Popular band record latest album in Music Practice Room

South East based cover band ‘Back In Time’ opted to use a Music Practice Room at Black Cat Music’s Tonbridge HQ as a drum booth when recording their latest album. 

'Back in Time' band member Martyn Wright also heads up the company’s IT department and was aware of the acoustic characteristics of the Music Practice Rooms making them suitable for recording purposes. In addition to Martyn who plays guitar and keyboard, other band members of ‘Back in Time’ are Mark on guitar, Dave on bass and Ray on Drums. All four musicians are also accomplished singers. 

The band has been performing on the club circuit in the south east of England since 2007, receiving constant favourable reviews and repeat club bookings due to their popularity with audiences. They have their own style of music, covering the more traditional material from legends such as The Beatles, The Kinks, Elvis Presley, and the Rolling Stones, but also include numbers by ZZ Top, Dire Straits, Queen, Bryan Adams – to name but a few. They are enjoyed equally by both listening and dancing audiences. 

The balanced acoustics within the sound isolating room creates a quality space suitable for recording purposes. The modular design allows for a wide range of sizes to be constructed, from accommodating a solo singer to a choir or a band. And as needs and space allocations change, the sound isolating rooms can simply be re-located when required. 

Black Cat ready for Music Mark

The Black Cat Music team are looking forward to attending this weekend’s Music Mark conference, being staged in Daventry on 21 and 22 November. 

On show from Black Cat Music will be MusicPracticeRooms.com EXPRESS, a new self-assembly sound isolating cabin. Delivered as a flat pack and requiring only a screwdriver, spirit level, Allen keys and a step ladder it is designed for rapid installation and can be assembled in a couple of hours. Thanks to patented, interlocking acoustic panels manufactured from special high performance materials, the cabin enjoys a high integrity acoustic barrier that effectively blocks sound escape both into and out of the space. Perfect for home studios, acoustic booths, school music practice rooms, recording studios, voiceover rooms and vocal booths, these cabins are also ideally suited for use as confidential meeting rooms, language laboratories, examination rooms, audiometry rooms and medical testing. 

Apart from introducing MusicPracticeRooms.com EXPRESS,, the Black Cat Music team will also be presenting a comprehensive range of of high quality performance equipment including ergonomic orchestra chairs, stage systems, music stands, stand lights and instrument and music storage systems. Black Cat Music is the central distributor in Europe and Russia for Wenger Corporation. Wenger is world-renowned for the quality and durability of its music equipment, and all Wenger products carry a minimum 5-year warranty. 

The Music Mark conference - "Progression in Music Education; Further Still, Yet Further” –takes place on 21 and 22 November at Staverton Park, Daventry in Northamptonshire. Attendees will hear from some of the country's leading music educators, schools leaders and music industry specialists. “The Music Mark Annual Conference 2014 is a two-day event which offers a forum to debate, share expertise and exchange ideas for developing the national picture of music education for children and young people”, advise the event organisers. 

Music Expo Awards Finalists to be announced this month

Finalists for the Music Teacher Awards for Excellence are set to be announced on 21st November. Once again Black Cat Music and MusicPracticeRooms.com are sponsoring the Lifetime Achievement Award. 

The 2015 Awards will be presented at a gala evening at The Grange St Pauls Hotel in London, on the first night of Music Education Expo (12 March 2015). “Created to celebrate excellence in music education, the Music Teacher Awards for Excellence are now in their third year for 11 award categories. 

Nominations were invited from all sections of the public. The shortlist will be announced online 21st November and in the December issue of Music Teacher magazine and on the Black Cat Music news channels. 

Express route to Amsterdam

When the Muziekgebouw

concert venue in Amsterdam needed 100 Wenger Musician Chairs on super fast delivery Black Cat Music’s John Weyland made sure they arrived on time by driving them over personally.

Black Cat Music marketing manager Alice Dagger said, “It was a matter of pulling out all the stops to get them on site on time, but full marks to our team at Tonbridge who made it happen.”

The Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ is the Netherlands’ most important stage for contemporary music, as well as for classical music with a modern twist. The main auditorium is equally well suited for intimate chamber music as well as large orchestras. It's a really exciting venue - in the main auditorium the walls, floor, ceiling and audience chairs all move up and down to adjust the auditorium space.  It's right on the harbour, so ships can moor right next to the auditorium, creating some dramatic views through the massive concert hall windows. 

Back from Deutsch Orchestertag

The Black Cat Music sponsored sausage stall proved popular.

Back from a successful weekend at the Deutsch Orchestertag the Black Cat Music team returned to their offices in Tonbridge and Berlin. 

Myke Millward said, “The conference was well supported and very instructive. It was great to discuss with delegates our comprehensive programe of high quality performance equipment including ergonomic orchestra chairs, conductor’s equipment, stage systems, music stands, stand lights and instrument and music storage systems.” 

The Black Cat Music sponsored sausage stall proved extremely popular during breaks in a packed events programme. 

Black Cat Music is the central distributor in Europe and Russia for Wenger Corporation. Wenger is world-renowned for the quality and durability of its music equipment, and all Wenger products carry a minimum 5-year warranty. 

Smart new web site for MusicPracticeRooms.com

Black Cat Music sister company, MusicPracticeRooms.com has launched a slick new web site. 

www.musicpractice rooms.com gets straight to the point with a list of benefits and quick links to three popular areas of application for sound isolation rooms. 

• Schools and Colleges 
• Music recording studio rooms
• Home practice rooms

For music teachers, artists and recording engineers interested in the concept of sound isolation rooms to provide both a pleasant acoustic environment in which to practice, rehearse and record, as well as containing the noise to the benefit of others nearby, then the video interviews provide great insight and endorsement. Learn of the successful experiences of how existing users have not only solved previous noise pollution problems, but also made greater use of their space, accommodated more musicians and run more classes. 

There is plenty of technical data here too including specifications and example floor plans, plus news, case studies and contact links to request a quotation. And if you are not ready right now and want to keep informed of new developments, then you can follow on Twitter or sign up for a quarterly email newsletter. 

LED music stand light no wires, no fuss - it just clips on

A great offer from Black Cat Music throughout November is a 10 per cent discount on LED music stand lights. 

Black Cat Music’s popular dual-headed, bright white LED light simply clips on to any music stand to provide even illumination of sheet music. The standard version is battery powered, so no trailing wires to trip over in the orchestra pit. The adjustable twin goose-neck lighting heads pack the illuminating power of 4 bright white LEDs that thanks to economic operation give extra long battery life. Supplied complete with 3 x AAA batteries the stand light is ready to use straight out of the box. But if you want to plug in, there is an alternative option of using the included USB power cable supplied in the pack. Ideal for rehearsal or performance these LED music stand lights are bright, light and versatile and very affordably priced.