LATEST NEWS

20 Apr 2020
We're Back!
☀️ Happy Monday ☀️
Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying this weather as best they can!
Today we are back to normal with all lessons online. As nice as it was to have some time off over Easter, we’re all looking forward to having a bit of routine back.
What was your favourite thing about the Easter break? 🎵

18 Apr 2020
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday to our piano student Eloise! Hope you have lovely day with your family 🤩
16 Apr 2020
Dusty Springfield - HMMT Featured Musician
The second Featured Musician of the month is Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien OBE, professionally known as Dusty Springfield. She was an English pop singer and record producer, born on this day in 1939.
Her career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano sound, she was an important singer of blue-eyed soul and at her peak was one of the most successful British female performers, with six top 20 singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 and sixteen on the UK Singles Chart from 1963 to 1989.
She is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and UK Music Hall of Fame. International polls have named Springfield among the best female rock artists of all time. Her image, supported by a peroxide blonde bouffant hairstyle, evening gowns, and heavy make-up, as well as her flamboyant performances, made her an icon of the Swinging Sixties.
Born in West Hampstead in London to a family that enjoyed music, Springfield learned to sing at home. In 1958 she joined her first professional group, The Lana Sisters, and two years later formed a pop-folk vocal trio, The Springfields, with her brother Tom Springfield and Tim Feild. They became the UK's top selling act.
Her solo career began in 1963 with the upbeat pop hit, "I Only Want to Be with You". Among the hits that followed were "Wishin' and Hopin' " (1964), "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (1964), "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" (1966), and "Son of a Preacher Man" (1968).
As a fan of US soul music, she brought many little-known soul singers to the attention of a wider UK record-buying audience by hosting the first national TV performance of many top-selling Motown artists beginning in 1965. Partly owing to these efforts, a year later she eventually became the best-selling female singer in the world and topped a number of popularity polls, including Melody Maker's Best International Vocalist.
Although she was never considered a Northern Soul artist in her own right, her efforts contributed a great deal to the formation of the genre as a result. She was the first UK singer to top the New Musical Express readers' poll for Female Singer.
To boost her credibility as a soul artist, Springfield went to Memphis, Tennessee, to record Dusty in Memphis, an album of pop and soul music with the Atlantic Records main production team. Released in 1969, it has been ranked among the greatest albums of all time by the US magazine Rolling Stone and in polls by VH1 artists, New Musical Express readers, and Channel 4 viewers. The album was also awarded a place in the Grammy Hall of Fame and in March 2020 the US Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry, which preserves audio recordings considered to be "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".
Despite its current recognition, the album did not sell well and after relocating to America following its release, she experienced a career slump which lasted several years. However, in collaboration with Pet Shop Boys, she returned to the Top 10 of the UK and US charts in 1987 with "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" Two years later, she had two other UK hits on her own with "Nothing Has Been Proved" and "In Private." Subsequently, in the mid-1990s, owing to the inclusion of "Son of a Preacher Man" on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack, interest in her early output was revived.
Have a listen to this classic song
12 Apr 2020
Herbie Hancock - HMMT Featured Musician
The first Featured Musician of April is prolific jazz musician and composer Herbie Hancock, born on this day in 1940.
As a child, Hancock was trained in classical music and played a Mozart piano concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra when he was only 11 years old. His music is often inspired by classical composers such as Debussy.
He started his career with jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter and vocalist Donald Byrd before joining the Miles Davis Quintet where he helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section. The Davis quintet’s mid-1960s investigations of rhythmic and harmonic freedom stimulated some of Hancock’s most daring, arrhythmic, harmonically colourful concepts.
Meanwhile, he recorded extensively in bebop and modal jazz settings, ranging from funky rhythms to ethereal modal harmonies; as a sideman on Blue Note albums and a leader of combos, he played original themes including “Maiden Voyage,” “Cantaloupe Island,” and “Watermelon Man,” which became a popular hit in Mongo Santamaria’s recording.
In the 1970s, after playing in Davis’s first jazz-rock experiments, Hancock began leading fusion bands and playing electronic keyboards, from electric pianos to synthesizers. Compelling sound colours and rhythms, in layers of synthesizer lines, characterized jazz-funk hits such as “Chameleon,” from his best-selling Headhunters album (1973). Later dance hits by Hancock included “You Bet Your Love” (1979) and “Rockit” (1983).
Since the mid-1970s he has played acoustic piano in jazz projects, played duets with Chick Corea, and performed in combos with former Davis associates and trumpeters such as Freddie Hubbard and Wynton Marsalis.
Interest in Hancock’s Blue Note catalog was renewed in 1993 when a sample of “Cantaloupe Island” appeared in Us3’s international hit “Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia).” In 1998 he reunited his Headhunters group, and the turn of the millennium saw the launch of a number of collaborative projects. On Future 2 Future (2001), Hancock teamed with jazz legend Wayne Shorter and some of the biggest names in techno music to produce a beat-filled fusion of jazz and electronic music.
His next project, Possibilities (2005), was a venture into pop music with such guest performers as Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, and Santana. Hancock added to his already extensive Grammy collection with a pair of awards—including album of the year—for his Joni Mitchell tribute River: The Joni Letters (2007).
In 2011 he won yet another Grammy with The Imagine Project (2010), a covers album that featured guest performances by Pink, Jeff Beck, and John Legend, among others - his 14th Grammy. In 2013 Hancock was named a Kennedy Center honoree.
Have a listen to this classic track!

06 Apr 2020
Double Birthday!
Today we celebrate 2 piano birthdays - Tomass & George 🥳 Hope you both have a great day!

03 Apr 2020
Our 1st April Birthday
Happy Birthday to our piano student Bea! Hope you had lovely day 🥳
30 Mar 2020
Musical Moments LAUNCH
☀️ Hello everyone, hope you're all well! This is the first in a series we are calling Musical Moments, in which our students and teachers are invited to share videos of them practising their favourite tunes!
If you are interested in getting involved, please email your video to hanahmackmusic@gmail.com, and we will share it with our community. Faces don't have to be shown if you don't want to, but first names will written on the post. 🎵 Let's inspire each other!
26 Mar 2020
Alan Silvestri - HMMT Featured Musician
The final Featured Musician of the month is American composer and conductor, Alan Silvestri born on this day in 1950.
He is best known for his film and television scores and has frequently collaborated with director Robert Zemeckis.
He started his film/television composing career in 1972 at age 21 composing the score for the low-budget action film The Doberman Gang. From 1977 to 1983, Silvestri served as the main composer for the television series CHiPs, writing music for 95 of the series' 139 episodes.
He met film director Robert Zemeckis when the two worked together on Zemeckis's film Romancing the Stone (1984). Since then, Silvestri has composed the music for all of Zemeckis' movies, including the Back to the Future trilogy (1985–1990), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Death Becomes Her (1992), Forrest Gump (1994), Contact (1997), Cast Away (2000), The Polar Express (2004), Beowulf (2007), A Christmas Carol (2009), Flight (2012) and The Walk (2015).
In 1989, Silvestri composed the score for the James Cameron-directed film The Abyss. Since 2001, Silvestri has also collaborated regularly with director Stephen Sommers, scoring the films The Mummy Returns (2001), Van Helsing (2004), and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)
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Silvestri has also composed music for television series, including T. J. Hooker (one episode), Starsky & Hutch (three episodes), Tales from the Crypt (seven episodes). In 2014, he composed the award-winning music for the science documentary series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.
Silvestri has received two Academy Award nominations, one for Best Original Score for Forrest Gump (1994) and one for Best Original Song for "Believe" on The Polar Express soundtrack. He also received two Golden Globe nominations: Best Score for Forrest Gump and Best Song for The Polar Express.
Silvestri was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music in 1995. He has also received nine Grammy Award nominations, winning two awards – Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, for "Believe" from The Polar Express in 2004 and Best Instrumental Composition, for "Cast Away End Credits" from Cast Away in 2002.
His other nominations were for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special and Best Instrumental Composition, for Back to the Future in 1985, Best Album of Original Instrumental Background Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television, for Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1988, Best Instrumental Composition, for "Who Framed Roger Rabbit Suite" in 1989, Best Pop Instrumental Performance, for "I'm Forrest...Forrest Gump (The Feather Theme)" in 1994, Best Instrumental Composition, for Avengers: Infinity War in 2018 and Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media, for Avengers: Endgame in 2019.
He has won two Emmys, both for Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey – Outstanding Main Title Theme Music and Outstanding Music Composition for a Series for the episode "Standing Up in the Milky Way". He has also won the Saturn Award for Best Music three times, for his scores for Predator (1987), Back to the Future Part III (1989/90) and Van Helsing (2004).
On September 23, 2011, he was awarded with the Max Steiner Film Music Achievement Award by the City of Vienna at the yearly film music gala concert Hollywood in Vienna.
Have a listen to the Grammy worthy song from Polar Express.
Keep an eye out for next month’s Featured Musicians coming soon!
25 Mar 2020
Aretha Franklin - HMMT Featured Musician
Today’s Featured Musician is a whopper!
The American singer, songwriter, pianist and civil rights activist Aretha Louise Franklin was born on this day in 1942.
She began her career as a child singing gospel at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father C. L. Franklin was minister and at the age of 18, she embarked on a secular-music career as a recording artist for Columbia Records.
While her career did not immediately flourish, she found acclaim and commercial success after signing with Atlantic Records in 1966. Hit songs such as "Respect", "Chain of Fools", "Think", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)", and "I Say a Little Prayer", propelled her past her musical peers.
By the end of the 1960s, Aretha Franklin had come to be known as "The Queen of Soul".
Franklin continued to record acclaimed albums such as I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967), Lady Soul (1968), Spirit in the Dark (1970), Young, Gifted and Black (1972), Amazing Grace (1972), and Sparkle (1976) before experiencing problems with her record company.
In 1979, she left Atlantic and signed with Arista Records. She appeared in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers before releasing the successful albums Jump to It (1982), Who's Zoomin' Who? (1985), and Aretha (1986) on the Arista label.
In 1998, Franklin returned to the Top 40 with the Lauryn Hill-produced song "A Rose Is Still a Rose"; later, she released an album of the same name which was certified gold. That same year, she earned international acclaim for her performance of "Nessun dorma" at the Grammy Awards; she filled in at the last minute for Luciano Pavarotti, who canceled his appearance after the show had already begun.
In a widely noted performance, she paid tribute to 2015 honoree Carole King by singing "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" at the Kennedy Center Honors.
Franklin recorded 112 charted singles on Billboard, including 77 Hot 100 entries, 17 top-ten pop singles, 100 R&B entries, and 20 number-one R&B singles. She is the most charted female artist in history.
She won 18 Grammy Awards, including the first eight awards given for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (1968–1975). Franklin is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide.
Franklin received numerous honors throughout her career. She was awarded the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1987, she became the first female performer to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She also was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2012.
In 2010, Rolling Stone magazine ranked her number one on its list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" and number nine on its list of "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".
The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2019 awarded Franklin a posthumous special citation "for her indelible contribution to American music and culture for more than five decades."
I asked on Instagram for your favourite Aretha Franklin song, and this was no doubt the winner - enjoy!
Keep an eye out for the final Featured Musician of the month coming soon!

