Darren Ashford
Darren has been a professional musician since 1991.
Darren’s playing experience spans a wide range of musical genres including pop, rock, soul, reggae, gospel, metal & jazz. Here is a brief selection:
The National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO), The Drifters (also as Musical Director), The Backstreet Boys, Westlife, Will Young, Phats and Small, Sean Paul, Will Smith, Joss Stone, Lucie Silvas, Lionel Richie, Chaka Khan, Shola Ama, Black Eyed Peas, Gwen Guthrie, Romina Johnson, Beverley Knight, Angie Stone, Roachford, Kelle LeRoc, Alex Holland, Me’sha Bryan, Omar, London Community Gospel Choir (LCGC), Maxi Priest, Roy Ayers, Larry Carlton, Carleen Anderson, Richard Smith, Mattias ‘IA’ Eklundh, Dub Pistols, Laura & the Tears & D:REAM.
Darren’s previous teachers were some of the UK’s best: Bob Armstrong, Dave Hassel & Neal Wilkinson.
Dave Marks
Dave has been a professional musician since 1997. His performance and recording credits span an incredible range of music, including work with The Ulster Youth Jazz Orchestra (UYJO), various West-End musicals (Currently depping on Thriller Live) and with pop artists such as Gareth Gates, Saintsaviour (Groove Armada), Paul Carrack, Rick Parfitt Jr, Jack Mc Manus, Steve Balsamo (The Storys / Jesus Christ Superstar), Gary Brooker (Procul Harum), Foy Vance, Sarah deCourcy (Kylie Minogue), X-Factor stars Andy Abraham & Brenda Edwards, Leo Green (Jools Holland Big Band), Loick Essien, Rosalie Deighton and Laura and the Tears.
He has also worked with a variety of alternative artists, included guitar legends Larry Carlton, Albert Lee, Mattias ‘IA’ Eklundh, Richard Smith (Prof. of Guitar, USC), Dr. Richard Niles (Pet Shop Boys, James Brown, Michael Mc Donald), Justin Sandecoe (of justinguitar.com) Shaun Baxter and Dave Kilminster, drum stars Carl Palmer (ELP), Mark Schulman (Pink), Pete Zeldman (Steve Vai), Neal Wilkinson (James Morrison), Geoff Dunn, (V an Morrisson) and Stanton Moore and with groups like The Radial Trio; London Contemporary Choir ‘The Heard’, Mercury-n ominated Hip-Hop artist Ty, UK Country music star Billy Curtis and Canadian Country star Jayalyne Tradler, Progresive death band Linear Sphere and has worked for the last two years as the MD for the global ‘Guitar Idol’ competition finals at the London International music show.
The Rhythm Matters Approach
Although individual instrument tuition is an essential part of a musician’s development, we’ve seen that the greatest advances come when players interact. Whether you play in a rock band, a jazz trio or you just get together and jam with friends, there are certain principles of music that apply to every musician, in every setting.
Time
Time is universal, whether we look at the complex interlocking rhythms of a funk band, or the simple rise and fall of the tides, rhythm is all around us in our lives. It is a common ground that all music exists in and if we wish to improve, all that we study, learn and practice must be applied with a solid approach to time and feel.
Groove
How many times have you heard a particular player described as having ‘great groove’ or being a wicked ‘groove player’?
People often talk about groove like an abstract concept – something that you either have, or you don’t. This is simply not true. Groove comes from an awareness and control of three simple parameters. These three ideas are the cornerstones of our workshops, focused on taking your playing to a new level.
Reality
These masterclasses are designed for real world players. Dave and Darren are both awesome players, but their skills aren’t just about technique. They painstakingly designed their masterclasses to help each student develop the skills needed if they want to:
- Impress on an audition.
- Work quickly in the studio.
- Play with precision, excitement and power on a live gig.
