MFY National Festival: Masterclass - Using Ableton as a live Instrument with Alan Keary aka Shunya
Event description
Music for Youth National Festival - REMIX 2021
Across 5 days, Music For Youth will be hosting an exciting programme of free events including interactive workshops, online performances, behind the scenes content, top picks interviews and more!
Our theme this year is Remix 2021, celebrating the amazing ways that teachers, music leaders and young people have adapted, innovated, reimagined, reconfigured and rearranged how they make music together.
Masterclass: Using Ableton as a live instrument with Alan Keary aka Shunya
In this Masterclass, multi instrumentalist, composer & music producer Alan Keary aka Shunya will perform some composed and improvised music on his Ableton Live rig which he has been developing for the past 8 years. In this session he will explain how he uses his personalised setup to generate seeds of inspiration and to combat writer's block - i.e keep ideas fresh and flowing. The aim is to convey how accessible music software is today's most versatile pen and paper, whether you're a singer songwriter or a techno producer! He will also explore other areas like "why we do what we do" and usually goes on long rants / philosophical debates on music, art and his deep love for his Cat (Oisín)"
For 16-21year olds
How to book? Please visit our Eventbrite page here to sign up
Alan Keary aka Shunya:
Shunya aka Alan Keary is a Limerick born multi - instrumentalist, producer and string enthusiast. Keary has been carving a name for himself under Shunya as a growing influence in the underground jazz / electronic scene in Manchester. Shunya’s sound is an amalgamation of influences, ranging from his early musical background of classical and Irish tinged violin to the sounds of Manchester's electronic music scene which compliment his highly accomplished abilities as a jazz bassist in his years of studying music at Salford University.
Most recently Shunya has received notable reputation for being part of GoGo Penguin’s unique remix LP ‘GGP/RMX’ which was released on Blue Note Records earlier in May this year. Other heavyweight electronic artists invited to be apart of the album include Squarepusher, Machinedrum, James Holden & Cornelius. In an album review Rough Trade Records took particular notice to Keary’s contributions “new discovery Shunya, whose enigmatic reworking of To The Nth almost steals the record” .
Shunya's single Wonder N Wane (feat Hayley Pip Williams) was picked up by Huw Stephens (BBC Radio 1) and BBC radio Manchester. Ilovemanchester also ranked Shunya in their “top 5 local bands making it big in Manchester”. Keary's recent single 'The Clay & The Sculpture' saw praise from Tom Robinson of BBC Radio 6 and was also remixed by Hunrosa of The Cinematic Orchestra. His 2016 collaboration with DJ Yoda's & Breakfast of Champions live band gained Shunya a notable reputation as a collaborator. With co-writing on tracks such as "Pebble Beach" going on to be play listed by BBC 6Music amongst many others. Other notable collaborations include Werkha, (Tru Thoughts, Brownswood Bubblers) & Josephine Oniyama (Rubyworks), lending arrangement and performance of strings & bass.
Live performances display varying arrangements ranging from a 5 piece band to solo. Keary features as violinist, bassist and vocalist whilst also delivering the texture and backbone using drum machines, effects and samples through Ableton.
MFY National Festival: Masterclass - Using Ableton as a live Instrument with Alan Keary aka Shunya