No Shows are No Pros

Peter Doherty, a free spirit? Enigma? A throwback to rebellious rock stars of years gone by? All of these he may be, but after another ‘no show’ at the “Joiners” live music venue in Southampton questions about professionalism and dedication to such a fickle business must be raised! For a few years now, journalists and theorists alike have tussled backwards and forwards in regard to educational courses in ‘how to be a rock star’ arguing that such traits cannot be taught. You can’t take Joe Bloggs off the street, cast him into a ‘Popular music’ scheme and expect him to come out as the next Elvis Presley. However these courses can be beneficial to the next generation of budding musical superstars.

       Southampton Solent University offers the chance to study “Popular music Performance”, a course that has exploded in higher education across the country. I spoke to the head of the course, Peter Wilson to find out how it both encourages the creativity needed to be successful in the industry, while striking a balance with teaching history, context and professionalism. An accomplished musician in his own right, Wilson acknowledges the importance of musicianship first off. He said, “…anyone can strum an E chord, but we encourage the creativity that takes a good musician and turns them into a professional musician”. He described how the course’s participants should aim to be ‘polished professionals’ by the time they graduate, yet stressed the importance of the theoretical side.

         “…Without context, it is very easy to get lost in such a vast and harsh industry. Artists in the past have lost their way, and have taken the opportunities they have for granted”. He highlighted the importance of hard work and punctuality in an academic and a habitual sense. “…If one has the drive to study a course for three years and turn up on time day in and day out, it becomes habit, they get the most out of what they put in, and as it is true in most walks of life, those who work hard reap the rewards!”

         The University of Westminster has seen great success from their Commercial music performance course with acts like ‘The Feeling’ and ‘Paper Heroes’. Matt Weedon, Paper Heroes’ lead singer has reaped the rewards from the course, having a song featured on Channel 4’s ‘Skins’. “…The course taught me so much about the industry and introduced me to like minded, ambitious young musicians.’

         No one is saying you can create a pop star from dust, or that you should mould musicians and strip away their creativity. Courses like theses are designed to encourage creativity, but a strict set of ground rules and guidelines to ensure their talent isn’t wasted. A bit of professionalism, charm, wit and good manners can still go a long way towards success; maybe some of today’s ‘stars’ could do with getting back in the classroom, instead of leaving an empty stage that could be filled with someone who appreciates it.