21 Mar 2020
We Did It!
🎉 We did it! 🎉
The faces of 3 happy, albeit slightly delirious, music teachers who got through their first week of online lessons! 🎼
I think we’re already starting to get a bit of cabin fever but we had so much fun! We’re using this weekend to rest up and take it slow before we’re back into it on Monday. 🎤
Starting to get used to this working from home thing - the most important thing I’ve learnt is to make sure you take breaks!
Hope you’re all keeping well and staying safe 🦠

17 Mar 2020
Coronavirus Update
‼️ Update ‼️
Due to the government announcements yesterday, all face to face lessons and classes are now cancelled until further notice.
Students and parents - please check your email for updated information about moving lessons online.
Please get in touch if you have any questions!
Thank you all for understanding and co-operating 💕

16 Mar 2020
Update from ABRSM
Our students had been working very hard and are obviously very disappointed that their exams are cancelled.
However we do understand it’s 100% necessary to keep everyone safe and healthy, and we thank the ABRSM for the constant updates.
Students - we will be able to reschedule for later in the year...Don’t worry, the hard work will not go to waste! ⭐️

15 Mar 2020
Coronavirus Update
🎵Update🎵
The well-being of our music school students and their families remains our top priority!
At this time, all lessons and classes are still going ahead as normal. Information has been sent, by email, to all students and parents regarding our contingency plans for lessons, should the schools close.
Obviously our hygiene procedure will continue - all instruments are disinfected between students and everyone is encouraged to wash their hands before and after their lessons. Please do not attend lessons if you have any symptoms or have been travelling recently.
Don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions! 😀

24 Mar 2020
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday to our piano student Kian! We hope you have a great day.

19 Mar 2020
Birthday Fun!
Happy birthday to our piano student Chloe, and her twin Lucia! We hope you both have a lovely day 🥳 x

11 Mar 2020
Double Birthday!
Today we are wishing a Happy Birthday to 2 of our students - Tiffany and Frederika! Hope you’re both having a lovely day 🥳 x

09 Mar 2020
Happy Birthday
Wishing our piano student Adelheid a very happy birthday today 🥳 Hope you have a lovely day! x

08 Mar 2020
Tom Chaplin - HMMT Featured Musician
Today’s Featured Musician is Thomas Oliver Chaplin, born on this day in 1979. He is an English singer-songwriter, musician and composer, best known as the lead singer of the British pop rock band Keane.
He was born in Hastings, East Sussex, to Sally and David Chaplin OBE, a month apart from future band mate Tim Rice-Oxley's brother, also called Tom. Their mothers became friends and he started a friendship with the two brothers that endures today.
Chaplin's father was headmaster of Vinehall School in Robertsbridge, so both friends were schooled there along with Richard Hughes, who would later be their band mate. With Rice-Oxley and Hughes, Chaplin then attended Tonbridge School. Studying there, they met Dominic Scott (who was an original member of the line-up but left in 2001).
During his time at Vinehall, Chaplin acted in several school plays and was part of the school's choral group. He also played the flute while at school. Chaplin attended the University of Edinburgh, prior to dropping out to pursue a career in music.
Chaplin was invited to join the band by Rice-Oxley, after he finally convinced the other two, in 1997, when the name The Lotus Eaters was changed to Cherry Keane, after a friend of Chaplin's mother. 'Cherry' was later removed from the name.
With Scott in the line-up as the lead guitarist, Chaplin had to play the acoustic guitar. Since Scott left in 2001, he primarily takes lead vocals, but also plays the organ on "Hamburg Song" during some live gigs, as well as a distorted piano for newer songs on their second album. He also took part in Band Aid 20's re-recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in November 2004 doing a solo on the line "feed the world", something that had not been done on previous versions where all artists sang.
Having said that he intended to make a solo record during Keane's hiatus, Chaplin stated in January 2016 that he was recording his debut solo album in Los Angeles, California, with 40 songs written and whittled down to an album's worth. He announced in late June that the album was complete and that it would be out soon.
Have a listen to what is probably Keane’s most well-known song!

03 Mar 2020
Camila Cabello - HMMT Featured Musician
The first Featured Musician of March is Camila Cabello born on this day in 1997.
She is a Cuban-American singer, songwriter, and actress who rose to prominence as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, formed on The X Factor USA in 2012, who signed a joint record deal with Syco Music and Epic Records.
While a part of Fifth Harmony, Cabello began to establish herself as a solo artist with the release of the collaborations "I Know What You Did Last Summer" with Shawn Mendes, and "Bad Things" with Machine Gun Kelly, the latter reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100. After leaving the group in December 2016, Cabello released several other collaborations, including "Hey Ma" by Pitbull and J Balvin for The Fate of the Furious soundtrack.
Her debut solo single "Crying in the Club" was released in May 2017. Refocusing her sound to Latin-influenced music, Cabello's debut album Camila (2018) reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The album was well received by critics and received Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Its lead single "Havana", featuring Young Thug topped the charts in several countries, including the UK and the US, and its second single "Never Be the Same" reached the top ten in multiple countries.
Cabello's 2019 duet with singer Shawn Mendes, "Señorita", reached number one in multiple European countries, and became her second single as lead artist to top the US Billboard Hot 100. In 2019, Cabello released her second studio album, Romance, which debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart and reached number three on the Billboard 200 chart.
She has amassed billions of streams on streaming platforms. She has the best-selling digital single of 2018 according to International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
Cabello has won many awards throughout her career, including two Latin Grammy Awards, five American Music Awards, and one Billboard Music Award. She has also received three Grammy Award nominations.
Have a listen to her most recent song!
Keep an eye out for the next Featured Musician coming soon!

