Ed Vaizey, Natalie Shay and PRS among first guests for LCCM 2022 Music Industry Mondays series

Higher education music college LCCM has announced a number of high-profile guests for its weekly Music Industry Mondays talk and networking series.

On Monday 24^th January, the Central London college will welcome Ed Vaizey. The former UK government minister for Culture and Digital Economy, now Baron Vaizey of Didcot, will be sharing his views on the music industry. Lord Vaizey, often mentioned in the media as a potential new chair of UK media regulator Ofcom, is widely viewed as a popular advocate of the music and creative industries. Writing passionately in The Times, Vaizey pointed out that the music industry “is not an industry defined only by the big-name artists and labels we all know. It is a rich, deep and highly competitive ecosystem that must be better understood.”

Fast-rising independent singer-songwriter Natalie Shay will join LCCM on 7th February for a special Q&A and live performance involving college students. Natalie has established an ever-growing presence and loyal fanbase through her explosive live performances and unforgettable anthems – selling out Camden Assembly on release of her last single. Her collaborations with major trance artists Kryder (Black Hole Recordings) and Grum (Anjunabeats) have racked up over 4 million streams.

Partnering with industry trade body UK Music, LCCM kick started the free-to-attend Music Industry Mondays series in September 2021, determined to bounce back from the disruptions of the last two academic years. Each Monday during term time at 6PM, the college opens its 120-capacity Music Box venue and fully licensed bar for an evening of music industry discussion and networking. For those who can’t attend on the day, the talks are filmed and edited into full-length episodes to watch back via LCCM’s student cloud portal and UK Music’s MAP network of other higher education providers. Previous guests have included Nadia Khan, Good Soldier Records, The Music Federation, Mute Song, singer-songwriter Carmody and PPL.

The first talk of the new year was from David Martin, CEO at Featured Artist Coalition, followed in the second week of term by Claire Rose, Outreach Manager at PRS for Music, who discussed the PRS Foundation and funding programmes available for artists and musicians. A highly relevant conversation, given unsettling times for live music and the rise in artists choosing to forgo a record deal and release music independently.

LCCM Principal and host of Music Industry Mondays, Anthony Hamer-Hodges says:

“We host these weekly discussions to give our students and anyone else who is passionate about making a living in the modern music industry, real insights from top executives, artists, songwriters and decision makers. It’s always a lively discussion with questions from the audience and a chance to network at the bar afterwards. It certainly makes a nice change from all the Zoom lessons during lockdown. We are determined to give our students and the wider London music community the full benefit of the Music Box, our creative and educational hub in the heart of cultural SE1.”

The latest high-profile guests are another indication of LCCM’s position at the crossroads of talent development and higher education. LCCM graduates include BRIT Award winner Tom Walker, and fellow artists and writers Rhys Lewis and Chiara Hunter. Other former students making waves include Marie Dahlstrom, JOY (ANONYMOUS), Sans Soucis and Nathan Challinor, known for his co-writes with BBC Sound of 2022 finalist Baby Queen.

LCCM’s custom-built teaching and artist development facility the Music Box in Central London features a 120-cap entertainment venue and multiple recording studios. Major artists including Kojey Radical, Moses Boyd, Amber Run, Novelist and Kara Marni have spent time rehearsing or recording at the Music Box in recent months, as well as meeting with LCCM students.