Live and Unsigned music master classes – the truth revealed!

Live and Unsigned music master classes in association with the Institute, are part of the ongoing development programme for musicians provided by Live and Unsigned. All Regional finalists within the competition are given the chance to apply for selected master classes courtesy of the Institute. Master classes from the Institute include song writing development, tuition from world class drummers, music business tutorials, guitar, bass and vocal development. Past classes have included sessions with the Jamiroquai rhythm section, drummer Bill Bruford, Sugababes song writer Paul Simm and many more...

Recently Live and Unsigned put a master class with guitarist Greg Howe up for grabs, and it was attended by the Rion Willard, guitarist from the band Myernark, successful regional finalists from London. Below is the diary from Rion, telling of his experience of the day.

I am currently reading one of the most inspiring and mind expanding books I’ve ever read on music and life at the moment. The Music Lesson by Bass virtuoso Victor Wooten reads like the esoteric teachings of a Himalayan mystic. Each page is packed with unconventional ideas and wisdom about the elements that make music. These laws of sound, vibration, creation and life help us realise the musical being inside each of us.  

With my musical DNA already being reprogrammed through this book, hearing I was able to attend a master class with Greg Howe, who has played with Victor Wooten and Dennis Chambers on the incredible Extraction album and others, felt like a vision from a great Eastern Sage.

Greg did not disappoint, his insights echoed those in the ‘Music Lesson’ and he was able to demonstrate them to the class through performing some of his best tracks and stunning live improvisations.  Throughout the class, Greg emphasised that music exists in the mind first, remarking to us to strive to ‘play what we hear in our head.’

Greg also shared insights into creativity and improvisation with simple and powerful ideas about finding the groove before starting to play, as opposed to finding the key or root note first. Greg expanded on using rhythmical ideas in improvisations by demonstrating how playing on just one string can actually open up a whole new world of kick ass sounds, as it forces you to think differently and utilise more percussive ideas.

What everyone wanted to ask Greg was ‘How did you prepare for playing with Michael Jackson?’. Greg responded with a surprising ‘I didn’t’, what followed was an amazing tale of just how demanding and unpredictable the music industry can be. ‘8pm on a Sunday night in LA I got a call asking me to play on the Wednesday night in Amsterdam in front of 65,000 people with Michael’ explained Greg. ‘I hadn’t done any preparation for it in the last 9 months as I hadn’t heard from anyone since my audition nearly a year back.’ It turned out Jennifer Batten’s mother had fallen ill and she had to leave to the show leaving a space for Greg to fill. He recounts the following hectic hours listening to all the recordings of her guitar parts whilst packing his bags and getting on the first flight to Holland. Arriving in Amsterdam the morning of the gig Greg only had a matter of hours to prep in the hotel room with his guitar before a sound check with Michael. ‘After we sound checked the first 3 songs, it seemed liked I’d passed the test and I took a sigh of relief…. then the director began to explain the choreography.’ Greg then humbly described how he memorised the dance moves with a sheet of paper with numbers and arrows scribbled on it that he kept on the floor during the first few shows. As if that wasn’t enough – a giant white synthetic wig was glued to his head throughout the show and the finale entailed him handling a pyro guitar that fired  out a 20ft flame from the neck. This is certainly a story that I will remember next time I get backstage nerves!

For more information on the Institute master classes and how you can be part of Live and Unsigned on 2012 visit www.liveandunsigned.uk.com