A group of musicians are hitting the road on a UK tour with a difference - to showcase the possibilities at new music institute, Resonance.

Colleges up and down the country will be getting rocked by the Resonance Roadshow band as it stops by to show prospective students what the brand new state-of-the-art music institute is all about.

Based at the spectacular Waterfront in Brierley Hill, Resonance will be opening the doors to its first cohort of students in 2020 and it kicks off its roadshow locally, at Halesowen College and Walsall College.

Organisers of the roadshow will use the tour to highlight the myriad of careers available in the music industry - many of which are covered by the degree courses on offer at Resonance. Co-director Rick Benton, who currently plays keyboard with West Midlands icons Magnum, has assembled a band of talented musicians to help demonstrate how Resonance could kick-start a career in the music industry.

Singer with the roadshow band is Samantha Dorrance, 27, who while being a singer/songwriter in her own right, is also a children’s TV presenter and face of the Disney Channel.

She is joined by guitarist Greg Platt Lake, a session musician who has been working professionally since leaving school at the age of 16, and has worked all over the world with acts such as Steve Winwood and Robert Plant. They will be joined by session drummers Lloyd Draker and Richard Kirk, who has played with the likes of Scorpions guitarist Uli Jon Roth, Limehouse Lizzy and the Grey Goose Blues Band; bassist Dan Clark who has played alongside Steve Vai, Scott Matthews and Beverley Knight; and Rick himself on the keys. Rick said:

“We’re all looking forward to packing up our instruments into the back of a van and heading off around the country to spread the word of Resonance.

“For us it’ll be like gigging as many of us have done for years, but these roadshows will be a unique way for us to demonstrate to young people considering a career in music how great coming to Resonance will be for them.

“It will be one of the best institutes of its kind in the country and I have no doubt that a lot of people will thrive in the learning environment we are creating.”

As well as performing songs and engaging students in music techniques, the sessions will also aim to provide a wider picture about careers in music. David Barnard, co-director at Resonance, added:

“One of the things we are keen to stress is that, whilst a career on stage is something that many will aspire too, there are lots of other careers in music you can follow.

“From the expertise needed to make a live show happen, to things like music teaching, the opportunities within the industries are endless. The point of these shows is to show the students that whatever their ambition is within music, Resonance can help them achieve it.

Resonance will be offering degree courses in Popular Music Performance, Production, Digital Music and the Music Business from 2020. Councillor Ian Kettle, cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise at Dudley Council, said:

“The roadshows are the start of an exciting journey which will bring hundreds of students to the new music institute in the borough, really putting Dudley on the national map.

“Resonance will be at the heart of DY5, Dudley’s Business and Innovation Enterprise Zone, and will massively boost both our local and regional economy.”

To find out more information visit resonance-edu.org, search ‘Resonance Education’ on social media or email info@resonance-edu.org.