Chapel Arts

I was a Teenage Session Guitarist By Jay Stapley

This Event Takes Place @ Chapel Arts, Cheltenham (Chapel Arts, Knapp Road (Near St. James Square), Cheltenham. GL50 3QQ)

The presentation lasts for approximately 1 hour and will be followed by a Q&A session at the end.  

Jay Stapley is a musician - guitarist, writer, producer, studio owner and educator - with over 40 years’ experience in the industry.  

Jay has worked as a session’s guitarist for many years and his credits include Roger Waters, Scott Walker, Mike Oldfield, Suede, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Shakin’ Stevens and Westernhagen.  Alongside this, Jay has also done film and TV work including the classic movie, ‘Withnail & I’, Michael Kamen’s soundtrack to BBC2 documentary, ‘The Duty Men’ and ‘Hale & Pace’, and countless jingles. 

Jay has kindly agreed to deliver a talk for us on Sunday 22nd May starting at 10.30 am through to 12.30 pm.   In ’I was a Teenage Session Guitarist’ he shares his years of experience, tips and tricks, highs and lows, joys and pain of recording sessions, live shows, performing with all levels of musicianship and musical styles, and personalities with us. 

The life of the session musician is not always easy - and there are plenty of times when you don’t know what you are going to face. Jay de-mystifies this for you. He also shares tales from the road, stage, and dressing-room, along with some real-life studies for his on-line sessions. 

We think this session will be interesting to everyone who loves music and has always wanted to understand just what a session musician does. The talk is suitable for all instrumentalists (including vocalists,) and students of music, whether existing professionals, or just starting out as professional musicians.  It’s an opportunity to learn from someone who really has seen all sides of the industry and has adapted to a very different landscape along the way.