19 Feb 2020
Smokey Robinson - HMMT Featured Musician
The final Featured Musician of the month is William ‘Smokey’ Robinson Jr, born on this day in 1940. The American singer, songwriter, record producer and former record executive was the founder and frontman of the Motown vocal group the Miracles.
In August 1957, Robinson and the Miracles met songwriter Berry Gordy after a failed audition for Brunswick Records. He was impressed with Smokey’s vocals and ambitious songwriting, and this was the beginning of a long and successful collaboration. Gordy formed Tamla Records which was later reincorporated as Motown and The Miracles became one of the first acts signed to the label.
In late 1960, the group recorded their first hit single, ‘Shop Around’, which became Motown’s first million-selling hit record. Between 1960 and 1970, Robinson would produce 26 top forty hits with the Miracles as lead singer, chief songwriter and producer including several top ten hits such as ‘You Really Got a Hold on Me’, ‘Mickey’s Monkey’, ‘I Second That Emotion’, ‘Baby Baby Don’t Cry, and the group’s only number one hit during the Robinson years, ‘The Tears of a Clown’. In 1965, the Miracles were the first Motown group to change their name when they released their 1965 album ‘Going to a Go-Go’ as Smokey Robinson & the Miracles.
Between 1962 and 1966, Robinson was also one of the major songwriters and producers for Motown, penning many hit singles. After the arrival of Holland-Dozier-Holland and the team of Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, he was eclipsed as a top writer and producer for the label, and other Motown artists such as Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder began to compose more original material.
Later in his career, Robinson wrote lyrics and music for the Contours, the Four Tops and The Supremes. The other Miracles - Bobby Rogers, Pete Moore, Ronnie White, and Marv Tarplin - collaborated with him as writers on many of these hits, and Pete Moore also doubled as co-producer with Robinson on several of them.
By 1969, Robinson wanted to retire from touring to focus on raising his two children with his wife Claudette and on his duties as Motown’s Vice President. However the success of the group’s ‘Tears of a Clown’ made Robinson stay with the group until 1972.
Robinson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and was awarded the 2016 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for his lifetime contributions to popular music.

13 Feb 2020
Robbie Williams - HMMT Featured Musician
The third Featured Musician of the month is English singer and entertainer, Robbie Williams, born on this day in 1974.
He found fame as a member fo the pop group Take That from 1989 to 1995, but achieved greater commercial success with his solo career, beginning in 1997. Williams has released 7 UK number one singles and 11 out of his 12 studio albums have reached number one in the UK. He is the best-selling British solo artist in the United Kingdom and the best selling non-Latino artist in Latin America.
Six of his albums are among the top 100 biggest-selling albums in the United Kingdom - four albums in the top 60 - and in 2006 he entered the Guinness Book of World Records for selling 1.6 million tickets of his Close Encounters Tour in a single day.
Williams has received a record eighteen Brit Awards - winning Best British Male Artist 4 times, two awards for Outstanding Contribution to Music and the 2017 Brits Icon for his ‘lasting impact on British culture’, and 3 MTV European Music Awards.
In 2004, he was inducted to the UK Music Hall of Fame after being voted the ‘Greatest Artist of the 1990s’.
According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), Williams has been certified for 19.9 million albums and 7.2 million singles in the UK as a solo artist. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold 75 million records worldwide and also topped the 2000-2010 UK airplay chart.
His three concerts at Knebworth in 2003 drew over 375,000 people, the UK’s biggest music event to that point. In 2014, he was awarded the freedom of his home town of Stoke-on-Trent, as well as having a tourist trail created and streets named in his honour.
After a fifteen year hiatus from the group, he was reunited with Take That on 15th July 2010, co-writing and performing lead vocals on their album Progress, which became the second fastest-selling album in the UK chart history and the fastest-selling record of the century at the time. The subsequent stadium tour, which featured seven songs from William’s solo career, became the biggest-selling concert in UK history, selling 1.34 million tickets in less than 24 hours.
In late 2011, Take That’s frontman Gary Barlow confirmed that Williams had left the band for a second time to focus on his solo career, although the departure was amicable and that Williams was welcome to rejoin Take That in the future.
He has since performed with Take That on three separate television appearances, and has collaborated with Barlow on a number of projects - including the West End musical The Band.
I asked on Instagram for your favourite Robbie Williams songs and this was by far the winner...enjoy!
Keep an eye out for the final FM of the month coming soon!

09 Feb 2020
Carole King - HMMT Featured Musician
This month’s second Featured Musician is Carole King, the American singer-songwriter, born on this day in 1942. She has been active in the music industry since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at the Brill Building and later as a solo artist.
Carole King is the most successful female songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century in the US, having written or co-written 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100. She also wrote 61 hits that charted in the UK, making her the most successful female songwriter on the UK singles charts between 1952 and 2005.
King's major success began in the 1960s when she and her first husband, Gerry Goffin, wrote more than two dozen chart hits, many of which have become standards for numerous artists. She has continued writing for other artists since then. King's success as a performer in her own right did not come until the 1970s, when she sang her own songs, accompanying herself on the piano, in a series of albums and concerts. After experiencing commercial disappointment with her debut album, Writer, King scored her breakthrough with the album Tapestry, which topped the U.S. album chart for 15 weeks in 1971 and remained on the charts for more than six years.
King has made 25 solo albums, the most successful being Tapestry, which held the record for most weeks at No. 1 by a female artist for more than 20 years. Her record sales were estimated at more than 75 million copies worldwide.
King has appeared occasionally in acting roles. One of her earliest was in 1975, when she was the speaking and singing voice of the title character in Really Rosie, an animated TV special based on the works of Maurice Sendak. Also in 1975, she appeared on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. In 1984, she starred alongside Tatum O’Neal, Hoyt Aston, Alex Karras and John Lithgow in the Faerie Tale Theatre episode Goldilocks and the Three Bears. King also appeared as Mrs. Johnstone as a replacement in the original Broadway production of Blood Brothers.
She later made three appearances as guest star on the TV series Gilmore Girls as Sophie, the owner of the Stars Hollow music store. King’s song “Where You Lead (I Will Follow)” was also the theme song to the series, in a version sung with her daughter Louise. She reprised the role in the 2016 Gilmore Girls Netflix revival, ‘A Year in the Life’.
A musical version of King’s life and career debuted in pre-Broadway tryouts in September 2013, in San Francisco, titled Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Previews on Broadway began on November 21st 2013 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, with the official opening on January 12th 2014. It starred Jessie Mueller in the title role and she won the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical.
She has won four Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for her songwriting. She is the recipient of the 2013 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, the first woman to be so honoured. She is also a 2015 Kennedy Center Honoree.
Here’s the famous Gilmore Girls theme - but do have a listen to the whole Tapestry album if you’re not familiar!
Keep an eye out for the next Featured Musician coming soon!
08 Feb 2020
Book Now!
🎵 Spaces are filling up for our Solfa singing groups at Banana Row Studios!
Fun Saturday morning sessions for ages 5-13, perfect for boosting confidence and developing musical skills. Sibling discount available!
Mini Solfa (5-7 years) 10:15-10:55am
Junior Solfa (8-10 years) 11:00-11:40am
Senior Solfa (11-13 years) 11:45-12:25pm
Starts on Saturday 22nd Feb - book now to avoid disappointment! 🎤

