Latest News from Progress Academy

A lot has been happening at Progress Academy - and we thought that now would be a good time to tell you all about it...

In January, Steve and Gaz attended the NAMM Show in Los Angeles - the largest music trade event in the world. This was swiftly followed by a hugely successful showcase event carried at at St. Paul's Church in Birmingham. This saw over 35 students performing in front of a crowd of well over 120 people.

In March, Steve toured all over the world demonstrating the new Marshall Code series of Amps.

Closer to home, one of our brightest students - Beth Ford - performed at The Symphony Hall in Birmingham... at the tender age of just 15!

In April, The Voice visited Progress Academy to check out students for the upcoming new series, while Universal and Polydor Records came for a secret scouting event where they talked to and watched 10 of our best students perform.

Finally, Gaz is part of the Natal Drums team organising the drumbeat UK event. This is a world record attempt of 1001 drummers playing together. You can find out more at drumbeatuk.org.

How Do I Choose Which Musical Instrument to Learn?

Learning to play a musical instrument will be one of the greatest things you could ever do for your mind, as well as for yourself. Regardless if you are a beginner, playing in a band, or are a skilled individual, the process is incredibly rewarding and a lot of fun!

If you're starting a clean slate and do not know what you want to play, it is good to know that anything is possible

Choosing a variety

The instrument that is a popular choice for beginners is the piano. This is mostly because it is really simple to see the music. It is also featured in many different cultures and styles of music, both piano and keyboard.

Piano variations you may be able to add to your skills include:

• Accordion
• Harpsichord
• Organ
• Synthesizer

Guitar can vary from classical to death metal, learning to play the guitar can open up many doors into different musical styles. The guitar is another popular choice amongst budding musicians and first-timers. Pinning down the basics of guitar can lead you onto other instruments to add to your six-string canon:

• Banjo
• Bass guitar
• Dulcimer
• Harp
• Mandolin

Mastering percussion is all about keeping the time of most music groups. In most bands, this will come in the form of a kit drum, whereas there are other combos which will feature widely in a variety of instrument that can be hit on with mallets, sticks or hands.

Other percussion instruments include:

• Bells and Cymbals
• Congas and Bongos
• Drum set
• Glockenspiel
• Timpani
• Vibraphone