23 February 2017
Newsdesk
Guildford’s Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM) has seen success at 2017’s iconic BRIT Awards, with some big award wins this year for its alumni.
Music production alumni Dan Priddy and Mark Crew formed production label ‘Best Laid Plans’ in 2014 with the aim of building a creative channel to develop music that they were passionate about and signing the now two-time 2017 BRIT Award winner Rag ‘N’ Bone Man. Mark is also noted for his work with Bastille who gained a number 1 hit for their latest album ‘Wild World’.
Best British group was won by The 1975, whose frontman, Matt Healy, studied Vocals at ACM. The group also performed on the night and their plea for people in music to use their platform for good was incredibly well received by the crowd.
Director of Marketing, Oli Sussat, comments “It’s so nice to see the creative, cultural and economic contributions of graduates recognised by industry and fans alike, in this way. These alumni have worked hard, for many years, to achieve their goals. This is not a tale of overnight success, but of hard work, grit and determination - all incredibly important when pursuing a career in music.”
Another ACM graduate connected to a BRITs 2017 nomination is vocal alumna Kirsten Joy, who went on to join Team Jessie on The Voice after finishing her course at ACM. Kirsten has recently been touring with Clean Bandit (nominated for two BRIT Awards) as their live vocalist.
And since graduating from a drum course at ACM, Joe Clegg has been making a career for himself as the Music Director and Drummer for 2017 BRIT nominee, Ellie Goulding.
ACM’s talent hasn’t just been seen on the stage, though. It can be found within labels, recording studios, management companies, radio and just about every corner of the music business. Spotted at this year’s BRIT’s was music business alumna Rachel Coomber who, after getting featured on Music Week’s 30 Under 30 in 2016, is now a Production Manager for BBC Introducing. Fellow ACM graduate Ebony Day (winner of MTV’s Brand New for 2013) was also seen next to ACM alumnus Ed Sheeran, who gave an outstanding live performance with Stormzy at the BRIT’s live show.
As a microcosm of the music industry, studying at ACM is a fully immersive experience and whilst at the academy, students are encouraged to actively begin their careers at the same time as learning. ACM has a dedicated Industry Link department that is committed to the professional development of its students and with a real radio station (Eagle 3), a working theatre (The Electric Theatre) and a real recording studio (the world renowned Metropolis Studios), students at ACM are best placed to gain experience AND a qualification upon graduation, making ACM alumni highly sort after employees in the world of music.
Alongside the outstanding success of ACM graduates at this year BRIT awards, ACM’s sister company Metropolis Studios (Europe’s largest music and content creation complex) also made huge impact, with over 70% of BRIT nominees having recorded, mixed and/or mastered at the legendary facility.
ACM offer degree, diploma and part-time courses in music performance, production, songwriting, music business and technical services. With campuses in Guildford and London, if you think you’ve got what it takes to lead the next generation of the music industry, visit the website at https://www.acm.ac.uk/ or call 01483 500 800 and book onto an open day.
