The Woking Studios were up and running at The Winston Churchill School
on Monday evening, complementing the recently launched Woking Radio station
next door.
A SOUND PERFORMANCE – Year 10’s The Locals, Jamie Goodall, Tom Gortler
and Tom Howard, with Callum Marsland on drums, make their debut recording
After a stint on the airwaves, special guest TV presenter Jamie East,
from Brookwood, unveiled The Woking Studios plaque and said: “The enthusiasm
and dedication of staff and students is marvellous. It’s a fantastic facility.
I just wish there had been something like it when I was at school.”
While Year 10 band The Locals – Jamie Goodall on lead guitar, Tom Howard
on bass, and Tom Gortler on vocals and acoustic guitar – tuned up to make the
debut recording, Callum Marsland inaugurated the new drum kit, donated by the
EMI Foundation.
The music centre’s corridors are adorned with funky graphics by Ian Wilson
of the Digital Factory on the Lansbury Estate.
Stephen Oliver from the Humphrey Richardson Taylor Trust, who donated a
large chunk of the funding, was very impressed. He said: “The trust was set up
to make donations to anything to do with music – schools, associations, choirs,
Royal College students… and the studios are really good.”
They were the brainchild of the school’s Head of Performing Arts, Simon
Donaldson. When not teaching drama or working on forthcoming show The Sound of
Music, he sourced funds and organised the project.
He said: “It has taken two years to come to fruition. The school is
non-profit making and we are hoping to encourage people and bands from the
community to use the facilities for an hour or more, then walk away with a
recording on a CD. There will be a sound engineer at hand to help out.”
Anyone who wants to reserve recording studio time can email
s.pohlman@wcsc.org.uk.
