Gemma Lawler

Madeline Castrey

Madeline Castrey is a musician, singer and researcher who enjoys a successful career in performance and academia. With a background in West End theatre and television, Madeline was the first ever 16 year old admitted onto a degree course at The London College of Music and now works as a PhD researcher. She is a professional opera and jazz singer, performing at many high profile venues including Opera Holland Park, Twickenham Stadium and The Shard in London, releases her own music with London labels and has had leading roles in several London shows including Les Miserables, Evita and The Lion King.
Madeline founded the charity Resonate, using music and singing to positively impact lives. Her work applying classical vocal technique to those living with serious neurological disability has been featured on several national outlets including BBC News, Sky News, BBC Radio, GB News and Channel 5 News. She has received several awards for her work and in 2022, she was honoured to judge the Princess Diana Awards as a past recipient herself, for young people making exceptional contributions to global communities. Alongside her performance and lecturing career, Madeline is also a musicologist and enjoys guest lecturing and voice/vocal coaching. She is passionate about the health/wellness benefits of using the voice and wrote her published book on this subject in 2023.

Connor Haynes

Connor Haynes is an engineer, sound artist and experimental musician, originally from Manchester and currently based in London. His career spans nearly ten years, and he’s worked live sound for +50,000 capacity festivals around the UK, along with having worked in multiple studios in Manchester. Connor also has professional experience as a sound installation A/V programmer using software such as Ma MSP, and his work on building an installation themed around the pandemic has been featured by The Sunday Times Culture Show.

Connor has been currently working as a freelance recording, mixing and mastering engineer since moving to London, along with performing as part of an experimental A/V collective, The Self.

Joshua Max wunderlich

Josh Wunderlich is a Birmingham born and based songwriter, producer and performer, with a varied career spanning genres, professions and the continents.

Currently working professionally as a commercial songwriter/producer for DWB Ltd, focussing on songs for the J-Pop, K-Pop, C-Pop and Eurovision markets, Josh also creates music as a solo artist (with projects such as “Heartsong” and “WUNDER RiKU”), as a frontman for 2 touring rock-fusion bands (“Big Band of Boom” and “Punch The Sky”) and managing artists such as The Voice Kids finalist, Tawana McGrath. Music that Josh has created has been streamed millions of times and performed to tens of thousands all around the world.

A proficient singer and guitarist (with specialisms in pop, rock, folk and various world musics) having taught in primary, secondary, further, higher and adult education, Josh aims to bring his wide range of experience directly into the classroom to connect students with what is happening right now in the wider, global music industry.

During his studies at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (BMus Hons Music Technology) and Bath Spa University (Ma Songwriting), Josh also toured in the 60+ piece megaband, Joe Broughton’s Conservatoire Folk Ensemble, performing to audiences of tens of thousands and composed soundtracks for indie games and a mini-musical that was premiered at the London Short Film Festival.

In past lives, Josh has also worked professionally as a live sound engineer both locally, touring and at festivals for artists like Mahalia, Tom Walker and the CBSO, lead music therapy workshops with Musical Connections and worked as a session, pit and function player.

Tony Wathen

Radiokillaz is a pioneering Jungle and Breakbeat music producer, DJ, and educator, with a career that spans over three decades. With roots in pirate radio since 1993, Radiokillaz has made his mark on the music scene, playing on influential stations like Chillin FM, Flex FM, and Flight FM. As a producer, Radiokillaz has remixed top 30 records, including a no. 1 hit by Paul Hardcastle, and gained support from BBC Radio 1 legend Annie Nightingale, who featured his guest Quest DJ mix on her show. His releases on esteemed record labels like Universal Music, Passenger, and Warehouse Wax have further solidified his reputation as a leading force in the genre.

In addition to his music career, Radiokillaz is also a dedicated educator, teaching music production to 16-18-year-old diploma students at ACM in Guildford. He also hosts a bi-weekly radio show on www.infrared.fm, where he continues to showcase the best of Jungle music, keeping the genre alive and kicking. Radiokillaz’s unwavering passion for music and his active involvement in producing DJing, and educating make him a respected figure in the industry. Catch his fresh-sounding Jungle beats and infectious energy at his releases and performances, as he continues to push the boundaries of sound and inspire the next generation of music creators.

Christopher Carvalho

Christopher Carvalho is the founder and creator of Unlock Your Sound — The artist self-development platform. At ACM he helps musicians forge their own path with an array of digital marketing and business skills – leveraging the latest in technology and the web. Christopher is a problem solver, with a particular focus on how technology can be harnessed by musicians and creators to build their own brands and identities online.

Nikki Sadler

Nikki, originally from Birmingham is a highly accomplished vocalist and vocal coach. Nikki graduated from Tech Music School (The London College of Music) in 2013 with first class BA Honours in Music Performance – Vocals. She went on to perform in hotels and on cruise ships all over the world, whilst also working as a session singer, backing vocalist and vocal tutor around London and the UK. Nikki has extensive experience in live performance, specialising in Contemporary Pop, Rock, R&B, Soul and Jazz. Alongside teaching at ACM, Nikki is still teaching, gigging and performing regularly all over the UK.

