Jamiroquai guitarist Rob Harris recently visited ACM Guildford to show students first-hand how to become a successful musician in a very special masterclass session.
The class was presented by ACM Guildford’s Head of Creative Development, Ace (also known as the guitarist for British rock band Skunk Anansie) and included stellar performances of Jamiroquai songs, alongside a question and answer session.
Throughout the class, Rob shared gems of information, such as how important it is to go above and beyond for auditions, and how you should always be thinking about how you can fit in around other musicians to create a better sound. Alongside these great tips, Rob shared many stories, including how one free session lead to him working with Robbie Williams.
When telling students about how he joined the band, Rob said he had six months to prepare for his Jamiroquai audition, so he learned the entire back catalogue rather than just the three songs he’d been asked to perform. Rob then told the students how he was so scared of not getting the gig that he almost pulled out altogether, but he soon changed his mind when he turned on the TV and saw Jamiroquai live on ‘Later… With Jools Holland’.
Rob revealed during the class that he loves starting on the wrong note and then bending it into the right one – a tension he likes to create. He also shared that, alongside performing in Jamiroquai, he plays in a function band and writes library music.
When asked how he learns music, Rob said he does so by ear and then writes himself charts. When the class spoke about equipment, Rob showed them his Kemper – which he said was so good that he couldn’t tell the difference between that and his real amp.
Rob really engaged the students throughout the class and even did a spur of the moment guitar solo when asked by Ace, seeming to enjoy every second. After the event, Rob commented: “I’ve been to ACM quite a few times over the years, and I’ve always found it to be fun. I love the facilities, I think they’re great – it’s a really exciting place to be.”
When asked what his favourite part of ACM was, Rob replied: “I like the buzz of walking around and seeing everyone milling around in the corridors, talking about music, and there’s music everywhere basically… so yeah, it would’ve been great to have it when I was coming up. It’s a very very good facility – a great place to go.”
Students left the masterclass feeling very inspired and well-informed about life in the industry.
If you’d like to be a student at ACM and attend masterclass sessions like this by the best in the industry, 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.
