Music – Page 3 – WEST

21Dec

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News

A History of Festive Number Ones

With days to go until Christmas, University of the West of Scotland's Dr Stephen Langston has written a brief history of the festive number one for The Herald. Stephen is a leading composer and producer of Musicals whilst pioneering musical theatre education in Scotland at the University. As an academic he is Programme Leader for Performance and Senior Lecturer in Media and Arts at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS). In 2020 he was awarded a PhD in 'The Golden Ratio as an Influencing Factor within the Compositional Structure of Sung through Musicals'. His research has led to numerous international press articles and publications. Read the full article on the Herald website.

Music Graduate’s Band Wins Prestigious Scottish Music Award

15Dec

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News

Music Graduate’s Band Wins Prestigious Scottish Music Award

A band featuring a University of the West of Scotland (UWS) graduate has won the Scottish Alternative Music Award (SAMA) for best metal. The band commented: “A massive thank you to everyone who nominated and voted for us, this means the absolute most to have so many people back us just a year into being Sixth Wonder.” Created in 2021, starting as lead singer Rebekah Kirk's project whilst studying commercial music at UWS and with help from guitarist Nathan, Sixth Wonder was born. Rebekah, who graduated from the BA (Hons) Commercial Music degree in 2022, told BBC Scotland’s The Edit: "We were happy just being nominated, having some drinks and then they announced our name!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk37Ph3VHhE Sixth Wonder are a djent progressive metalcore band, creati...

Scottish Music Industry Association Appoints UWS Graduate as Interim CEO

4Sep

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Alumni Stories

Scottish Music Industry Association Appoints UWS Graduate as Interim CEO

The Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) has appointed UWS graduate Robert Kilpatrick as Interim CEO and Creative Director. Robert, who graduated with a BA (Hons) Commercial Music in 2016, will now lead the SMIA’s executive team and work with the company’s board to increase the value of Scotland’s music industry both at home and on the world stage; economically, socially and culturally. Robert said: “Having lived and breathed the SMIA for almost a decade, I’m incredibly honoured, proud and excited to now be leading the company, and I’d like to thank our Company Board for placing their confidence in me to undertake such a crucially important role. Scottish music inspires me like nothing else; it’s the stories of our lives, the heart of our cultural identity and the glue t...

UWS Commercial Music graduate to launch his highly-anticipated second album

28Feb

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Alumni Stories

UWS Commercial Music graduate to launch his highly-anticipated second album

University of the West of Scotland (UWS) graduate Matt Hickman, otherwise known as Brownbear, is following up on his successful debut album ‘What is Home?’ with the launch of ‘Demons’ in March 2023. Matt, who recently took part in the University’s ‘Future Jobs’ event where he spoke to students at UWS Ayr Campus, will celebrate the release of the new album in Glasgow at venue St Luke’s on Friday 24 March. Matt told the Largs & Millport news: “It’s an emotional and personal album, based on my experiences. There is a lot of soul searching and self-reflection.” Matt graduated from the Ayr Campus in 2012 and is a founding member and lead singer/songwriter of four piece indie-rock outfit Brownbear. The group released their debut single ‘Dead or Alive’ in May 2014 which subsequent...

Band started by UWS graduate gets airplay on Radio 1

24Feb

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Alumni Stories

Band started by UWS graduate gets airplay on Radio 1

Lanarkshire metal band Sixth Wonder, started by a University of the West of Scotland (UWS) graduate, has enjoyed Radio 1 airplay for their new single "Saboteur". Created in 2021, starting as lead singer Rebekah Kirk's project whilst studying commercial music at UWS and with help from guitarist Nathan, Sixth Wonder was born. Rebekah, who graduated from the BA (Hons) Commercial Music degree in 2022, told Lanarkshire Live: "I was in shock, because being on Radio 1 is something you aspire to but it always feels unrealistic, so it was very exciting. I remembered being a teenager and listening to new music on Radio 1, and now we're on there!" Sixth Wonder are a djent progressive metalcore band, creating a blend of pop style vocal lines and catchy choruses with dark, djent guitar, Sixth ...