Pat Hughes

Pat is a versatile player with loads of live experience under his belt. Having studied at Basstech in London for 3 years, where he was awarded ‘Best Overall Student’, he went on to play with the critically acclaimed bands The Disorientee, Headnoise and Wanton & Blithe. He has since played all over the world, including tours of the UK, Europe, Japan & South East Asia, Australia & New Zealand. Over the years Pat has worked with with various function bands including regular sessions for Guitar Techniques magazine & Drum & Bass producer Ray Keith.

Pat is currently playing with acclaimed singer/songwriter Hugh Cornwell, formerly frontman of The Stranglers and has also toured with Punk-Poet legend John Cooper-Clarke as well as 80’s legend Toyah Willcox. He also regularly performs in function bands and is very active on the pub circuit live music scene.

Pat has been teaching at ACM in Guildford since 2001, where he is equally at home teaching beginner classes or at degree level. He has taught at various Sixth Form Colleges and given private tuition, where his strength is his ability to adapt to diverse musical styles. Pat has given guest lectures at the UK Bass Day, Seoul Jazz Academy in South Korea, and at three of Japan’s foremost contemporary music colleges in Tokyo and Nigata.

Pat’s specialist areas include bass performance and styles, techniques, transcribing, music theory and ear training.

Paul Richard Clarke

Paul is an experienced 2D and 3D artist using both digital and traditional media. On computer his favourite applications are Photoshop, Procreate, ArtRage, 3DS Max, Snapseed, Sculpt GL and Paint 3D (yes, really). Using traditional media Paul is well practised in ink, watercolour, pencil and acrylics.

Paul’s has worked on a wide range of games and application demos using everything from Interactive Whiteboard note apps to VR art tools. He’s had artwork exhibited across the world and been used as an exemplar artist for a range of applications including Fresh Paint, ArtRage, Eazel, Photoshop, OneNote and more.

As well as teaching at the ACM Paul runs the cosplay life drawing evenings and FE Game Jam sessions. He’s also written and drawn eight published works and is currently working on the ninth.

As a fan of a wide range of visual and printed media Paul is well placed to offer advice and guidance on theme, form, flow, inspiration and excitement in a wide range of game and entertainment industry standards.

Phil Banks

I’m an Executive Creative Director, which means I’m someone who practices various forms of design, guides others, and makes creative and operational decisions to improve brands, products, organisations, creative teams, and hopefully, the lives of customers.

Outside of work, I’ve got a passion for various sports, music, psychology, animals, photography and video, and I guest lecture at HE institutions on things relating to brand and UX design…and still enjoy getting my geek on and doing some hands-on design work.

A more corporate version:
I’m an Executive Creative Director with extensive experience of brand development, internal comms, product development, IA, UX, UI, project management and business process management relating to SME’s, national and multi-national businesses/organisations.

I’ve sat on the Operating Executive of a global company; created identities for some of the biggest brands; helped create market leading products; and worked with artists such as Emeli Sandé and Soul II Soul for creative projects.

Jamie West-Oram

Leeds College of Music 1973 – 1976. Moved to London in 1976. Between then and now many sessions and tours plus some freelance teaching. Formed The Fixx in 1980. The Fixx have recorded 14 studio albums including gold and platinum albums and singles. Alongside worked with many top producers and artists (see above).

Mike Nichols

Like many bass players Mike took up the bass because someone had to play it and no one else wanted to. Fortunately he loved it. He studied jazz and studio music at Leeds College of Music, followed by the postgraduate course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. After several years of learning his craft in covers bands and on cruise ships Mike established himself as a freelance player in London, working with various artists and shows. Mike has been involved in education throughout his career and has taught and written content for many of the major colleges and exam boards.

Matt Aston

With over a decade of professional experience, Aguilar endorsee Matt Aston has toured the UK and Ireland year on year with various artists performing headline shows at venues such as Shepherds Bush, KOKO, the O2 academies, The Roundhouse, The Ritz in Manchester, Glasgow ABC and many more, as well as having played festivals such as Glastonbury, TiTP, V festival, Belladrum, Wakestock, Victorious festival, Isle of Wight.
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TV/radio credits including: BBC1, BBC2, BBC radio 2, BBC radio London, ITV1, ITV2, Channel 5, MTV, Ont sofa, Sofar sounds and 4Music.

In addition, Matt has a vast recording/song-writing experience, having recorded on Lucy Spraggan’s (Xfactor, Sony/Columbia Records) Silver album ‘Join the Club’ which peaked at number 7 in the official UK chart, as well as many other recordings, writing sessions and videos since in studios such as Wendyhouse, Metropolis, Park Studios, Oktopus Studios, BBC broadcasting house, Sofarsounds, remote sessions.