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ACM is privileged to be able to welcome the most prodigious music industry legends to Guildford and last week’s ACM Odeon Session Masterclass was no different. The wonderfully humble Mo Pleasure took the time out of his busy schedule to impart wisdom from his years on the international music scene and display his incredible array of musical abilities to our very lucky students.
Growing up in Guildford (coincidence), Connecticut, Mo Pleasure became proficient in a range of different instruments; including the piano, trumpet, guitar, drums and violin. Highlighting the importance of not being tied to any certain genre and experimenting with all types of instruments, Mo performed a variety of pieces displaying his range of musical ability across the keys and bass.
As well as chatting to and answering student questions like a true industry veteran, Mo displayed his flawless ability to change from one style of music to another and from instrument to instrument. After playing a piano piece that touched on his classical training, Mo moved on to a more contemporary funk composition using the Clav – the perfect contradiction between melody and rhythm. If that wasn’t enough, Pleasure then went on to perform Michael Jackson’s Rock With You on the bass guitar, showcasing to a captivated student audience the importance of groove as the core of this legendary composition.
About Mo Pleasure
After graduating from the University of Connecticut, Mo landed his first touring gig becoming a member of Ray Charles’ Orchestra, playing the bass – not a bad first job! Pleasure has since been the musical director for Earth, Wind & Fire, performed with Michael Jackson for ‘This Is It’, not to mention performing with Janet Jackson, Christina Aguilera, Mary J. Blige, Chaka Khan… The list is endless.
Mo Pleasure’s Current Projects
We R 1 Voice
We R 1 Voice, founded by Morris “Mo” Pleasure in March 2014, encourages young people, established artists, and charitable causes to collaborate on a number of Youth Voice projects, especially cause related music videos, designed to inspire awareness and build solidarity across and beyond the social web.
#SessionsWithMo
I'm having the pleasure this month of working with some of the young emerging stars of the UK in #Sessions with Mo. I…
Posted by Mo Pleasure on Sunday, September 28, 2014
On top of Mo’s philanthropic efforts, he is currently writing and recording with emerging UK artists at Metropolis Studios. Discover and follow their progress with #SessionsWithMo.
ACM would like to thank Mo Pleasure for dropping by Guildford and for taking the time to share his experiences of the international music industry.
Find out more about Mo Pleasure via his website.
