The Local Showcase Podcast showcases the latest great music created by talented current and former ACM students, from a wide variety of genres. Produced and presented by ACM Tutor Jack TL Johnson, each monthly episode also spotlights a ‘Featured Artist’ who Jack interviews to explore their musical journey so far. We caught up with Jack to learn more!
1) Could you introduce yourself and tell us a little about your background?
My name is Jack TL Johnson and I’m a DJ, Radio Producer/Presenter and Broadcast Media Tutor at ACM Guildford. After graduating from Cambridge University in 2014, I worked for local radio station Eagle Radio for 5 years as a producer and presenter, I then went freelance and began DJing all around London and the South, gaining a weekly Saturday night residency in Clapham while continuing my radio work with Eagle. Having previously taught ACM students at Eagle Radio, in September 2020 I was appointed as a Broadcast Media Tutor for ACM Guildford.
2) What inspired you to create The Local Showcase Podcast?
Having previously hosted the Local Showcase as a radio show on Eagle Radio featuring music from many ACM students, once I joined ACM as a Tutor I felt very strongly that the Local Showcase should continue in some form, as there are so many talented artists who have studied at ACM and the podcast is a great way to shout about this. It’s also a brilliant way to link current students and ACM graduates by playing tracks by both of them.
3) Tell us more about your first podcast episode – who was involved?
For the first episode of the Local Showcase Podcast, I interviewed the brilliant Leoni Jane Kennedy, an ACM graduate who had just released her single ‘Like Like This’, so the timing was perfect to have her as the first Featured Artist. She talks about her musical upbringing, how she created her latest music, gives her opinion on the state of the live music in the UK at the moment and provides some useful advice for anyone starting out making their own music. The playlist also includes tracks by Neon Islands, Tilly Valentine, Marleen, Nika Janina, Eloise Kate, Celine & The Blue, Luke White, Harrowman, Dalma Sofiyah, Bethia, Lucas Ramsell and Ashby.
4) Where can students access the podcast and how can they get involved?
You can access the podcast via the ACM Soundcloud page here: soundcloud.com/acm_uk/sets/the-local-showcase-podcast with a new episode uploaded every month. If you would like to submit a track to be featured on the podcast, please send a download link to Jack at jjohnson@acm.ac.uk along with a bio and brief description of the track.
5) What kind of music and artists can we expect to feature in the future?
In the future, you can expect more eclectic playlists in every podcast, celebrating the wide variety of talent coming out of ACM and the best new tracks from current and former ACM students, alongside engaging interviews telling the stories of a different artist/band in each episode.
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