FREE LESSONS FOR KEYWORKERS

An online tutoring academy featuring an all-star team of professional musicians and
teachers has launched in a bid to curb the impact of the pandemic on mental health and to keep budding musicians creative and inspired this winter by offering free lessons for key workers.

In the wake of the disturbing impact Covid-19 is having on the mental health of
frontline NHS staff, the London-based company has also pledged a series of free
lessons for keyworkers and their children throughout the UK and USA.

Founded by the acclaimed UK drummer David “Greenie” Green, RockAcad has
brought together some of the very best recording and session musicians in the
country, who continue to record and produce with a heavyweight list of names that
includes The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood, Rod Stewart, Sam Fender, Boy
George, James Arthur and Selena Gomez.

Having toured the world and recorded with an array of international artists (including
Polydor Records’ Detroit Social Club, Parlophone’s VANT and Columbia
Records’ Little Comets) The Tyneside-born David Green has since established
himself as a leading music educator from his headquarters in London, England.

Creative activities, including music, have been proven to boost wellbeing and keep
depression, anxiety and other mental health issues at bay. As the world faces an
impending mental health crisis as a result of the ongoing pandemic, Green saw an
opportunity to help people cope with the emotional stress of lockdown through the
power of music.

When the first wave of coronavirus hit the UK in March, the award-winning musician
(Rhythm Magazine and Music Radar’s Best New Drummer In The World,
2016) expanded his online drum teaching business to bring lessons to locked-down
students across the country, with lessons being made available to all ages, levels of
ability and backgrounds.

The service proved to be a huge success, allowing David to assemble a team of ten
seasoned musicians to teach across a range of disciplines, including singing, bass,
guitar, drums, piano, music theory, music production and live sound engineering.

He explains:“We chose our teachers for their musical ability, previous experience

teaching and working with children, their approachability and, of course, their
personality. They are also very interesting people to learn from because of their
musical backgrounds.

“All of our teachers are well-experienced players in the industry and have been so for
a long time. This means we can help students with music industry advice alongside
their tuition. 

“Things like how to find a band, how to network, how to write songs, how to get
songs released, etc. We help answer all the questions that we had ourselves as
young musicians, which, through hard work and experience, we found the answers
to.”

Despite being less than a year old, RockAcad has grown rapidly and now provides
one-to-one tuition for students across the world. 

“Lockdown has shifted public opinion about online education and demand for home
learning has skyrocketed as a result,” continues David.

As many people have started to work from home, I’ve found that people are
embracing the technology and understand the potential of it.

“When the schools reopened and people came out of lockdown, most of my current
drum students wanted to keep their lessons online and I’ve continued to receive
enquiries for online lessons. I think this year a lot of people have realised the power
of online learning and smart learning from home.” 

Before launching RockAcad, Green had a long and esteemed career in the live
music and recording industry. 

Having picked up the drumsticks at the age of 10, Green went on to play with some
of the UK’s biggest indie rock bands, including VANT, Detroit Social club and Little
Comets. 

He has toured the world several times over, has played the main stage at major
music festivals and supported some of the world’s greatest bands, from Foo
Fighters and Oasis to Kylie Minogue and the 1975. 

He also has an impressive history as an international session musician, playing for
the likes of Andy Taylor of Duran Duran, the UK X-Factor, Ricky Warwick of
Thin Lizzy and Alice Cooper’s guitarist and collaborator, Tommy Henriksen.

These recordings have appeared on some of the world’s biggest record labels,
including Universal, Parlophone, Polydor, Sony Music, Columbia and Fiction
Records. 

In a poll of 114,000 readers of Rhythm Magazine and MusicRadar, Greenie was
voted as 2016’s Best New Drummer in The World.

Green has been teaching music since 2004, but it was only in 2017 that he made it
his full-time career. 

“Teaching has always been my side job when I wasn’t touring or recording,”
“Greenie” says. “A few years ago I decided that I wanted to spend more time at
home so I turned my full attention to teaching. 

“I started working as a drum teacher at several prestigious London music academies
and schools and taught one-to-one lessons online and in person. I also launched my
own music consultancy service to support and give advice to young musicians who
want to get into the industry. 

Looking ahead to 2021, RockAcad has plans to expand its team and its range of
courses and services. The company is also building specific music therapy courses
which Green hopes will address the growing issue of mental health which has
intensified in recent months due to increased cases of loneliness, isolation and
financial difficulty. 

David continues: “It has been widely proven that learning an instrument has many

physical and mental benefits and can be used as a very important therapeutic tool in
helping to destress, focus and provide a productive and healthy escape.

“This has been a lifeline for many people this year with lockdowns and restrictions. It
is a form of escapism that you can have in your own home.” 

He adds: “We want to keep expanding the business, collaborate with artists and
educational services, host workshops, clinics and Q&A’s from special guest
teachers. 

“In the long-term, we strive to be a leading global online education service and build
a community of musicians, mentors and music students.” 

As a positive start to the New Year, RockAcad is currently offering 20% off its
packages which come in groups of five, ten or twenty lessons as well as free lessons for key workers. 

RockAcad’s series of free lessons for key workers and their children
in the UK and USA is on a first come first serve basis. For more information email
[email protected] or CLICK HERE

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-Ends- 
For interview opportunities and media enquiries contact Jon Corbett, JAC Media
e: [email protected]
t: 07814 232242 http://jac-mediaonline.co.uk