Hey everyone,
First things first — apologies this week's Soundcheck is landing a little later than usual. This week has been an absolute whirlwind.
As I wasn't teaching at Anstee for part of the week, I took the chance to spend some proper time refining my books and working on the websites behind them. A lot of that focus has gone on search engine optimisation — making sure people can actually find the resources I've spent so long creating.
I've also made some good progress with Poster Poster. The app is currently going through another round of submissions to Meta and TikTok, with a few adjustments needed before approval. It's been a fascinating process. If you've ever watched YouTube videos about building apps, you'll know they make it look incredibly straightforward — build the thing, press a button, release it to the world. The reality is very different. There's a huge amount of red tape involved in connecting to social media platforms, and while it's sometimes frustrating, it's been a genuinely exciting learning experience. I've learned far more about how these systems work than I ever expected to.
Gig Week: Survival Mode
As for the gigs… the number of live performances this week was honestly absurd.
At times it was exciting. At times it was slightly terrifying. There's only so much voice available in the tank, and there were definitely moments where I wondered whether I'd make it through the week without running out of steam. When people hire me, I take that responsibility seriously. Whether it's a wedding, a pub gig, a private function or an open mic night, I want to turn up and give people the performance they've paid for. So there were a few nervous moments.
Wednesday saw me at The Red Lion in Hackbridge, ahead of England's opening World Cup match. The atmosphere in the pub was brilliant, and a nice cold drink helped settle a few nerves before kick-off.
Thursday was Bonnie Rogues in Kingston. I always enjoy playing Kingston because I can almost guarantee a few familiar faces will appear throughout the evening — and sure enough, plenty of people popped in to say hello and catch up. There was a brief moment of panic when I realised I'd forgotten to plug my mixer into the wall before sending sound to the PA, but once that minor detail was corrected, everything went swimmingly.
Hampden House
Friday began with a private function for a group of Australians enjoying a shooting day at Hampden House. If you saw my social media this week, you'll have seen just how spectacular the venue was. The estate stretched as far as the eye could see, the house itself was stunning — beautiful architecture and incredible attention to detail — and the room I played in sounded wonderful too. Sometimes you walk into a space and the acoustics do half the work for you. It was a real pleasure to play there.
The journey afterwards wasn't quite so glamorous. I spent a considerable amount of time parked on the M25 thanks to a vehicle fire, but thankfully I still made it to my evening gig at The Station in Stoneleigh on time. The weather was glorious, so I started outdoors with an acoustic set before moving inside later and turning things up a notch. Songs like Achy Breaky Heart still seem to have some magical ability to fill a dance floor, and this crowd was no exception. By this point my voice was starting to feel a little tired — and the biggest challenge of the week was still to come.
Saturday Marathon
Saturday started at St Joseph's Primary School in Dorking. It was lovely spending the afternoon entertaining families while the children enjoyed the games and activities. Events like this always remind me how important community events are.
From there I headed to Marney's Village Inn in Esher. When the sun is shining there really aren't many nicer places to spend an afternoon. Roaming around with the acoustic guitar, chatting with people and playing requests from table to table is one of my favourite kinds of gig.
Then it was straight on to The Abinger Hatch for a private 60th birthday party. The evening couldn't have gone much better. The first hour was fairly relaxed as guests arrived, caught up and enjoyed a few drinks. Just as I was about to take a break, the dance floor filled up — so I kept going. What was supposed to be a one-hour set became a solid two-hour performance, with the dance floor packed for the rest of the evening. A wonderful crowd and a wonderful night.
Sunday: Somehow Still Standing
By Sunday morning, I'll admit there was a small part of me that wasn't entirely convinced I'd make it this far. But by focusing on one gig at a time and staying present, I actually felt surprisingly good.
The day started at Walton-on-Thames, where I was performing for the Heart Shopping Centre. The deckchairs were out, the weather was beautiful, and my good friend Sam Tullett's company was handling the sound, so I knew everything was in safe hands.
From there I headed to The Minnow in Weybridge. I've had some fantastic gigs there over the years, and this was another one. The sun was absolutely relentless — at one point my sunglasses were sliding off my face and my shirt was so soaked through it felt like I'd fallen into a swimming pool. Despite the heat, the requests kept coming and everyone seemed determined to enjoy themselves.
The final stop of the week was WeBrew in Kingston for Open Mic Night. Sadly we didn't have any performers sign up this time — sometimes that's just how it goes. The upside was that I got to spend more time performing outside by the riverside, helping create a nice atmosphere for everyone enjoying the evening. And honestly, when the weather's like that, sitting by the river with a drink and some live music isn't a bad way to spend a Sunday evening.
Father's Day
Sunday was also Father's Day. I'll be honest — as much as I love my job, and as much as I can't picture my life being any other way, the downside is that I don't always get to be there for the special family moments. I guess you could say I'm living my life on tour, and sometimes that's just the price you pay.
But I did have a lovely morning with my children before heading out. I slept in as long as I could to make sure my voice was strong for the day, and my wife and children did an amazing job decorating the house and spoiling me with some lovely gifts. Without their support I genuinely couldn't do any of this. I'm so grateful for how patient they are with my work schedule — and I think, even at their young age, they understand that I'm doing it for the right reasons.
Looking Ahead
This week is, sadly, my last week of teaching at Anstee — full stop. With the difficulties they've been having finding funding, it's an arrangement that's come to an end. But I'm a firm believer that with every bit of 'adversity' comes opportunity, and I'm genuinely excited to see what I can achieve by changing direction. A big part of that is finally getting the books and software projects I've been building out into the world.
For years, most of my teaching has been one-to-one. Increasingly, though, I'm interested in finding ways to teach on a much larger scale — whether that's helping musicians build sustainable careers, helping people grow in confidence through music, or helping people understand how tools like AI can be used positively and creatively. I want to find ways to reach beyond the four walls of a classroom.
A Quick Thought on AI
The conversation around AI feels incredibly divided at the moment, and I completely understand why. New technology always creates uncertainty — people worry about jobs, about creativity, and about whether human skills will still matter in the future.
Personally, what I've seen so far doesn't make me believe people are becoming obsolete. What I see is a tool. A powerful one, certainly, but still a tool — and like any tool, it depends entirely on the intentions of the person using it. I've chosen to embrace it because I genuinely believe it can help people create, learn, organise and solve problems more effectively. I also think it's important that good people engage with these technologies, rather than leaving them entirely in the hands of those who might not have the best intentions.
If you'd like to understand more about my thinking and the direction I'm heading, I'd encourage you to download my free Music First manifesto from the website. It explains a lot of the ideas behind the projects, books and tools I'm building.
See you out there, Aaron