it offers the chance for members to be part of a co-operative community of students, parents, tutors, and venues across the UK with one common aim: to keep music and creative connection alive.
TBP is a safe, supportive, and encouraging environment offering ten week courses for 8 – 18 year olds and adults providing the complete band experience: weekly rehearsals in fully equipped practice rooms, gigging musicians as tutors and end of course gigs in real venues. TBP also offers TBP Juniors where 4-7 year olds are given the chance to explore the core band instruments and group performance through a mix of structured learning and free play. TBP provides a space where every student can make mistakes and learn without judgement, whatever their age!
Chris Mountford, founder of TBP, says, “Throughout each lockdown I have seen via one-to-one online tutoring how students are genuinely struggling without the boost of regular contact with friends. Add to that the risks to rehearsal rooms, and the impacts on self-employed musicians, and it’s been an incredibly difficult time for the music industry. TBP Network offers its members the chance to be part of protecting and re-building the UK music scene from the grassroots up. For students of all ages, TBP courses offer structure, collaboration and expression which is vital, especially as we try to move back to something close to normal and come to terms with the last year.”
If you’re a student, parent, tutor or rehearsal room that wants to know more about TBP experience and how you can get involved post lockdown with their new, UK wide, collaborative network, please visit www.thebandproject.co.uk or email info@thebandproject.co.uk.
