Welcome to harrisonwood.com
Hi, I'm Harrison Wood and welcome to my site. Thanks for taking the time to visit, I really hope you find it informative and please don't hesitate to contact me anytime.
Quick links:
- My Latest News & 2010 Blog
- My Online Diary
- My YouTube Video Channel
- My HarrisonBassist Twitter
Harrison Wood
About Me ... I play both double bass and electric bass and have an equal love of the four genres of music that I work in which are Classical & Orchestral; Jazz, Swing & Big Band; Musicals & Theatre and Pop & Rock. As well as playing, I also enjoy my Sound Recording Work and Bass Teaching. Although I now live in Manchester, I was born in Lancaster into a Musical Family with both parents in the music industry. Since the age of nine, my parents gave me the opportunity to have private lessons with some Really Great Teachers who I can't thank enough for all their hard work and the encouragement over the years.
Where I'm Playing In The Near Future (Full Diary)
- Tues 27th July 10, Seerauber Jenny, The Jam Venue, Middle Street, Brighton, 8.00pm (Pop)
- Weds 28th July 10, Seerauber Jenny, The Lexington, London, 9.00pm (Pop)
- Thurs 29th July 10, Anton Hunter Quartet with Alice Zawadzki, Jazz FM's Club 43, Radisson Edwardian Manchester, 8.30pm (Jazz)
- Sat 31st July 10, Beats 'n' Pieces Big Band, Manchester Jazz festival, The Pavilion, Albert Square Manchester, 8.30pm (Jazz)
The Wonderful 'Royal Northern College of Music (aka RNCM) ... In January 2009, I was very proud to be awarded an RNCM Scholarship to study double bass, full time, at the RNCM for the academic year starting September 2009. I'm very proud to be here (it's great!) but my life at RNCM goes right back to the September of 2006 when I was accepted to study at Junior RNCM, the RNCM's junior deaprtment which is run by the awesome Karen Humphreys who arranged for me to have tuition with an absolutely brilliant team of teachers who I can't thank enough for their hard work. Whist there, I was incredibly honoured to be the recipient of the Junior RNCM's most highly prestigious award, 'The Director's Prize' in 2009 and was also very proud to have been awarded 'The Yorke Trust Prize For Double Bass' in both 2007 and 2009 which is sponsored by Rodney Slatford, a fine double bass player and who for eighteen years was the head of stings at the RNCM.
So Grateful For The Support ... Through my various playing 'adventures', I'm very lucky to be supported by some of the World's leading musical instrument and equipment manufacturers for whom I want to be a great ambassador. The first support came after I played in a masterclass with the World famous double bassist, Professor Thomas Martin at the 2009 'ESTA' Conference (I'm currently saving for a Martin Bass by the way :). Thomas introduced me to the UK distributor of D'Addario strings, the World's largest musical instrument string manufacturer, and they kindly offered me a sponsorship deal. I've also been supported by Chris May, the founder of the wonderful Overwater bass guitar company and was very proud to become one of the youngest endorsees in the UK for Paolo Burocchi, the UK distributor for the brilliant Italian bass amplification specialist Mark Bass which I play exclusively. In November 2009, I was incredibly honoured to become a part of a Yamaha 'Young Artist Development Programme' for their stringed instrument division and it's a thrill to be playing the actual Yamaha SLB200 silent double bass that Nathan East had.
A Bit About My Playing And Who I'm Playing With.
Classical & Orchestral Work
I do lots of freelance classical and orchestral double bass work for concerts, recordings and broadcasts throughout the North of England (and beyond). In the past, I've been booked to do work for the likes of the BBC, Westmorland Orchestra, Wigan Choral Society, several Gilbert and Sullivan societies (etc) as well as the RNCM and the Halle Youth Orchestra.
- Halle Youth Orchestra ... Website
Since 2008, I've been principal double bass of the 'Halle Youth Orchestra' (aks HYO). HYO is the youth orchestra of the World famous 'Halle', the UK's oldest symphony orchestra still in existence. Read more .
- Royal Northern College of Music Ensembles ... Website
RNCM is one of the World's leading conservatoires and it's an honour to be playing in ensembles with such amazingly talented fellow students. Read more .
Pop & Rock Gigs
- Seerauber Jenny ... Myspace
'Seerauber Jenny' is Neil Claxton's new project with singer songwriter Fran Barker. Over the past twenty years, Neil (aka Mint Royale) has proven himself to be one of the greatest remix engineers and music producers in Britain, working on many hits for various artists including a #1 in his own right. Read More .
Jazz, Swing & Big Band Gigs
- Harrison & Friends
- National Youth Jazz Orchestra (aka NYJO) ... Website
"Forget the word youth, this is one of the best bands you will ever hear" said Sir John Dankworth about NYJO, the four times winner of the 'Best Big Band' in the British Jazz Awards. NYJO is now a British institution with many of todays British jazz stars started their careers there. Read more.
- RNCM Jazz Collective ... Website
- Halle Youth Big Band ... Facebook
I'm proud to be a founding member and the first ever bassist of the Halle Youth Big Band which was established in 2009 by Matt Shaw (a fellow RNCM student) with the support of the Halle's management. Read more .
- Day & Night Quartet
Day & Night is a function quartet that plays everything from the standards of the 'Great American Songbook' and Bossa Nova repertoire of Jobim, through to funky versions of pop tunes. Read more .
- Dizzy Hack & The Rhino Horns ... Facebook
Lancaster based big band playing swing, jazz, and funky big band tunes with great female and male vocalists.
Musicals & Theatre Work
Over the past few years, I've had lots of professional experience on both double and electric bass playing many a happy week in the theatres around the North West (Lancaster, Blackpool, Liverpool etc) for musicals. The shows I've played for include: My Fair Lady, The Producers, South Pacific, The Full Monty, Funny Girl, The King and I, Oliver, Big, The Railway Children and 42nd Street. Read more.
Sound Recording Work
As well as my love of the bass, I also love the recording work I do. I have a full eight core 'Mac Pro' professional mobile recording system running 'Pro Tools' and 'Logic' software with sixteen channels of high quality focusrite pre-amps and a whole range of top quality mics (Soundfield, Neumann U87's, AKG 414 etc) that I take out on location (or in to the studio) to record ensembles, choirs, bands and soloists (etc) in the classical, jazz and acoustic generes. Read more
A Few Final Bits ... On the left hand side of the site, I've put some quick links to some other information about my Bass Teaching, and The Gear I Currently Use plus a links that I hope you'll occasionally visit like My Blog & Latest News and My Online Diary which has information about forthcoming gigs (I'd love it if you could make the odd one or two).
Lastly, Many Thanks ... for taking the time to read all this and if you'd like to Contact Me, please either email me at harrison@harrisonwood.com or give me a call me on 07706 931810.
Very best wishes,
Harrison
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