On this month: March 1992 Craigie College and Paisley College merge

2Mar

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Alumni Stories

On this month: March 1992 Craigie College and Paisley College merge

30 years ago at a press conference in March 1992, just weeks before university status was achieved, Principal Richard Shaw of Paisley College of Technology and Principal Gordon Wilson of Craigie College of Education announced a merger between their two Colleges under the name of the University of Paisley. Craigie College of Education had opened its doors as an all-female college, training primary education teachers on the 1st of October 1964. Work had begun only in February of the same year on the new campus in the former Craigie Estate in Ayr, such was the need to train primary teachers in Scotland. Craigie College students enrolling in October 1964 The new College campus sat alongside the eighteenth century mansion Craigie House, had halls of residence, playing fields and superb...

Lewis Capaldi ‘discoverer’ and alumnus supports future music stars at UWS

12Apr

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News

Lewis Capaldi ‘discoverer’ and alumnus supports future music stars at UWS

The talent-spotter who discovered singer Lewis Capaldi has teamed up with University of the West of Scotland (UWS) to support promising new music projects. Scott Kirkwood, who graduated from UWS with a BA in Commercial Music in 2012, discovered and helped launch the incredible career of Scotland’s Lewis Capaldi who has went on to secure two UK number 1 singles and a number 1 album. Recipients of the Music Enterprise award will receive up to £1k of funding, alongside a support package of mentorship, support and advice from Kingdom Management, the company founded by Scott. Scott told Ayrshire Live: “Being enrolled at UWS opened many doors for me early on, including a role at the Scottish Music Centre where I programmed the youth tour initiative Hit The Road. This was how I first dis...

24Feb

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Alumni Stories, News

Graduate Wins Love Island

A University of the West of Scotland (UWS) graduate has been crowned the winner of the first ever Winter Love Island in a dramatic live final. Paige Turley, who graduated with a BA (Hons) degree in Commercial Music from UWS, shared the £50,000 cash prize with Finn Tapp, receiving 44.52% of the final vote on 23 February 2020. Paige, who described herself on the show as "loud, boisterous and fun", is a singer-songwriter who started her music career in her early teens. After successfully reaching the semi-finals on Britain's Got Talent in 2012 with a rendition of 'Skinny Love', Paige went onto study commercial music at UWS Ayr Campus, graduating in 2018. https://youtu.be/CAqR64dczvs?si=jVNhLsuh3N7RxB8V Love Island is a popular ITV show where a group of men and women live toge...

7Dec

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Honorary Graduates

Patrick Doyle Masterclass

University of the West of Scotland (UWS) Honorary Doctor and composer of over 60 Hollywood movies including Harry Potter the Goblet of Fire, Cinderella, Thor, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Brave and Sense and Sensibility, delivered a masterclass at Ayr Campus. Patrick Doyle, one of Scotland’s most successful film composers of all time, was born in Lanarkshire and is a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. His music has reached a global audience of over a billion people. His film projects have topped the box office charts in every decade of his career and his prolific contribution to film music has been widely recognised. Patrick has been nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globes, one BAFTA and two Césars. Attendees listened and learned from the maestro ...

Award Winning Composer Receives Honorary Award from UWS

29Jun

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Honorary Graduates, News

Award Winning Composer Receives Honorary Award from UWS

A Leading Scottish music composer received an honorary doctorate from UWS. Patrick Doyle was awarded his Honorary Doctorate from UWS at its graduation ceremony on Friday, 29 June 2018 at Troon Concert Hall. Mr Doyle is a classically trained composer who studied at RSAMD, now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, of which he was made a Fellow in 2001. He began his career as an actor and musical director, notably in 1978 playing Hector in the original cast of John Byrne’s iconic Scottish play, The Slab Boys. He joined Kenneth Branagh’s Renaissance Theatre Company in 1987 as his musical director. This was the beginning of a career-long friendship and professional association during which time Doyle composed theatre music and subsequently the scores for 12 Branagh films including H...