ICMP Vocals Tutor Xan Blacq is the latest guest to appear on the 'Sounds Like These' Podcast.
Xan joins fellow ICMP tutors Charlie Thomas, Lia Mice, Jamie Doe and Francesca Confortini to feature and who have discussed their music industry careers.
Hosted by Lara Magnelli, a member of ICMP’s Marketing team, each episode of The Interview Series is an informal, insightful, and inspiring conversation with a top music industry professional.
In the interview, Xan explores his 25+ year music industry career, starting from his biggest inspirations when he was growing up in Nigeria (such as Michael Jackson and Fela Kuti) to joining Amy Winehouse's band as a backing vocalist and keyboard player.
His career has seen him work as a session musician, songwriter and composer for TV and film alongside his educational work.
Lara said:
It's all about living in the moment and not worrying much about the future. Xan is a joy to talk to - he made me want to become a musician!”
Speaking in the interview, Xan said: "I focus on the now! I'm going to end up wherever I'm going to end up, it's out of my control. I can either get there peacefully or stress myself out. What I'm in control of is myself - I want to have fun and be kind to other people. No plans for the future... Though I have plans for tomorrow morning!"
Other questions explored how he landed gigs with Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson, Emeli Sandé and more. He also discusses how he took advantage of the pandemic and various lockdowns to move away from touring and focus on learning new skills, while also looking for more revenue streams.
Additional episodes in the new series of the podcast will be released throughout August.
Listen to the podcast now:
Take the first steps in your music career with ICMP
We've been developing and delivering contemporary music education for over 30 years – longer than any other music school in the UK. With a proven track-record, countless music industry connections and unrivalled access to facilities, it's easy to see why hundreds of students choose ICMP each year.
To completely immerse yourself in your music career, chat with our friendly Admissions Team via email enquiries@icmp.ac.uk or give them a call on 020 7328 0222.
Find your course
We've been developing and delivering contemporary music education for over 30 years – longer than any other music school in the UK. With a proven track-record, countless music industry connections and unrivalled access to facilities, it's easy to see why hundreds of students choose ICMP each year.
To completely immerse yourself in your music career, chat with our friendly Admissions Team via email enquiries@icmp.ac.uk or give them a call on 020 7328 0222.