Music uniting the world

A brand new DJ academy is helping spread music to the masses by getting children involved in mixing beats and learning about musical heritage.
Andy Aindow introduces youngsters to vinyl at Bassment Rare Records (s)Andy Aindow introduces youngsters to vinyl at Bassment Rare Records (s)
Andy Aindow introduces youngsters to vinyl at Bassment Rare Records (s)

With funding from the East Lancashire NHS Clinical Commissioning Group and support from the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale CVS, the Bassment DJ Academy pilot scheme is already running successfully in both Pendle and Burnley.

And Andy Aindow, the brains behind Bassment DJ, is delighted wth the early stages of the new scheme.

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With 35 years as a DJ behind him, Andy has a background steeped in the music scene.

He ran a music shop in Manchester for more than 15 years, supplied sound equipment to such iconic Manchester night clubs as The Hacienda and Home and was also a consultant for both Radio1FM and Granada TV.

After a 10-year break from the music scene he returned to East Lancashire and following discussions with Peter Dunn from the CVS, started talking about the possible health and well-being benefits of music.

Those talks eventually led to the establishment of the Bassment DJ Academy which now succeessfully operates at the Gannow Community Centre in Burnley on Wednesday evenings and Holmefield House, Barrowford, on Saturday afternoons.

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Andy said: “I want to focus on music and give something back to our community.

“With the help of CVS we formed a charitable constituted group and spent a lot of time talking with service providers and community groups in the area.

“From there we found that young people liked the sporting activities on offer but some weren’t engaging. It was thought that it might be a good idea to use music as an interest for them.

“In the summer we provided a taster session through Burnley Leisure Trust at the Gannow Community Centre. It was a great success and we have already found a few stars in the making.

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“Some of them now have aspirations to make music for recreation and sharing it with their mates.

“It is like tapping into a musical time machine as the kids learn how to mix modern tunes with older beats.

“Some of the kids are now going on to sites like YouTube, finding music from decades ago and finding that they really like it.

“The Academy is giving them a framework and they learn everything about the equipment and how to use it. Some people have really poor lives and music can help to make them happy.”

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Andy uses a new tool, Modern Genre Music Therapy, to help youngsters with a variety of social difficulties and he explained: “This unique type of music therapy could even be the first steps towards a career in the music industry as a DJ, technician, music maker or producer.

“Music has been proved to reduce social isolation and the future potential of depression and mental illness. Also, by putting their creative energies into a positive activity that they can relate to, we hope we will help to reduce anti-social behaviour in the area.

“This will help to promote our message that music unites the world.”

As well as the Academy workshops which have up to eight youngsters aged from 12 upwards, Bassment also offers Music is Fun sessions for younger children who just want to enjoy some music.

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Andy has another string to his musical bow with “DJ In A Box”, a party that can simply be wheeled into a venue.

This proved to be abgreat hit at Sir John Thursby Community College in Burnley during the summer holidays as many youngsters found out more about music and the art of being a DJ.

The Bassment DJ Academy is part of the Bassment set-up based in Derby Street, Colne.

A recent resurgence in vinyl recordings has led to Bassment Rare Records being set up and DJ lessons are also held there on a weekly basis.

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Bassment is headquartered next to Aquarius Acoustics in Colbe where five rehearsal studios are in use every night of the week and prove that the area’s musical beat remains very strong.

For more information visit: www.bassmentdjacademy.uk

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