02 Feb 2020
Shakira - HMMT Featured Musician
February’s first Featured Musician is Shakira born on this day in 1977. She is a Columbian singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, businesswoman, and philanthropist. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she made her recording debut under Sony Music Columbia at the age of 13.
Following the commercial failure of her first two Colombian albums, Magia (1991) and Peligro (1993) was she rose to prominence in Spanish-speaking countries with her next albums, Pies Descalzos (1995) and Dónde Están Lia Ladrones? (1998).
Shakira entered the English-language market with her fifth album, Laundry Service (2001). It sold over 13 million copies and spawned the international number-one singles “Whenever, Wherever” and “Underneath Your Clothes”.
Her success was further solidified with the Spanish albums Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1 (2005), Sale el Sol (2010), and El Dorado (2017), all of which topped the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart and were certified diamante by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Meanwhile, her English albums Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (2005), She Wolf (2009) and Shakira (2014) were all certified gold, platinum, or multi-platinum in various countries worldwide.
She has served as a coach on two seasons of the American singing competition television series The Voice from 2013 to 2014.
Shakira has received numerous awards, including three Grammy Awards, thirteen Latin Grammy Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, thirty-nine Billboard Latin Music Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2009, Billboard listed her as the Top Female Latin Artist of the Decade. Having sold more than 75 million records worldwide, Shakira remains one of the world’s best-selling music artists.
She is ranked as the most-streamed Latin artist on Spotify and became one of only three female artists to have two YouTube videos exceeding two billion views.
She also wrote and recorded this great song for the movie Zootropolis - have a listen!
31 Jan 2020
Justin Timberlake - HMMT Featured Musician
The final Featured Musician of January is American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer and record producer, Justin Timberlake - born on this day in 1981.
Raised in Tennessee, he appeared on the television shows Star Search and The All-New Mickey Mouse Club as a child. In the late 1990s, Timberlake rose to prominence as one of the two lead vocalists and youngest member of NSYNC, which eventually became one of the best-selling boy bands of all time.
He began to adopt a more mature image as an artist with the release of his debut solo album, the R&B-focused Justified (2002), which yielded the successful singles "Cry Me a River" and "Rock Your Body", and earned his first two Grammy Awards.
His critically acclaimed second album FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006), characterized by its diversity in music genres, debuted atop the U.S. Billboard 200 and produced the Hot 100 number-one singles "SexyBack", "My Love", and "What Goes Around... Comes Around". Established as a solo artist worldwide, his first two albums both exceeded sales of 10 million copies, and he continued producing records and collaborating with other artists.
From 2008 through 2012, Justin focused on his acting career, effectively putting his music career on hiatus. He held starring roles in the films The Social Network, Bad Teacher, Friends with Benefits, and In Time.
He resumed his music career in 2013 with his third and fourth albums The 20/20 Experience and The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2, exploring neo soul styles, partly inspired by the expansive song structures of 1960s and 1970s rock. The former became the best-selling album of the year in the US with the largest sales week, and spawned the top-three singles "Suit & Tie" and "Mirrors", while the latter produced the top-ten song "Not a Bad Thing".
Alongside his music, Justin voiced Branch in DreamWorks Animation's Trolls (2016), whose soundtrack includes his fifth Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping single, "Can't Stop the Feeling!".
The fifth studio album Man of the Woods (2018) became Timberlake’s fourth number-one album in the US. The album was supported by the two top ten singles, "Filthy" and "Say Something". Man of the Woods concluded 2018 as the sixth best-selling album of the year.
Throughout his solo career, Justin Timberlake has sold over 32 million albums and 56 million singles globally, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists.
Often cited as a pop icon, he has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including ten Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, three Brit Awards, and nine Billboard Music Awards.
According to Billboard in 2017, he is the best performing male soloist in the history of the Mainstream Top 40. Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2007 and 2013.
Have a listen to this throwback from 2009!
29 Jan 2020
Booking is NOW OPEN!
Booking is NOW OPEN for our Solfa singing groups for kids!
We are very happy to announce our small-group singing classes. This option is perfect for children who are keen to get involved with music but are a little shy and reluctant to learn by themselves.
Sign up with siblings and/or friends and have fun learning together. Individual sign-ups are welcomed too and we will be sure to pair your child with a group of similar ages and experience.
Each group will be relatively small in numbers, allowing each child involved to develop their confidence, social skills and communication. Every week will have a different theme and our teachers will use a variety of resources to develop listening skills and musical awareness...as well as their voices!
Send us a message if you have any questions, or book directly on the website!

25 Jan 2020
Alicia Keys - HMMT Featured Musician
The third Featured Musician of the month is American musician, singer and songwriter Alicia Keys - born on this day in 1981. She is a classically-trained pianist and began composing songs at age 12, leading to a record contract with Columbia Records at 15 years old.
After disputes with the label, she signed with Arista Records, and later released her debut album, Songs in A Minor, with J Records in 2001. The album was critically and commercially successful, producing her first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Fallin'" and selling over 16 million copies worldwide. The album earned Keys five Grammy Awards in 2002.
Her second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003), was also a critical and commercial success, spawning successful singles "You Don't Know My Name", "If I Ain't Got You", and "Diary", and selling eight million copies worldwide.The album garnered her an additional four Grammy Awards.Her duet "My Boo" with Usher became her second number-one single in 2004.
Keys released her first live album, Unplugged (2005), and became the first woman to have an MTV Unplugged album debut at number one.
Her third album, As I Am (2007), produced the Hot 100 number-one single "No One", selling 7 million copies worldwide and earning an additional three Grammy Awards. In 2007, Keys made her film debut in the action-thriller film Smokin' Aces. She, along with Jack White, recorded "Another Way to Die" (the title song to the 22nd official James Bond film, Quantum of Solace).
Her fourth album, The Element of Freedom (2009), became her first chart-topping album in the UK, and sold 4 million copies worldwide. In 2009, Keys also collaborated with Jay Z on "Empire State of Mind", which became her fourth number-one single and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Girl on Fire (2012) was her fifth Billboard 200 topping album, spawning the successful title track, and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album.
In 2013, VH1 Storytellers was released as her second live album. Her sixth studio album, Here (2016), became her seventh US R&B/Hip-Hop chart topping album.
Keys has received numerous accolades in her career, including 15 competitive Grammy Awards, 17 NAACP Image Awards, 12 ASCAP Awards, and an award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and National Music Publishers Association. She has sold over 65 million records worldwide. Considered a musical icon, Keys was named by Billboard the top R&B artist of the 2000s decade and placed number 10 on their list of Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years. VH1 also included her on their 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and 100 Greatest Women in Music lists, while Time has named her in their 100 list of most influential people in 2005 and 2017.
Keys is also acclaimed for her humanitarian work, philanthropy and activism. She co-founded and is the Global Ambassador of the nonprofit HIV/AIDS-fighting organization Keep a Child Alive.
Search Alicia Keys on YouTube to have a listen to all her top hits!

23 Jan 2020
COMING SOON...
Saturday morning singing groups for primary school children.
Comment or message us to register interest!

01 Jan 2020
Singing lesson availability 🎤
Mondays 3:30
Tuesdays 5:30/6
Wednesdays 4/4:30

10 Jan 2020
Sir Rod Stewart - HMMT Featured Musician
This month’s second Featured Musician is British rock singer-songwriter Sir Rod Stewart CBE, born on this day in 1945. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold over 120 million records worldwide. He has also had nine number-one albums in the UK Albums Chart and his tally of 62 UK hit singles includes 31 that reached the top ten, six of which gained the #1 position. He has had similar success in the US, with 16 top ten singles, four of which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart came to prominence in the late 1960s and the early 1970s with The Jeff Beck Group, and then with Faces, though his music career had begun in 1962 when he took up busking with a harmonica. In October 1963, he joined The Dimensions as a harmonica player and part-time vocalist and in 1964, he joined Long John Baldry and the All Stars.
In August of that year, he signed a solo contract, releasing his first single, "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl", in October. He maintained a solo career alongside a group career, releasing his debut solo album, An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down in 1969. Stewart's early albums were a fusion of rock, folk music, soul music, and R&B.
From the late 1970s through the 1990s, Stewart's music often took on a new wave or soft rock/middle-of-the-road quality, and in the early 2000s, he released a series of successful albums interpreting the Great American Songbook. In 1994, Stewart staged the largest free rock concert in history when he performed in front of 3.5 million people in Rio de Janeiro.
Stewart was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2007 New Year Honours for services to music. Collecting it in July 2007 at Buckingham Palace, he commented: "It's a marvellous occasion. We're the only country in the world to honour the common man." He was knighted in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to music and charity.
In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked him the 17th most successful artist on the "Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists". A Grammy and Brit Award recipient, he was voted at #33 in Q Magazine's list of the Top 100 Greatest Singers of all time, and #59 on Rolling Stone 100 Greatest Singers of all time. As a solo artist, Stewart was inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006, and was inducted a second time into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of Faces. Stewart was estimated to have a fortune of £180 million in the Sunday Times Rich List of 2018, making him one of the 20 wealthiest people in the British music industry.
Here’s a few of his greatest hits for you to listen to... https://youtu.be/cv3soo9G9lM
Keep an eye out for the next Featured Musician coming soon!
09 Jan 2020
Paolo Nutini - HMMT Featured Musician
The first Featured Musician of the new decade is Scottish singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini, born on this day in 1987, in Paisley.
His first demo saw him signed to Atlantic Records in May 2005, shortly after his 18th birthday. He released his first single "These Streets" as a free download in May 2006; this was then followed by his next single "Last Request" which was released on 4 July 2006 and charted at number five on the UK Singles Chart.
His debut album These Streets, was released on 17 July 2006 and immediately entered the UK album charts at number three.
Throughout 2006, Nutini played a number of sold-out concerts across Britain and performed at a wide variety of venues worldwide, including King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow, a TV appearance on Later with Jools Holland, Carnegie Hall in New York, The Montreux Jazz Festival, The Wireless Festival, Oxegen and T in the Park. He supported the Rolling Stones in Vienna and was invited to appear with them again at the Don Valley Stadium in August 2006 and was also booked to appear at the V Festival and The Austin City Limits Music Festival, Texas, later in 2006, with a European tour in the autumn. In May 2006, Nutini also played at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Dundee.
Nutini performed at the Glastonbury Festival in June 2007 on the famous Pyramid Stage on the second day of the event. He also performed at the British leg of Live Earth at Wembley Stadium on 7 July 2007 and went on to perform the following day at T in the Park, in Scotland.
Nutini’s second album, Sunny Side Up (2009), debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart. Both albums have been certified quintuple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry. Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph gave a positive review, stating "his joyous second album organically blends soul, country, folk and the brash, horny energy of ragtime swing." The first single from the album "Candy" was released on 25 May.
The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart with sales of over 60,000 copies, fighting off strong competition from Love & War, the debut album of fellow male solo artist Daniel Merriweather. The album performed similarly well on the Irish Albums Chart, debuting at number two behind Eminem's new album before rising to the top of the charts the week after. The album was one of the best UK album sales of the year.
On the UK Albums Chart on the week of Monday 19 October, the album went from number 31 to number 5, making the album sell more than The Saturdays' second album. On 3 January 2010 Sunny Side Up topped the UK Album Charts for a second time, making the album the first Number one album in the United Kingdom of 2010 and the decade
After 5 years, Nutini released his third studio album, Caustic Love, in April 2014. The album received positive reviews from music critics and debuted at number one on the UK Album Charts. It was certified platinum by the BPI in June 2014.
In late July 2014, he was referred to by the BBC as "arguably Scotland's biggest musician right now". The Independent newspaper described the album as, "an unqualified success: Caustic Love may be the best UK R&B album since the 1970s blue-eyed-soul heyday of Rod Stewart and Joe Cocker". It was selected on 8 December 2014 by Apple to become the Best Album in iTunes' 'Best of 2014'.
An 18 month tour following the release of Caustic Love saw Nutini perform in North America, Europe, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In August 2015 Nutini headlined a sold-out show to 35,000 people at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow. On 20 September 2016 it was announced that Nutini would headline the Concert in the Gardens, the flagship event of Edinburgh's Hogmanay street party, on New Year's Eve 2016/2017. Tickets were sold out in a record-breaking three hours leading to an unprecedented second show (named "The Night Afore") being announced for 30 December.
Have a listen to this throwback from 2006...enjoy!
Keep an eye out on Instagram and Facebook for the next FM coming soon!

