UWL hosts Hounslow Schools 'Battle of the Bands' and rewards winners with a recording session
Intro
Before the summer holidays, talented young musicians from six local schools came to the University of West London for the Hounslow School Network’s 'Battle of the Bands' competition.
Held in UWL’s Lawrence Hall, the competition aimed to provide participating schools with a professional experience, offering them a platform to perform in front of an audience and judges, utilising the University’s excellent equipment.
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The participating schools were Nishkam School West London, Isleworth & Syon School, Gumley House Convent School in Isleworth, Chiswick School, Gunnersbury Catholic School in Brentford, and Lampton School in Hounslow.
Each school formed a band, preparing a 10-minute set consisting of two songs. The bands worked hard in the weeks leading up to the event, with many students participating in songwriting workshops facilitated by UWL lecturers and students to help them improve their skills and prepare for the big day. They were part of a larger project where students at UWL’s London College of Music (LCM) travel to local schools to get young musicians excited about songwriting.
The competition was hosted by William Lester (Lecturer in Performance and Sung Voice at LCM). The judging panel included Ellie Nemeth (a Level 4 BA (Hons) Music Management student at UWL) and Roberto Negrini (lead singer of London grunge band Superfecta). They assessed the bands based on several criteria, including musicianship, stage presence and audience response.
A massive thank you for all your hard work, energy, and input. Our students have loved their involvement in UWL events this year,”
said Declan McKeever of Isleworth and Syon School.
This was a big event with a complex setup. The energy in the room was incredible, and our student tech team did a fantastic job of keeping everything running smoothly, capturing the night’s excitement perfectly,”
said LCM student Tzu-Yang Huang.
Dr Dan Pratt, LCM lecturer and Course Leader for BA (Hons) Recording, Mixing and Production, commented,
This was a great example of how community outreach should be done.
From the teachers to the school and university students, lecturers, tech team and the families of the bands, everyone came together for a night of joy that celebrated the achievements of our future musicians.”
Each participant received a certificate, and The Night Howlers of Lampton (from Lampton School) were awarded for commendable stagecraft, while (Nothing Works) from Gunnersbury Catholic School were recognised for commendable stage technique.
The winning band was Solar Purple (from Isleworth and Syon School), whose prize is an opportunity to professionally record their music and receive guidance on further developing their skills from the LCM team.
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