Newcastle College is to host one of the region’s biggest talent scouting events as part of its commitment to establishing a new generation of original artists in the North East.
The Trackfactor artists and repertoire (A&R) event will see the ten hottest acts from the college’s Performance Academy play live in front of a panel of music industry moguls with the hope of landing a record contract and a step closer to launching a stellar career.
The event will provide the college’s music students with vital industry experience, with the A&R process used by record companies across the world as their main way of finding and nurturing new talent.
The event, which is to be held on Wednesday March 13, is part of one of the largest A&R processes ever carried out in the North East, with over 50 songs currently uploaded to YouTube, each written and performed by students at Newcastle College.
A top ten shortlist will be decided upon by the number of views that each song receives in addition to scores given by tutors and course leaders at the Performance Academy, before being performed live in front of the panel.
The overall winner will be awarded with the chance to perform at a top local venue and could be handed a life changing record deal.
In addition, the shortlisted entries will also be added to a compilation album that will showcase the wide ranging musical talent that can be found among students at Newcastle College. Each track will also be in the running to be released as an online single through the college’s own label, Push Puzzle Records.
The entrants, which range from Newcastle College students studying FDA Songwriting to those studying FDA Music Production for DJs, MCs and Producers, will be looking to impress a panel of judges that includes Richard Engel of record label Communion Music, which has released material by double Brit Award winner Ben Howard, Ross Millard from the North East’s own The Furtureheads and Peter Brewis from Mercury Music Prize Nominated Field Music.
Max Weedon, Section Manager for Music at Newcastle College, said: “All of our courses are now strongly based around original music. This A&R process is designed to incorporate the views of the public and music industry to give our musicians realistic feedback which they can then hopefully use to perfect their songs.”
Music fans can view each song through the competition’s own YouTube Channel http://tinyurl.com/TrackFactor, as well as attend the Trackfactor event free of charge. The event will take place at the Peter Sarah theatre within Newcastle College’s Performance Academy on Rye Hill Campus from 2pm on Wednesday March 13.
Field Music frontman Peter Brewis, who recently joined Newcastle College as a Music Lecturer, said: “New original music is the lifeblood of the music industry and of the art. Newcastle College’s unique approach to music education is focused on encouraging students to create new music which can not only succeed in the world, but challenge and change it too.”