02 Jan 2020
Piano lesson availability 🎹
Mondays 4:30/5:30
Tuesdays 6:30
Fridays 2/2:30/4:30

01 Jan 2020
Happy New Year!
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30 Dec 2019
Ellie Goulding - HMMT Featured Musician
The final Featured Musician of the month is Ellie Goulding born on this day in 1986.
She was signed to Polydor Records in July 2009, Goulding released her debut extended play, An Introduction to Ellie Goulding later that year. In 2010, she became the second artist to top the BBC's annual Sound of... poll and win the Critics' Choice Award at the Brit Awards in the same year.
Her first studio album, Lights, in 2010 debuted at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart and has sold over 850,000 copies. In November 2010, the album was reissued as Bright Lights, which spawned two singles: a cover of Elton John's "Your Song" which was selected for the first John Lewis Christmas advert, reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart, and "Lights", which became Goulding's highest-charting single on the US Billboard Hot 100 to date, peaking at No. 2.
Goulding's second studio album, Halcyon, was released in October 2012. "Anything Could Happen" preceded the album as the lead single. The album debuted at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart, and after 65 weeks, it reached No. 1. Halcyon debuted at No. 9 on the US Billboard 200. Halcyon Days, a repackaged edition of Halcyon, was released in August 2013, generating singles, such as "Burn", which became her first No. 1 single in the UK. At the 2014 Brit Awards, she received the award for British Female Solo Artist.
She released her third studio album, titled Delirium, on 6 November 2015, with "On My Mind" as the album's lead single. In December 2015, she received her first Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance for her single "Love Me like You Do".
Have a listen to her debut UK single, do you remember it?
22 Dec 2019
Giacomo Puccini - HMMT Featured Musician
The third Featured Musician of the month is Giacomo Puccini, born on this day in 1858. He is the most well-known Italian opera composer after Verdi.
Puccini was born in Lucca, Tuscany into a musical family. He was expected to follow the family tradition and become a church organist so he started playing in churches nearby. He liked to improvise, playing popular tunes from Verdi’s operas and soon realised that he wanted to be an opera composer himself. He then went on to study at the Milan Conservatory.
His early work was rooted in traditional late-19th-century romantic Italian opera. Later, he successfully developed his work in the realistic verismo style, of which he became one of the leading exponents.
Puccini's most renowned works are La bohème (1896), Tosca (1900) and Madama Butterfly (1904), all of which are among the important operas played as standards.
He wrote 16 operas, most of which are performed very often today. Many of his operatic songs are recognised worldwide, especially the aria Nessun dorma from Turandot (1924) which was sung by Luciano Pavarotti for the BBC’s television coverage of the Football World Cup which was held in Italy in 1990.
When he finally started writing again his new opera La fanciulla del West was set in the American West at the time of the Goldrush. The music has very Impressionistic harmonies like that of Debussy. The way he writes for the orchestra shows the influence of Richard Strauss. The opera was first performed in New York. The world-famous tenor Enrico Caruso sang the main hero part and Arturo Toscanini was the conductor.
Puccini followed this by writing an operetta and two one-act operas. The best of these is Gianni Schicchi. His last opera is Turandot, has a fairy-tale like story. While he was working very hard at it he developed throat cancer. He died of complication of the disease in autumn 1924 in Brussels. The whole of Italy went into mourning and Mussolini spoke at the funeral.
Puccini had not managed to finish Turandot so it was completed by Franco Alfano using the sketches that Puccini had left.
Here is the link for that performance by Pavarotti mentioned above. Enjoy!

21 Dec 2019
HMMT Charity Raffle
🎄 The 2019 HMMT Christmas Concert was a great success! Not only did each performer play extremely well, we also raised £150 for Nordoff Robbins in our raffle!
Thank you, and well done, to all students who took part; to all the parents, families and friends who supported us; to all the staff and students at Broughton High School who helped us organise the event, and to all the amazing local Edinburgh businesses who donated lovely prizes to our raffle!
Merry Christmas to all! 🎄

20 Dec 2019
Last Day of Term!
Hope you all enjoy the holidays!
17 Dec 2019
Ludwig van Beethoven - HMMT Featured Musician
The second Featured Musician of the month is Ludwig van Beethoven, born on this day in 1770.
The German composer and pianist was a crucial figure in the transition between the classical and romantic eras in classical music. He remains one of the most recognised and influential musicians of this period, and is considered to be one of the greatest composers of all time.
Beethoven displayed his musical talents at an early age and was taught by his father Johann van Beethoven, and was later taught by composer and conductor Christian Gottlob Neefe.
At age 21, he moved to Vienna and studied composition with Joseph Haydn. Beethoven then gained a reputation as a virtuoso pianist, and was soon courted by Karl Alois, Prince Lichnowsky for compositions, which resulted in Opus 1 in 1795.
The piece was a great critical and commercial success, and was followed by Symphony No. 1 in 1800. This composition was distinguished for its frequent use of sforzandi, as well as sudden shifts in tonal centres that were uncommon for traditional symphonic form, and the prominent, more independent use of wind instruments.
In 1801, he also gained notoriety for his six String Quartets and for the ballet The Creatures of Prometheus. During this period, his hearing began to deteriorate, but he continued to conduct, premiering his third and fifth symphonies in 1804 and 1808, respectively. His condition worsened to almost complete deafness by 1811, and he then gave up performing and appearing in public.
During this period of self exile, Beethoven composed many of his most admired works; his seventh symphony premiered in 1813, with its second movement, Allegretto, achieving widespread critical acclaim.
He composed the piece Missa Solemnis for a number of years until it premiered 1824, which preceded his ninth symphony, with the latter gaining fame for being among the first examples of a choral symphony.
In 1826, his fourteenth String Quartet was noted for having seven linked movements played without a break, and is considered the final major piece performed before his death a year later.
His career is conventionally divided into early, middle, and late periods; the "early" period is typically seen to last until 1802, the "middle" period from 1802 to 1812, and the "late" period from 1812 to his death in 1827.
During his life, he composed nine symphonies; five piano concertos; one violin concerto; thirty-two piano sonatas; sixteen string quartets; two masses; and the opera Fidelio. Other works, like Für Elise, were discovered after his death, and are also considered historical musical achievements.
Beethoven's legacy is characterised for his innovative compositions, namely through the combinations of vocals and instruments, and also for widening the scope of sonata, symphony, concerto, and quartet, while he is also noted for his troublesome relationship with his contemporaries.
Enjoy this performance of the famous 5th Symphony...you'll definitely recognise it!
13 Dec 2019
Taylor Swift - HMMT Featured Musician
December’s first Featured Musician is one of my favourites!
American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift was born on this day in 1989. She is known for narrative songs about her personal life.
Born and raised in Reading, Pennsylvania, Swift moved to Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 14 to pursue a career in country music. She signed with label Big Machine Records and became the youngest artist signed by the Sony/ATV Music publishing house.
Her 2006 eponymous debut album was the longest-charting album of the 2000s in the U.S., where it peaked at number five. The album's third single, Our Song, made her the youngest person to single-handedly write and perform a number-one song on the Hot Country Songs chart.
Swift's second album, Fearless, was released in 2008. Buoyed by the success of pop crossover singles Love Story and You Belong with Me, Fearless became the best-selling album of 2009 in the U.S. The album won four Grammy Awards, and Swift became the youngest Album of the Year winner.
Swift was the sole writer of her 2010 album Speak Now. It debuted at number one in the U.S., and the single Mean won two Grammy Awards.
Her fourth album, Red (2012), yielded the singles We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together and I Knew You Were Trouble.
For her fifth album, the pop-focused 1989 (2014), she received three Grammys and became the first woman and fifth act overall to win Album of the Year twice. Its singles Shake It Off, Blank Space, and Bad Blood reached number one in the U.S., Australia, and Canada. The first two made Swift the first woman in the Billboard Hot 100's history to succeed herself at the top spot.
Her sixth album, Reputation (2017), and its lead single, Look What You Made Me Do, topped the UK and U.S. charts; with the release of Reputation, Swift became the first act to have four albums sell one million copies within one week in the U.S.
Her seventh album, Lover (2019), spawned two U.S. number-two singles, Me! and You Need to Calm Down.
Having sold more than 50 million albums—including 32 million in the U.S.—and 150 million singles, Swift is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. As a songwriter, she has received awards from the Nashville Songwriters Association and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and was included in Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time in 2015.
Her other accolades include 10 Grammy Awards, one Emmy, 29 American Music Awards (more than any other artist), 23 Billboard Music Awards, six Guinness world records, and appearances in Time's 100 most influential people in the world (2010, 2015, 2019).
She also ranked first in the Forbes Celebrity 100 (2016 and 2019), and was the youngest to be featured in the magazine's listing of the 100 most powerful women (2015).
In 2019, Billboard placed Swift on number 8 of its list of Greatest of All Time Artists, the highest for an artist that started in the 21st century.
I asked on Instagram for your favourite tracks but there were too many great songs to choose one...so here's a mashup of some of her most popular hits. Enjoy!

