Vocals and Percussion
- Jim Pitchforth http://www.jamieforth.com/Contents.html
Jim Pitchforth is that rare combination - a star with a small ego! A star because he is just so popular with everyone: colleagues, students, and audiences; he has a modest, ever friendly demeanor that everybody loves. Don't let that fool you, though - Jim is every bit the professional, both onstage and in the classroom. With a string of successful performance credits to his name, Jim has led a number of pro and semi-pro bands over the last 16 years, including a twelve month stint in Ireland.
Jim gained his degree at Leeds College of Music in the early 1990's; he specialises in voice, drus and percussion, although his abilities run well beyond those disciplines, including guitar playing, musical arranging and recording.
Jim's students all enjoy the challenge of improving every week under his tutelage, and he certainly sets them a high standard. Many of his students are performance orientated, and regularly participate in shows such Northern Music Academy's frequent 'Live at the Parkside' . His singing students as a whole are notable for developing the ability to project; indeed, many have proved able to deliver a powerful vocal line even before they get near a microphone!
Jim's wide vocal experience favours a modern style; while he would certainly be of great help to singers of show-tunes, it is perhaps the aspiring pop performer who stands to benefit the most from his valuable experience. Current students range from around 7 years.
As a drummer, Jim's versatility and experience have helped make him effective at enthusing students of a wide range of backgrounds, ages, and levels of experience. Currently, drumming is equally popular amongst both the sexes, and students range from beginners of around 8 and above right up to the recently retired. A number of Jim's students are currently active in various bands.
Fretted Instruments and Woodwind
- Steve Clark
Steve's exertise in musical instruments goes well beyond the normal bounds. While primarily a specialist on fretted instruments, Steve's abilities also stretch to things that you blow, (i.e. bagpipes, flute, clarinet, harmonica et al), plus he also acquits himself well on violin and fiddle. Because of a close affinity to guitar and bass, Steve is a most useful source of information on all all things guitar related.
Steve is a truly valuable educator: caring, resourceful, and inspiring. If you need to work harder, he will be honest enough to say so. His expertise runs wide and deep, but perhaps his greatest (musical) passion is for the classical guitar. Steve has for many years enjoyed an enviable record of exam success with his students, in both practical and theory exams. Many of our students have grown up from youngster to adulthood whilst studying with him, and he cannot fail to have made a positive contribution to their lives.
Piano, Keyboards and Saxophone
- Darrell Priestley
Keyboard specialist Darrell Priestley has been continuously involved since founding the Academy at the start of 1989. Since that time, while buiding the Academy and subsequently expanding into other areas of the music business, Darrell has never lost his love for teaching, and despite increasing workload and responsibilities, remains as commited to teaching today as ever.
Darrell gained his professional qualifications from Leeds College of Music, where he studied under such luminaries as Bill Kinghorn, Dave Smith, John Harrison, Mike Smith, and Dr Graham Hearn. Among his classmates was celebrated Jazz pianist Nicki Isles. Good days, good people. Music college opened Darrell's eyes and ears in particular to the rapturous delights of jazz flavoured music, and to artists like Quincy Jones, Al Jarreau, David Sanborn, Herbie Hancock, Snake Davis, et al. Darrell graduated, much enriched, in 1984.
Darrell’s professional career as a performer started small, at the age of 12, and grew steadily. Working with so many great singers on the then blossoming Cabaret circuit was a fabulous way to develop - 'like Rhubarb under a bucket', as we say here in the North. Career highs include solo performances at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, Symphony Hall, Birminghan, two prize winning performances in the National Finals of Yamaha's Electone Festival, and leading (as well as arranging the music for) the Northern Music Academy's three highly successful Continental music tours. Additionally he has arranged all of the music for, coordinated, and co-produced regional shows of well over 100 musicians. He has also been privileged to work with numerous fine vocalists and instrumentalists in his capacity as accompanist.
Starting with organ in 1970, Darrell has added Piano, Composition, Arranging,and Songwriting to his skills. In the 1990's he studied Saxophone with Richard Ingham, and has subsequently continued his studies, to date adding singing, drums and accordion. He currently teaches piano, organ, keyboard and sax to groups and individuals, being proficient in an amazingly wide range of styles. Darrell also leads and arranges the music for Band Class, which he lovingly refers to as his 'second childhood'.
-Jessica Priestley
Aged just 20, Jessica is the newest member of the Academy team, but she is already proving extremely popular with her students. Currently in the final year of a degree course in Popular Music at Leeds College of Music, Jessica plays Piano, Bass, Flute and Percussion. As a performer, Jessica debuted at Birmingham Symphony Hall aged just 7, and more recently has toured with the Academy to Paris, Barcellona, and the Liguria region of Northern Italy. Apart from her playing skills, Jessica is also a student of composition.
Specialising in piano, Jessica caters especially to some of our younger students, some of whom have already begun performing in Academy shows. Children especially identify with her, whilst Jessica is also proving extremely popular with parents, who appreciate her efforts to keep them up to date on the work that their children are doing. Jessica's goal is to teach primary age children, full time.
- Ian Jones
Ian studied music from an early age, and is proficient in drums, piano, organ and keyboard. He also writes and arranges songs, and has experience in playing guitar for good measure.
Ian's studies took him from his native Huddersfield to Leeds College of Music, where he studied with Bill Kinghorn, amongst others, and from which he graduated in the early 1990's. Ian loved his time at Leeds, where he was very active musically, thus ensuring that he would fully benefit from the opportunities it presented for him to widen his musical scope.
Since his college days, Ian has been continually active on the gig scene, working as both a soloist, and in a variety of band line-ups, where he is equally at home playing keyboards or drums. The rest of his work has involved teaching, where he is equally at ease working with all students from beginner to performer level. During his time at the Academy, he has coached some of our keenest students. Currently, he teaches piano to children and adults of all stages of experience.