The School of Blues is a mentoring programme operating under the auspices of the Tasman Bay Blues Club. Our purpose is to assist in the development of musicians and bands and provide opportunities for performance at the Club’s Jam nights (3rd Thursday of each month).
The mentors are TBBC club musicians with some experience of playing in bands. They donate their time freely to help others learn to play as a band and enjoy the thrill of playing the blues.
Many past members of the School of Blues have gone on to form their own bands and perform regularly. This is something we all value and benefit from.
How does it work?
The School of Blues provides two semesters a year. Each semester consists of 8 weekly rehearsal sessions, culminating in a performance at Jam Night. The semesters are set for autumn and spring months. Each session is from 6-8pm on Wednesday night at the Barn. Musicians are encouraged to bring their own guitars and amplification and any other equipment. The school can supply PA, drums and guitar amplifiers if necessary.
The School of Blues is managed by mentors who facilitate the process of the evening rehearsal session. Mentors are responsible for upholding the ethos of the school and ensuring things run smoothly. They decide on who joins the semester, the performance songs for the semester as well as who will be performing during the rehearsal nights and the final performance at the clubs Jam Night.
Who can join?
Students must have a basic level of skill and the ability to play with others and perform. The Mentors will choose who performs and if a student is not up to it, they may be invited to wait for the next semester to continue to build their skills. The ethos of the school is to encourage and support people. However, they also will provide honest and constructive feedback necessary for people to improve.
At the beginning of each semester, the mentors will decide who will be part of the semester according to their instrument. If there are too many of one instrument, then a student may be asked to wait for the next semester. If there are not enough instruments, then past school students may be asked to join the semester to help.
Tutoring
The Nelson City Council Arts Heritage Foundation have kindly provided funds for the School of Blues to help with individual tutoring costs. Whilst the School mentors work with the whole group on Wednesday nights, individual tutors in Nelson and Tasman may be chosen for individual students who want to get specific additional help learning their instrument. Please enquire if you wish to take on individual tutoring and we can provide further information.
How can people join up?
People can apply by contacting the director, Hadyn Olsen on hadyn@tasmanbayblues.co.nz
Hadyn Olsen
Director