12 Dec 2019
Concert Week
Lessons are on as usual for the rest of the week.
Check with your teacher for next week's details!

11 Dec 2019
CHRISTMAS CONCERT DAY!
Today is CHRISTMAS CONCERT DAY!!
🎄 All performers please arrive at the venue between 7-7:20pm so that we can start on time! 🎅

08 Dec 2019
Christmas Concert Rehearsal is TODAY!
Christmas Concert rehearsal TODAY 2-3pm @ the venue!
🎄
Get in touch ASAP if you can't make it!

07 Dec 2019
‼️Attention students‼️
Please remember there is a Christmas Concert rehearsal TOMORROW at the venue, 2-3pm.
This is our only chance to rehearse in the venue before the concert so if you can't make it, please let me know ASAP!
02 Dec 2019
The Christmas Shop is Open!
🎄Christmas shop is now open!🎄
This year, give the gift of a music lesson voucher. Available for piano, flute and singing lessons.
Perfect for the budding musician in your family; for that person who has everything or help someone you love rediscover their passion for music!
Last day for orders is Wednesday 18th December. Free delivery for orders over £50, and free to pick up in person. £2 delivery otherwise.
27 Nov 2019
Singing Lessons!
Do your children love to sing?
Our singing lessons will help to develop their voice and their confidence in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.
Book in for a FREE singing lesson taster in December and get 20% off your first block of lessons in January!
Get in touch for more information or book directly on the website now.
26 Nov 2019
Rita Ora - HMMT Featured Musician
The final Featured Musician of the month is Rita Ora born on this day in 1990. The British singer, songwriter and actress is originally from Kosovo (formally SFR Yugoslavia).
She rose to prominence in February 2012 when she featured on DJ Fresh's single "Hot Right Now", which reached number one in the UK.
Her debut studio album, Ora, released in August 2012, debuted at number one in the United Kingdom. The album contained the UK number-one singles, "R.I.P." and "How We Do (Party)".
Ora was the artist with the most number-one singles on the UK Singles Chart in 2012, with three singles reaching the top position.
Her second studio album, Phoenix, was released in November 2018. The lead single, "Your Song", reached the UK top ten; and the subsequent singles, "Anywhere" and "Let You Love Me", reached the top five in the UK. The latter single made Ora the first British female solo artist to have thirteen top ten songs in the United Kingdom.
She has appeared on the X Factor as a guest judge and was a vocal coach on series 4 of The Voice UK.
Here is one of her most recent solo songs for you to listen to, maybe you recognise it?
22 Nov 2019
Benjamin Britten - HMMT Featured Musician
The 3rd Featured Musician of the month is Benjamin Britten, born on this day in 1913. He was an English composer, conductor and pianist, and a central figure of 20th-century British classical music, with a range of works including opera, other vocal music, orchestral and chamber pieces.
His best-known works include the opera Peter Grimes (1945), the War Requiem (1962) and the orchestral showpiece The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (1945).
Born the son of a dentist, Britten showed talent from an early age. He studied at the Royal College of Music in London and privately with the composer Frank Bridge. Britten first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy was Born in 1934.
With the premiere of Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to international fame. Over the next 28 years, he wrote 14 more operas, establishing himself as one of the leading 20th-century composers in the genre. In addition to large-scale operas for Sadler's Wells and Covent Garden, he wrote "chamber operas" for small forces, suitable for performance in venues of modest size. Among the best known of these is The Turn of the Screw (1954). Recurring themes in his operas include the struggle of an outsider against a hostile society and the corruption of innocence. Before Britten there had no good operas written in Great Britain for about 250 years! Britten brought British opera back to life.
Britten's other works range from orchestral to choral, solo vocal, chamber and instrumental as well as film music. He took a great interest in writing music for children and amateur performers, including the opera Noye's Fludde, a Missa Brevis, and the song collection Friday Afternoons.
He often composed with particular performers in mind. His most frequent and important muse was his personal and professional partner, the tenor Peter Pears; others included Kathleen Ferrier, Jennifer Vyvyan, Janet Baker, Dennis Brain, Julian Bream, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Mstislav Rostropovich.
Britten was a celebrated pianist and conductor, performing many of his own works in concert and on record. He also performed and recorded works by others, such as Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, Mozart symphonies, and song cycles by Schubert and Schumann.
Together with Pears and the librettist and producer Eric Crozier, Britten founded the annual Aldeburgh Festival in 1948, and he was responsible for the creation of Snape Maltings concert hall in 1967. In his last year, he was the first composer to be given a life peerage.
He died on 4th December 1976, and his memorial service the following year was headed by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. The Benjamin Britten Music Academy in Lowestoft, founded in the composer's honour, was completed in 1979; it is an 11-18 co-educational day school, with ties to the Britten-Pears Foundation.
In 2013, to mark the 100th anniversary of Britten's birth, Decca released a set of 65 CDs and one DVD, "Benjamin Britten – Complete Works". In April that year, Britten was honoured by the Royal Mail in the UK, as one of ten people selected as subjects for the "Great Britons" commemorative postage stamp issue. In the summer Dame Janet Baker officially opened the Britten-Pears archive in a new building in the grounds of the Red House.
Have a listen to The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, performed at the 2013 Proms...
14 Nov 2019
Aaron Copland - HMMT Featured Musician
Today's Featured Musician is the American composer Aaron Copland (14th November 1900 – 2nd December 1990).
He was also a composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music.
Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as "the Dean of American Composers". The open, slowly changing harmonies in much of his music are typical of what many people consider to be the sound of American music, evoking the vast American landscape and pioneer spirit.
He is best known for the works he wrote in the 1930s and 1940s in a deliberately accessible style often referred to as "populist" and which the composer labeled his "vernacular" style.
Works in this vein include the ballets Appalachian Spring, Billy the Kid and Rodeo, his Fanfare for the Common Man and Third Symphony. In addition to his ballets and orchestral works, he produced music in many other genres, including chamber music, vocal works, opera and film scores.
After some initial studies with composer Rubin Goldmark, Copland traveled to Paris, where he first studied with Isidor Philipp and Paul Vidal, then with noted pedagogue Nadia Boulanger. He studied three years with Boulanger, whose eclectic approach to music inspired his own broad taste.
Determined upon his return to the U.S. to make his way as a full-time composer, Copland gave lecture-recitals, wrote works on commission and did some teaching and writing. He found composing orchestral music in the modernist style he had adapted abroad a financially contradictory approach, particularly in light of the Great Depression.
He shifted in the mid-1930s to a more accessible musical style which mirrored the German idea of Gebrauchsmusik ("music for use"), music that could serve utilitarian and artistic purposes. During the Depression years, he traveled extensively to Europe, Africa, and Mexico, formed an important friendship with Mexican composer Carlos Chávez and began composing his signature works.
During the late 1940s, Copland became aware that Stravinsky and other fellow composers had begun to study Arnold Schoenberg's use of twelve-tone (serial) techniques. After he had been exposed to the works of French composer Pierre Boulez, he incorporated serial techniques into his Piano Quartet (1950), Piano Fantasy (1957), Connotations for orchestra (1961) and Inscape for orchestra (1967).
Unlike Schoenberg, Copland used his tone rows in much the same fashion as his tonal material—as sources for melodies and harmonies, rather than as complete statements in their own right, except for crucial events from a structural point of view.
From the 1960s onward, Copland's activities turned more from composing to conducting. He became a frequent guest conductor of orchestras in the U.S. and the UK and made a series of recordings of his music, primarily for Columbia Records.
Click the picture to listen to Appalachian Spring
Look out for the remaining FMs coming soon on Instagram and Facebook!
12 Nov 2019
Neil Young - HMMT Featured Musician
The first Featured Musician of November is Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young, born on this day in 1945.
After embarking on a music career in the 1960s, he moved to Los Angeles, where he formed Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and others.
He had released two solo albums and three as a member of Buffalo Springfield by the time he joined Crosby, Stills & Nash in 1969.
From his early solo albums and those with his backing band Crazy Horse, Young had recorded a steady stream of studio and live albums, sometimes warring with his recording company along the way.
Young's guitar work, deeply personal lyrics and signature tenor singing voice define his long career.
He also plays piano and harmonica on many albums, which frequently combine folk, rock, country and other musical styles.
His often distorted electric guitar playing, especially with Crazy Horse, earned him the nickname "Godfather of Grunge" and led to his 1995 album Mirror Ball with Pearl Jam. More recently Young has been backed by Promise of the Real.
Young directed (or co-directed) films using the pseudonym Bernard Shakey, including Journey Through the Past (1973), Rust Never Sleeps (1979), Human Highway (1982), Greendale (2003), and CSNY/Déjà Vu (2008). He also contributed to the soundtracks of the films Philadelphia (1993) and Dead Man (1995).
Young has received several Grammy and Juno awards. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted him twice: as a solo artist in 1995 and in 1997 as a member of Buffalo Springfield. In 2000, Rolling Stone named Young the 34th greatest rock 'n roll artist.
He has lived in California since the 1960s but retains Canadian citizenship. He was awarded the Order of Manitoba on July 14, 2006, and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada on December 30, 2009.
Click on his face to listen!
Keep an eye out on Instagram for the next Featured Musician of the month coming soon!

