What We Do
Loud ‘n’ Proud is a youth charity which has, for over 7 years now, established itself at the forefront of the development of young musicians in Scotland.
It is a place for talented hard working young musicians and performers to thrive. We work with more bands than any other similar organisation and we have an incredible mix of young people, which extends from those who attend private schools to several who are in residential care. Some are without doubt the best young talent in the country and are destined for a future in music and there are those who are simply happy being part of something they enjoy.
Also as a community based music initiative we consistently show that our approach to social inclusion produces impressive results in improving young people’s confidence, learning, employment and future prospects and has delivered huge wider benefits to the local community.
- School of Rock
The Rock School has grown substantially over the years and is probably the single biggest piece of our organisation. The basic premise is music lessons, but with a difference. Each week children will receive an individual lesson with a trained instructor on their choice of instrument. The most common instruments are generally guitar, drums, piano/keyboard or bass but we have instructors teaching singing, brass and wind instruments and many forms of tuned and unturned percussion for those that are interested.
However our key is that we don’t stop there. In addition to their instrumental lesson the children are also formed into a band with other children of a similar skill level from the school. They receive a second lesson, again with an instructor, in this band format and here they are able to develop key skills that are overlooked in other organisations such as playing together with other musicians, stage presence and showmanship, and songwriting.
In short, we don’t just create talented instrumentalists, we create talented musicians with the full range of skills needed to be at home on any stage and who are able to seriously approach a career in music if they wish.
As the children grow in skill and progress through their lessons many other opportunities also open up for them. We regularly provide specialist ‘Master Classes’ which can cover a huge range of topics, from advanced playing techniques in their chosen instrument to other areas of the music industry such as sound engineering, music recording and production, and lighting design. We also provide opportunities and encourage them to set up their own gigs and shows and a few are lucky enough, when a space opens up, to be asked to join the Loud ‘n’ Proud Rock Orchestra, our flagship band who play in some of the biggest venues in Scotland and the UK such as the Wickerman Festival, the ABC and the SECC Armadillo.
- Rock Orchestra
The Rock Orchestra is the flagship band of the organisation, currently a 21 piece group based around the drums/guitar/bass core of a rock band but with extensive brass, percussion and keyboard sections providing a huge, powerful sound and display.
They regularly play some of the biggest venues and shows in Scotland, being asked three years in a row to play at the Wickerman Festival and selling out the main hall of the prestigious ABC in Glasgow just some of their accomplishments.
However their biggest achievement was their three night run in the Armadillo at the SECC where they performed as the main band for the hit musical I Was There!, written by our very own Tommy McGrory and charting the rise and fall of The Glasgow Apollo, the worlds greatest rock music venue.
- I Was There!
“A Rock ‘n’ Roll story that will transport you back in time and give you a flavour of just what the Glasgow Apollo meant to thousands of people who went faithfully to what was then the biggest auditorium of its kind in Europe - 4486 seats on three levels.
A time when all the big names in the world wanted to play there - A time when bands were making Rock ‘n’ Roll history.”
I Was There! Is a hit musical written by our owner Tommy McGrory. It follows the rise and fall of the world’s greatest rock music venue The Glasgow Apollo from its beginnings as Greens Playhouse to its ultimate demolition.
A soundtrack of classic rock songs from the era is supplied by the fantastic Loud ‘n’ Proud rock orchestra and a full company of dancers and actors tell the story of the infamous music venue.
It received huge media attention and rave reviews during its debut run at the SECC Armadillo in early 2009 and looks set to return again in early 2010 with a whole new set list of iconic music and action.
David Coverdale's (Deep Purple and Whitesnake) memories: "....are of the magnificent Apollo choir and that CRAZY stage, and I still proudly display my little statuettes from our sold out shows there. Please send my best to your gang and thanks for the memories".
Rick Wakeman (YES) pretty much summed it up recently; "...the Glasgow Apollo is synonymous with the birth of rock 'n' roll..."
Richard Park (music guru and Fame Academy headmaster) suggests that: "...the Apollo was simply magnificent and was the classic venue of its day...".
-Two Rivers Rock Festival
The two rivers rock festival is our yearly end of summer event. It takes place over a full week, usually towards the end of August and features as many as one hundred bands playing in a huge range of venues all over Paisley and Renfrewshire. Many of the events are free to enter and last year’s events culminated in a huge mobile outdoor stage being pulled into Paisley town centre by a large American Big Rig truck, complete with a huge LED screen, which then played host to a full days worth of great bands, all of which was free for the public to come and watch and enjoy.
This year a similarly massive stage was set up and played host to a fantastic set of bands including a band who have won countless awards including the best unsigned band in the UK, Scotland's own Logan, and the world famous Quoir Boys on their 25th anniversary tour.
Join or mailing list and keep up to date to see how we plan to top even that great spectacle this year......
- Hit the Beat
For nearly 5 years now Loud ‘n’ Proud has worked in partnership to create ‘Hit the Beat’, a joint venture with Strathclyde Police, the Crime Prevention Panel (Renfrew), the Anti Social Investigations Support Team, Renfrewshire Education and Leisure and Renfrewshire Neighbourhood Wardens team and Paisley YMCA, and is a Youth Diversion Project intended to divert 13-17 year olds away from anti-social behaviour, such as youth disorder, drug use and underage drinking.
It has been an unqualified success receiving praise from many well placed, and has won several public service awards for Tommy and the Loud ‘n’ Proud team.
- Charleston Drum Project
Keeping the original roots of Loud ‘n’ Proud alive, the Charleston Drum Project is the home of our American style Marching Drum Corps and our Samba percussion band.
Among their events, they have provided the backbone for the previous three years Sma Shot’s Day parades through paisley town centre, stealing show and provided entertainment for all both during the parade walk and with a special link up at Paisley Abbey that saw 6 different bands join together for a drumming extravaganza.
- Access All Areas
Again giving back to the community is something we pride ourselves on above all else and we continue that tradition with Access All Areas, our industry training programme providing young people with live sound engineering, recording, lighting engineering, event management and music management experience. We regularly take placements from training companies and work experience students from schools as well as individuals, and this is all delivered with help from an outreach service of Renfrewshire's Workforce and the Equal Access to Employment Project.
- coming soon...
We have lots more ideas for events and projects, many of which are already being worked on behind the scenes. By joining our mailing list you will be kept up to date on all that’s happening in the world of Loud ‘n’ Proud and receive exclusive special offers, prize giveaways and advance notice of coming shows.
