Paul Gray, former bassist with the band `The
Damned`, joined Strode College music students recently, to share his knowledge
of the music industry to help them with their course and their future careers.
Paul Gray has made his living as a musician for
most of his life, having played bass guitar for a number of high profile rock
and punk bands, most notably 'The Damned', 'Eddie and the Hotrods' and
"UFO". He is also regional
officer for the Musicians Union in Wales and the South West.
The students gained valuable information and advice
for their coursework and for their own development as music producers,
musicians and song writers. They discussed issues such as copyright, music
contracts, licensing and selling music, instrument insurance and public
liability cover. And, they were able to
ask Paul Gray questions relating to their own music production projects, events
and performances.
Adrian Smith, course manager for Strode’s BTEC
Music Technology courses said. 'Paul Gray's visit has given our students an
important insight into the many pitfalls in the industry and how important it
is to get the right advice and guidance early on. Our music industry continues
to thrive and to attract many young people who want to combine their love of
music with a career. We want our music
students to develop a good understanding of the industry alongside their
creative skills and talent, because we know it will help them achieve their
ambitions and succeed in the future.”
Strode College offers A Levels and BTEC Extended
Diplomas in Music and Music Technology. Previous
music students have gone on to study a range of subjects at university
including Creative Music Technology and Commercial Music at Bath Spa
University, Audio and Music Technology and Marketing at the University of West
of England, and Creative Events Management at University College Falmouth.