31 Oct 2019
Happy Halloween!
Looking forward to seeing everyone’s costumes and have spooky fun with music. We’ve got lots of activities planned in the studio today!
20 Oct 2019
Jess Glynne - HMMT Featured Musician
The final Featured Musician of the month is Jess Glynne born on this day in 1989.
Glynne applied for the television show The X Factor when she was 15 years old, but dropped out of the audition process following a disagreement with the producers.
After a period spent travelling the world, she worked for a music management company in her late teens and began networking with songwriters and producers, eventually honing her artistry for four years.
After signing with Atlantic Records, the English singer songwriter rose to prominence in 2014 as a featured artist on the singles "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit and "My Love" by Route 94, both of which reached number one in the UK.
Her debut studio album, I Cry When I Laugh (2015), debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and saw the international success of the singles "Hold My Hand" and "Don't Be So Hard on Yourself".
Glynne's second studio album, Always In Between (2018), also debuted at number one in the UK and saw continued success with the singles "I'll Be There", "These Days", "All I Am", "Thursday" and "No One"; the former made Glynne the first British female solo artist to have seven number one singles on the UK Singles Chart.
She has been considered one of the "Most Influential People Under 30" by Forbes magazine in 2019.
I asked on Instagram for your favourite Jess Glynne track - click on her face to listen!
Keep an eye out for next month’s Featured Musicians coming soon!
14 Oct 2019
Ralph Vaughan-Williams - HMMT Featured Musician
October’s 3rd Featured Musician is Ralph Vaughan Williams who was born on 12th October 1872.
He was an English composer whose works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over sixty years.
Strongly influenced by Tudor music and English folk-song, his output marked a decisive break in British music from its German-dominated style of the 19th century.
Vaughan Williams was born to a well-to-do family with strong moral views and a progressive social outlook. Throughout his life he sought to be of service to his fellow citizens, and believed in making music as available as possible to everybody.
He wrote many works for amateur and student performance. He was musically a late developer, not finding his true voice until his late thirties; his studies in 1907–1908 with the French composer Maurice Ravel helped him clarify the textures of his music and free it from Teutonic influences.
Vaughan Williams is among the best-known British symphonists, noted for his very wide range of moods, from stormy and impassioned to tranquil, from mysterious to exuberant. Among the most familiar of his other concert works are Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (1910) and The Lark Ascending (1914). His vocal works include hymns, folk-song arrangements and large-scale choral pieces.
He wrote eight works for stage performance between 1919 and 1951. Although none of his operas became popular repertoire pieces, his ballet Job: A Masque for Dancing (1930) was successful and has been frequently staged.
Two episodes made notably deep impressions in Vaughan Williams's personal life. The First World War, in which he served in the army, had a lasting emotional effect. Twenty years later, though in his sixties and devotedly married, he was reinvigorated by a love affair with a much younger woman, who later became his second wife.
He went on composing through his seventies and eighties, producing his last symphony months before his death at the age of eighty-five. His works have continued to be a staple of the British concert repertoire, and all his major compositions and many of the minor ones have been recorded.
Have a listen to his work by clicking on his face!
Keep an eye out for the final Featured Musician of the month coming soon on Instagram and Facebook.
10 Oct 2019
Giuseppe Verdi - HMMT Featured Musician
The second Featured Musician of the month is Italian opera composer, Giuseppe Verdi. He was born on this day in 1813, in Busseto. Verdi and Richard Wagner were the greatest composers of opera in the 19th century.
As a child, Verdi developed a musical education with the help of a local patron and at the age of 9 he began to play the organ for the church services in the village. A few years later, after he composed music for an amateur orchestra, he moved to Milan but failed to get in to the conservatory as he had never been taught to play the piano ‘properly’. He had some private lessons and from this teacher, also learned about opera, literature and politics.
Verdi came to dominate the Italian opera scene after the era of Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Gioachino Rossini, whose works significantly influenced him. These composers wrote in the bel canto tradition which meant that their operas had beautiful tunes which were written for singers to show off their voices. During his long life Verdi changed opera, in a way that meant it did not have to obey old-fashioned rules. To him, the drama the most important thing and the music was there to enhance the atmosphere. Many people will know some of these tunes, even if they don’t know opera or listen to classical music at all.
In 1839 he composed an opera, ‘Oberto, conte di San Bonifacio’, which was performed in La Scala, the world-famous opera house in Milan. It is not one of his greatest operas, but it helped him to become well-known and as a result he was commissioned to write three more operas for La Scala.
Verdi was becoming more popular each day and this is partly due to his Va, Pensiero (Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves) from his early opera Nabucco (1842). This and similar choruses in later operas, were much in the spirit of the unification movement happening in Italy at the time, and the composer himself became esteemed as a representative of these ideals.
His opera Ernani (1844) was one of the best from this period. In 1847 he had another big success with Macbeth. This opera, based on Shakespeare’s famous play, is still one of the best-loved of all operas. His operas remain extremely popular, especially the three peaks of his 'middle period': Rigoletto (1851), Il trovatore and La traviata (both 1853), and the 2013 bicentenary of his birth was widely celebrated in broadcasts and performances. The music is not divided so clearly into recitative and aria like it had been for two centuries.
Instead, the music is developing all the time, the arias run straight into the following music. He had a brilliant sense of drama, but he often had to fight hard to stop producers making changes to what he had written. Verdi often had trouble with the censors (the officials who decide whether the opera should be allowed to be performed). His opera Rigoletto was based on a story called ‘Le roi s’amuse’ by Victor Hugo. The attempted murder of a king was not thought to be a suitable subject. Verdi had to change the king into a duke in his story and make some other changes before the opera could be performed.
Later in life, Verdi was asked to compose for the Opéra in Paris. He had to write operas in the French style: operas with five acts and a ballet based on a serious story. None of the operas he wrote at this time for Paris belong to his best works. He was more inspired when writing for the Italian theatres.
He surprised the musical world by retiring , after his success with the opera Aida (1871), with three late masterpieces: his Requiem (1874), and the operas Otello (1887) and Falstaff (1893) both based on Shakespeare plays. He gave a lot of money to charities, particularly to one charity for elderly musicians. Even in retirement he was persuaded by his publishers to write two more operas. Verdi continued to write a few religious pieces in his old age. He died of a stroke in Milan in 1901. His funeral was attended by more people than any event in the history of Italy Verdi is buried with his second wife in a house he founded for retired musicians.
Have a listen to the Prelude to La Traviata by clicking on his face.
Keep an eye out on Facebook and Instagram for the next FM coming soon!
08 Oct 2019
Bruno Mars - HMMT Featured Musician
October’s first Featured Musician is Peter Gene Hernandez…better known as Bruno Mars - born on this day in 1985.
The American singer, songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and dancer is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical styles, including Pop, R&B, funk, soul, reggae, hip hop, and rock.
Mars is accompanied by his band, The Hooligans, who play a variety of instruments, such as electric guitar, bass, piano, keyboards, drums, and horns, and also serve as backup singers and dancers.
Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Mars moved to Los Angeles in 2003 to pursue a musical career. After being dropped by Motown Records, Mars signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records in 2009. In the same year, he co-founded the production team The Smeezingtons, responsible for various successful singles for Mars himself and other artists.
Mars rose to fame in 2010 with the release of the successful singles "Nothin' on You" by B.o.B and "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy, both of which featured his vocals on the hooks. His debut studio album Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010), peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States and reached number one in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. It spawned the international number-one singles "Just the Way You Are", "Grenade", and "The Lazy Song".
Mars' second album, Unorthodox Jukebox (2012), peaked at number one in the US, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, and the UK, winning a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album. Its singles "Locked Out of Heaven" and "When I Was Your Man", reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In 2014, Mars collaborated with Mark Ronson on "Uptown Funk", which topped many music charts worldwide, including the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK. The song won Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the Grammys.
In 2016, Mars' third studio album, the R&B-focused, 24K Magic debuted at number two in the United States, Canada, France, and New Zealand and received seven Grammy Awards, winning the major categories of Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. The album yielded the successful singles "24K Magic", "That's What I Like", and "Finesse".
Mars has sold over 200 million singles and 26 million albums worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He has released seven number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 since his career launched in 2010, attaining his first five faster than any male artist since Elvis Presley.
As a songwriter, he was included in Music Week and Billboard magazine as one of the best songwriters of 2011 and 2013, respectively.
Mars has received several awards and nominations, including 11 Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards, nine American Music Awards, 10 Soul Train Awards and holds three Guinness World Records. He has appeared in Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2011 and Forbes magazine's lists of '30 under 30' in 2013, the world's most powerful celebrities in 2014, and Celebrity 100 in 2018 and 2019.
I asked you on Instagram for your favourite song and Uptown Funk was a close contender, however this tune had the most votes...click on his face to hear it!
Keep an eye out for the other FMs throughout the month on Instagram and Facebook!
28 Sep 2019
Exciting Announcement!
🎉 Exciting Announcement 🎉
Say hello to Laura who will be teaching singing lessons with us!
Laura graduated from Edinburgh Napier University in 2017 with a 2:1 BMus Classical Music Degree with Honours under the vocal tutelage of Joan Busby.
Click the link below to read more about Laura's background and get in touch by email, Facebook or via the website for her availability if you're interested in starting lessons.
27 Sep 2019
Exam Submissions
Piano exam entries just submitted for this season! It feels strange to only be entering 2 students this time...but hopefully means the preparation time will be more relaxed than usual?! 😅
26 Sep 2019
George Gershwin - HMMT Featured Musician
September’s final Featured Musician was born Jacob Bruskin Gershowitz. Can you guess who it might be?
...
The American composer and pianist George Gershwin was born on this day in 1898. His compositions spanned both popular and classical genres and he is best known for the orchestral works Rhapsody in Blue (1924) and An American in Paris (1928). Other popular compositions include the jazz standard I Got Rhythm (1930) and the opera Porgy and Bess (1935) which spawned the hit Summertime.
Gershwin got piano lessons whilst he was at school and his teacher immediately recognised his unusual ability. The teacher wrote “I have a student who will make his mark in music, if anybody will. The boy is a genius, without doubt.”
George continued to study piano and composition but his career actually began as a song plugger for music publishers. He played the newest songs on Tin Pan Alley to encourage sales. Soon he started composing Broadway theatre works with Buddy DeSylva and his brother Ira Gershwin.
One of many examples of the Gershwin’s combined works is the song They Can’t Take That Away From Me. The Gershwin’s wrote the song for dancer and actor Fred Astaire for the film Shall We Dance; their first movie musical.
Jazz musician and orchestra leader Paul Whiteman organised a special concert to show that jazz was serious music and Gershwin agreed to compose a feature. This was the birth of Rhapsody in Blue, which engaged the audience immediately. It was referred to as the first piece of music to ever have captured the true voice of modern American culture.
George then moved to Parish intending to study with Nadia Boulanger, a composer and conductor, but she refused him; he subsequently wrote An American in Paris. He then returned to New York City and wrote Porgy and Bess with Ira and author DuBose Heyward. It was initially a commercial failure but came to be considered one of the most important American operas of the twentieth century and an American cultural classic.
Gershwin then moved to Hollywood and composed numerous film scores until his death in 1937. His compositions have been adapted for use in films and television, and several have become jazz standards recorded and covered in many variations.
Click on his face to have a listen to Rhapsody in Blue in it's entirety, it's amazing!
Keep an eye out for next month's Featured Musicians coming soon!
24 Sep 2019
Flute Ensemble
Looking to grow your confidence and get experience playing in a group? No auditions, just a quick play through a familiar piece so that we can divide into parts.
Please pass on this news to anyone outside our community that you think might be interested - our group is open to the public.
Can't wait to get started with rehearsals. Exciting plans in the works for the Christmas term!
Get in touch for more info and to sign-up 🎼
18 Sep 2019
Well done to these two! Lindsay is one of our flute pupils here at HMMT 🎼

