Claire Bradford: band project caught our family’s attention

With hundreds of choices of extra-curricular activities available for kids these days, it can be pretty difficult to stand out from the crowd enough to make both parents and their kids sit up, take notice and want to know more.

But that’s what happened in our household recently when we read about The Band Project, which gives young musicians the complete band experience of rehearsal, recording and gigs in real venues with expert tutors and guest workshops from top session musicians.

The musicians have played with artists such as Professor Green, Rizzle Kicks, Paul McCartney, Tom Jones and many others.

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The project is for singers, guitarists, keyboards, bass and drummers aged from eight to 16. The bands are grouped by age, experience and musical interest, with a maximum of eight children to one tutor, so nobody can get left out.

So if you have got a budding superstar dreaming of fame and bugging the neighbours with their bedroom arena concerts, The Band Project may be just the thing (and it is a heck of a lot more rock ‘n roll than the X Factor).

I got in touch with the founder, Christopher Mountford, and asked him how the courses were being received so far.

He said: “The Band Project, Brighton, has launched with amazing feedback so far and we’re running a one day half term workshop there on October 30, with special guest tutor Katie Holmes-Smith, who has worked with Leona Lewis and Lilly Allen, among others.

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Arundel is starting with a one-day half-term workshop on October 29, ahead of six-week courses kicking off in November and we’re going to be starting workshops and courses in Horsham in the new year, so we’re really taking Sussex by storm.”

Christopher and his team are also on the hunt for parents to take on the centre manager roles in Arundel and in Horsham, so there’s also a business opportunity for the right people.

By licensing areas, Christopher has also hit upon a way of spreading his great idea country-wide.

By doing so, he will be giving more children the chance to play and giving their parents a chance to be part of it, too.

Find out more about The Band Project on their website, by visiting www.thebandproject.co.uk.

If you are interested in the centre manager roles, email Christopher at [email protected]