In this instalment of our Featured Alumni series, we catch up with Bass alumnus Matt Aston!
Matt Aston graduated from the Bass course at ACM in 2012. He has toured the UK and Ireland many times with various artists, performing headline shows at venues such as Shepherds Bush, the O2 academies, The Ritz in Manchester and many more, as well as having played festivals such as TiTP, V festival, Belladrum, Wakestock, Victorious festival. He is currently endorsed by TC Electronic amps.
Hi Matt! Tell us a bit about your background and why you wanted to work in this industry?
I first picked up the bass age 16 and quickly took to it; learning songs and joining bands at school. I couldn’t afford a bass amp so I used to play through my hi-fi. In fact, I have an old cassette tape of some recordings of me playing somewhere! It wasn’t until I was in my twenties that I realised I could earn a living through music. After spending a couple of years studying music business, I quickly realised I wanted to focus more on the performance side of the industry, and that’s when I came to the ACM.
Tell us about what you’ve been involved with since leaving ACM?
Since ACM I’ve been playing alongside a fair few artists including Lucy Spraggan, Molly Smitten-Downes, Ray Lewis, Longfellow, Kat Eaton, Hannah Robinson, Whinnie Williams and more. I’ve also been lucky enough to work with some of the best musicians in the UK on various tours, gigs and recordings.
What are your aspirations for the future?
I hope to continue to build on the work I’ve been doing these past 4 years. I do really love touring and adding what I can from a ‘bass point of view’ to other people’s music both in the studio and live.
How did your course prepare you for life in the music industry?
From going to ACM I learnt so much from the tutors about building a solid foundation for a song, as well as endless music theory knowledge! The advice I received on working as a professional musician has been invaluable.
Do you have any advice for those looking to get into the industry?
If I were to give advice for anyone looking to get into the industry I would say practice as much as you can, go out and play as much as you can and meet people! Social media has a big part to play in music these days too, so it’s important to build up a platform for yourself online.
What motivated you to come and study at ACM?
I already had friends studying at the ACM and I’d heard it was a fantastic place to study. I applied whilst still studying music business; it was around this time I knew I didn’t want to work on the business side of music, I wanted to make music!
What was the best part about studying at ACM?
For me the ACM was an amazing place to meet people and learn. Everyone there was of the same mindset and that was inspiring; making me want to work harder. The tutors were great and always willing to help, even outside of lessons. I’ve since worked with many people I met while studying at the ACM; it’s great to see so many succeeding and gaining recognition in their respective disciplines.
Connect with Matt on AstonBass.com, Instagram and Twitter.
If you’d like to be a student at ACM to kickstart your career in the music industry like Matt Aston, please call our Admissions Team on 01483 500 841 or visit www.acm.ac.uk/open-days/ to book a place on an ACM Open Day today.
