Tweedbank musician's career ready to take off
Ally McGilvray • Published 23 Dec 2010 09:30
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A MUSICIAN from the Borders was invited to perform on live television with one of the world's biggest selling classical singers following a chance meeting with another musician at a jamming session in London.
However, he revealed he was only given a few hours to rehearse before the show.
Matt Bramhall, 25, from Tweedbank, accompanied Welsh superstar Katherine Jenkins on piano on ITV1 breakfast show Lorraine last month.
He was offered the gig after performing alongside new artist Mike Kiwanuka, who has just signed to one of the UK's biggest record labels, Polydor, and was supporting Scottish chart-topper Paolo Nutini, after impressing at an audition.
And now the former Galashiels Academy pupil's career is really taking off after being invited to jet over to France to support English singer-songwriter Julian Perretta, who is currently at number two in the French charts, on tour.
Speaking to the Border Telegraph this week, Matt said: "I've been itching to move to London for the last year to focus more on the live performance aspect of my career and this is where the regular work comes in.
"I've been networking quite a bit down there and getting to know the right people. I met a fixer at a jam session and I mentioned to him that I'm relocating and he said he might have work for me.
"The next week he put me forward for an audition with a new artist signed to Polydor called Mike Kiwanuka. I did the audition and got the gig.
"My first show with him was alongside Rumer, and Jesse J, supporting Paulo Nutini, at The Chapel in Islington. He's in the studio at the minute with producer Ethan Johns working on his new album. It should be finished by January and then we'll be off on tour to promote it.
"He text me couple weeks later to ask if I was around for a Katherine Jenkins gig and I said yes. He sent me all the details and explained that it was a TV gig. He emailed the track across and I learnt it.
"We had to be at the studios early and got picked up at 6.10am! As soon as we got the studio we had a couple of run throughs with Katherine and then had a sound check and a run through with the camera men.
"Katherine was really nice, she was telling us that she'd just got back in from a tour at 2am where it took her to America and Australia. We then went back to our dressing room and waited till we were called to the studio for the performance.
"We were watching the show in the room until we were called. When we got the call we headed down and sat at our positions in the studio watching Lorraine finish her last item and then the producer gave us the nod and then we did the track."
Matt, who trained at Nexus Music Academy in Coventry, has been working in the music industry in the West Midlands for the past five years.
He has extensive experience as a keyboard player, musical director, tutor, and composer and has performed in theatres, clubs, and on board cruise ships around the world.
As a musical director Matt's work encompasses education in theatre and opera, and includes work with performing companies in Coventry and Warwickshire.
He has just finished 'Footloose the Musical' with the Spa theatre Company. He has also worked West Side Story, Fame, and Beauty and the Beast.
He has written music for ITV television and short film projects and is also an experienced instrumental teacher who has worked in primary schools on a rock school project.
Matt said: "At the minute I've been in London rehearsing with an artist called Julian Perretta. He's at number two in the French charts at the minute. We're flying to France for six days for gigs and TV/radio dates to promote his new single."
To find out more about Matt, log on to his website - www.mattbramhall.co.uk
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