So today I got my certificate through for passing my grade 8 bass exam..and I passed with distinction! I’m well chuffed, considering I thought it’ll be just a pass/merit mark (but I guess we’re all our own worst critic!) but regardless it’s a good day in the office for myself!

Now, there’s a story behind taking this exam. Back last summer I went for a job interview for a music service (no names, as I don’t want to generate a tag for them) and they dismissed my bass playing skills because I didn’t have a qualification for it. I found this fairly offensive because I had my degree for popular music performance and was gigging all the time with bands as a bassist, of which I would have thought they’d allow me to audition the instrument and skills to prove these parts of the CV. Thankfully I didn’t get the job (I wouldn’t have taken it for other reasons anyway) but to avoid this situation happening again I decided to jump straight into the deep end and take a grade 8 bass exam, certified by the Rockschool exam board.

Thankfully, I know the drill with exams as I have done so with guitar exams and I also help students back Rockschool exams anyway, so it was just a matter of preparing myself as best as I could. For fun, I’m going to record performances of the three songs I studied, which included Bonzo, Sampa Samba & Some You Win (check out website link for the books) and put them up on youtube (and on here) once they’re done.

Whilst we’re talking about bass, I currently play bass for the bands DisCovered, South of Suburbia & Beaten Tracks. Check out the links supplied, DisCovered are my working band for weddings and parties, and South of Suburbia is an originals rock band that I work with. Check them out, or alternatively, come see bands (the next gigs coming up, DisCovered @ The Red Lion, Witney & South of Suburbia @ the Grey Horse, Kingston upon Thames)

Now to go out into the sun!