18 Sep 2019
Adam Walker Masterclass
It’s been a busy Wednesday!
I spent the morning listening to some fantastic music played by young musicians. Adam Walker is the Principle Flute with the LSO. His insight and knowledge of the pieces was so interesting, not to mention his own playing incredible!
Very inspired for an afternoon of lessons 😎

17 Sep 2019
Interested in learning to play the piano? Do it now! Get in touch now or visit our website for more information. Looking forward to meeting you 🎹
16 Sep 2019
Attention Students!
All lessons are on as normal today despite the schools being off.
Please get in touch asap if you can't make it!
01 Jan 2020
Hans Zimmer - HMMT Featured Musician
The 3rd Featured Musician of the month is our third soundtrack composer of the year!
Hans Zimmer was born in Frankfurt, Germany on this day in 1957. His works are notable for integrating electronic music sounds with traditional orchestral arrangements. Since the 1980s, he has composed music for over 150 films.
He spent the early part of his career in the UK before moving to the United States. He is currently the head of the film music division at DreamWorks studios and works with other composers through his company Remote Control Productions. His studio is in Santa Monica, California where he has an extensive range of computer equipment and keyboards, allowing demo versions of film scores to be created quickly.
Zimmer has collaborated on multiple projects with directors including Ridley Scott, Ron Howard, Michael Bay, Steve McQueen and Christopher Nolan. His works include Rain Man, Driving Miss Daisy, Thelma & Louise, The Lion King, Pearl Harbour, Shark Tale, Hannibal, the Pirate of the Caribbean series, The DaVinci Code, The Holiday, Inception and Dunkirk among many others.
In 2000, his score for Gladiator became one of the best selling movie soundtrack albums of all time. He has received 4 Grammy Awards, 3 Classical Brit Awards, 2 Golden Globes and 1 Academy Award.
Let’s listen to a track from that famous Gladiator soundtrack...
Click on his face to listen to his music!
Keep an eye out on Instagram and Facebook for the final FM of the month coming soon!
11 Sep 2019
Welcome!
🌟Happy Wednesday🌟
We are now half way through week 5 of term and getting closer to the October break.
It's been a great start to the new academic year as Hannah and Caitlin have joined the team, and so far we have also welcomed 10 new students!