CD Release and June 28 gig at Oh Yeah.
The first graduates have emerged from a special programme, ‘Scratch My Progress’, at the Oh Yeah music centre in Belfast. These are: Katharine Phillipa, Conor Mason, 20 Second Century and Everyday Superheroes. At the end of this six month course they have each recorded a track for a compilation CD and will celebrate their completion of the pilot scheme with a gig.
This live event takes place at Oh Yeah, 15-21 Gordon Street, Belfast on Friday June 28. The compilation CD will be available on the night and a special guest will also feature.
Scratch My Progress is the first version of a talent development project, supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland and promoted by the Citybeat radio station. One acts was chosen from a public vote and the others were selected by an industry panel.
The musicians were then introduced to vocal coaching, PR, photo sessions and meetings with a series of industry professionals. These included a specialist lawyer, a music industry accountant, an executive at Domino Records and a former A&R chief at Virgin Records. They learnt about copyright, film synch and survival skills on tour.
All of the acts have now been profiled by BBC Radio 1 Introducing. Meanwhile Katharine Phillipa appeared with the Ulster Orchestra in a live BBC broadcast from the Ulster Hall on May 22.
Katharine says:
” I think I need a surrogate musical family. In Northern Ireland, I’ve seen it for sure – in other musicians, BBC Radio Ulster folk, and of course, at the Oh Yeah Centre, which is such a necessary base and nucleus within the music scene. With this kind of nurturing at the onset, a more stable musical growth can occur, just as the opportunity for music to be heard by as many ears as possible deepens.”
More info:
http://www.ohyeahbelfast.com/scratch_my_progress/view/katherine
http://www.ohyeahbelfast.com/scratch_my_progress/view/conor_brown
http://www.ohyeahbelfast.com/scratch_my_progress/view/20_second_century
http://www.ohyeahbelfast.com/scratch_my_progress/view/everyday_superheroes
The second series of Scratch My Progress will be launched in the second half of 2012.
