You are only just beginning on what will be a long and fulfilling journey, so keep at it! Here are a few of the success stories that have burst forth from within the city walls here at York.
The Seahorses were formed from the members of The Stone Roses by guitarist John Squire, and although they were only active for a few years they enjoyed considerable success. Their only album 'Do It Yourself' reached number 3 in the UK before the band split whilst working on the followup. Despite this they left a memorable footprint on their fans in York and beyond. We would definitely recommend all of our students to listen to some of their material.
Elliot Minor were a high-school band before they were lucky enough to win a MySpace competition in which the prize was to support superstars McFly at a gig in Manchester. They enjoyed considerable success themselves, performing at festivals such as iTunes and T in the Park, as well as having a handful of number one hits. In 2010 the band announced a hiatus, but announced the release of a new single and one-off live performance in 2014. Where they will go from this is still unclear, but perhaps the fervent ticket sales of their reunion show will encourage them to consider something more long-term.
Shed Seven, whilst never achieving such success as Britpop contemporaries Oasis and Blur, enjoyed 13 years in the limelight before breaking up in 2003. Their name was derived from a railway shed near York rail station (no excuses for any of our piano students then!) After several years of hit singles the band ran into trouble when their then record label ordered them to make releases that the band did not agree with. At the time the band made it clear that they were not yet ready to release a greatest hits compilation, but after further disagreement they parted ways with their label. They didn't have much more luck with their next label and so decided to draw the curtain on Shed Seven.
One Night Only's name was in fact only intended to last for one night - they were put on the spot at their first gig as they still hadn't decided on a name! Still relatively new to the scene, One Night Only are still performing and recording to this day. Hopefully they will make a trip back to York soon! We will certainly be ready and waiting for them, and we hope that plenty of our piano students will be joining us.
Asking Alexandria are at the heavier edge of York's talent pool, fusing traditional heavy metal guitar with synthesized electronic sounds. Active since 2008, they have found a substantial following in the US as well as here in the UK. Despite lead singer Danny Worsnop having torn his vocal cords in 2013 the band continue to tour and record, such are the perils of this extremely demanding genre. Danny has since made a full recovery, but let it serve as a warning to any metal fans out there - be sure to get some decent vocal coaching if you are interested in singing in this style! Luckily the risks to us piano players are pretty slim, so don't let that put you off...
Want your name here? Well, get out there and make it so! The key to getting noticed is to make yourself noticeable, so if you are having piano lessons with us here in York then we will always encourage you to get as stuck into the local music scene as you can. Besides anything else it's a lot of fun.
