Will Tomson (27), member of All at Sea.

How did you get started?

I learned to play guitar through teaching myself from a Beatles chord book when I was17 and then went on to learn covers from many of my favourite bands. Through an interest in lyrics and poetry a few years later, and realising I could combine my poems with music I eventually wrote my first song which was a great feeling! After the first one I became addicted and have written many more since.

To develop the songs further I went on the search to find other musicians and formed a band which was a great way to meet new people and experience playing together and combining creative forces. The feeling of playing and performing with a band was a real buzz and we began playing gigs together. It was also due to meeting a friend through jamming that I got offered a job as an assistant teaching song writing to young people. I had been working with young people teaching art workshops, so even though I had not had any experience of teaching music I decided to give it a go and found it very rewarding.

Who/what inspired you?

Dylan, The Beatles and many others first inspired me to play guitar. Listening to lots of hip-hop got me interested in lyrics. It was when I heard some demo tapes of Pete Doherty playing solo on an acoustic guitar that I started to think I should try to write my own song. A friend of mine who was also writing songs really encouraged me, once I had started it was like an unspoken competition to see what songs we had written every time we met up to play!

What was your first single you bought?

I think it was an old school dance tune, possibly something by 2 Unlimited on tape- quite dated now, I was very young at the time and it was cool back then!

What’s the best concert/gig/festival you have ever attended and why?

This is a hard one as there have been many. David Bowie at Glastonbury 2000 was unbelievable. Glastonbury itself is an incredible world of its own- At the time I was listening constantly to Space Oddity and when Bowie played life on Mars and the backdrop of the stage lit up with stars it was one of those special moments-hairs standing on end.

Where was your first performance?

In a bar alongside a good friend who had plenty of experience of playing to people. I was unbelievably nervous but he encouraged me to get up and play a couple of my own songs, it was a great feeling to get through it. After that it became easier to perform the more I did it and the nerves started to diminish.

What has been the most memorable performance?

Playing back in my home town of Sheffield at Tramlines festival in a pub with friends and family voicing their encouragement and a great atmosphere.

What jobs have you undertaken which related to your musical interests?

I worked alongside my friend teaching a song writing workshop as part of a project called Gallery 37 run by Impact Arts. Gallery 37 is an intensive summer arts program featuring fashion, music, song writing, film, animation, woodwork, performance, visual arts, trips and shows. It is aimed at 14-18 year olds, in particular those who are at risk of disengaging with mainstream education. The program aims to support the young person back into education or positive engagement.

Being an assistant tutor for song writing workshops has been my first step as working professionally in music so far, and the odd paid gig- but performing is predominately a labour of love!

What did this job role entail?

We taught singing, some guitar playing, percussion and keyboards and encouraged the young people to write their own pieces and develop song writing skills. After 6 weeks we had recorded a 5 track EP of their own compositions and did 2 performances as part of the Gallery showcase for the Edinburgh Arts festival. This was a huge step for some of the kids which had never performed in front of anyone before.

What skills were most important in this role?

Being able to have fun and communicate with the young people and encourage them to be creative and confident in their abilities. Also patience when teaching something difficult that involves much repetition to get right.

What’s the best thing about working with music professionally?

Helping the young people on the project explore their creativity and see them produce some amazing songs was very satisfying. Getting to play music everyday whilst teaching was great too!

Would you like to work on similar projects in the future?

Definitely.

Challenges?

Constant repetition to perfect songs for performance can be a challenge both when performing and teaching.

Top Tips for young people looking to get into music as a profession and more specifically in the capacities you have?

Just play, practice and perform as much as possible and most importantly keep enjoying it. Be creative and meet people who are doing the same, play and jam and explore as many musical avenues as possible. It is quite often who you know or meet that can get you somewhere you may not have expected!