The Royal Northern College Of Music in Manchester has announced that its first Live Music Showcase will be held in partnership with Sony Music UK’s Social Justice Fund and will take place at Sony’s London headquarters on March 13.
The RNCM will be showcasing its students across two flagship programmes: the Young Artists project that nurtures talent from ages 11-18 and the Popular Music undergraduate course.
There will be performances from pianist, singer-songwriter and 2023 Casio Sessions winner May Payne, singer-songwriter Daisy Cameron, three-piece alt-pop band and founders of Manchester’s RedRoom event Sister Grace, pop musician Nadeem Shakir and more.
Sony Music UK’s Social Justice Fund has been the inaugural sponsor of the award-winning Young Artists project at the Royal Northern College of Music, helping to fund young people’s participation. The fund was created in June 2020 to address structural inequality, support communities and offer opportunities for individuals in under-served communities.
Recent honorary members and fellows of the RNCM include Nile Rodgers, Tim Burgess, YolanDa Brown OBE DL, Barry Manilow and Peter Waterman.
“The BMus Popular Music degree at the RNCM is unique,” said Andy Stott, head of popular music. “It is the UK's only four-year Popular Music degree based in a world-class conservatoire and is the premier training programme for students who wish to become original artists, freelance musicians and music industry professionals. Our programme focuses on Artist Development, teaching the essential skills of performance, composition and production, and we empower students to be ambitious and imaginative with no boundaries to their creativity.”
Popular Music undergraduate May Payne said: “The music industry can feel so nebulous and impossible to navigate, and I feel very lucky to have been given support in finding my footing and building the foundations of my career whilst studying at the RNCM. I have been able to form my band and tour around the country together, release multiple music projects and build my fanbase as an independent artist. To be given the time and space to do this within a course that is designed to support you as you pursue your ambitions is really special.”
