Each of us came to realise in different ways what a pandemic lockdown would look like and how it would affect us, each with our own vivid memories.
A unique award-winning music project and charity for ages 11-18, Powerjam helps young musicians form bands, then rehearses, mentors, records, manages, markets, and books them for regular public gigs, an all-in-one deal that many pro adult bands would envy.
Anna Texier, founder of Powerjam, a not-for-profit youth band project in Twickenham, recollects, “My daughter was still going to school and there weren't many reported UK Covid-19 cases at the time. Then suddenly 8 of the 10 summer festivals our bands were due to perform at and had been rehearsing hard for, were cancelled or postponed one right after another."
Anna is a volunteer originally from LA who after UC Berkeley, worked for over a decade in the music industry in Tokyo as both FM Radio DJ and singer-songwriter in a band herself.
She explains, “Being in an active band can be a steep learning curb at any age—it's why so many great bands break up! But it's such a cool way to learn about accountability, how to work closely and creatively with others—and you naturally gain confidence both on and off stage, something that will help teens throughout their lives.”
Anna runs Powerjam with gigging musicians, Andrei Sora, an Oxford graduate with a doctorate in Musicology, and Luis Chico, a music teacher at a local Twickenham school.
Now in its 5th year, Powerjam is mentor, manager, producer, fundraiser and according to Anna "even Roadie" to several rock and pop bands whose talent and entertainment value at events despite their ages, is undeniable.
After watching a pre-lockdown gig of one of the bands, local Twickenham legend, Dave Ambrose, who once signed Blondie and Radiohead, approached the band and said he thought their original song “Patience”, was “hit song” material.
Over the years, the team of three have developed bands so that they meet the standards of music festivals like Strawberry Hill, The Hanwell Hootie, The Richmond Riverside Music Festival and the Phoenix Festival; the annual charity event organised by Mike Rivers, promoter of the legendary Crawdaddy Club, where the Rolling Stones first made their name as the resident house band.
“It is an absolute pleasure to work with Anna and the talented young musicians who never fail to surprise me…in a good way” said Mike.
Fortunately, Powerjam had just finished recording several bands' songs before the lockdown, and their Singles, Eps and an LP are being released on all streaming platforms over the next few months, a source of excitement for these local young bands who have lost their summer gigs.
Powerjam is also now offering highly personalised online sessions for local young musicians that focus on skill-building, songwriting, music production, and more.
“The music industry has been hit extremely hard, but social distancing doesn't mean bands have to stop creating, connecting and improving—we just have to go about it differently. If anything, they can use this time to prepare for future stages!”
Follow Powerjam at:
- www.instagram.com/Powerjam_band_project
- https://www.youtube.com/powerjambandproject
- www.facebook.com/Powerjambandproject
Enquiries: contact@powerjambands.com