Amanda Andjelkovic
My Dad would tell me the story how at 18 months old I would be bouncing up and down in my baby chair and humming the Shepherds hymn from Beethoven’s number 6 symphony. They knew then that they had a little music lover in the making.
I got my first guitar at the age of 7 and never looked back. It became glaringly obvious to my music teachers that I wasn’t very good at conforming to structured and rigid lessons. All I wanted to do was play songs and sing. Most of the time I was mimicking what other students were playing but got caught out when the teacher placed a different piece of sheet music in front of me and I just played what everyone else was playing. Oops. Busted.
Growing up in the eighties, I clearly remember the careers officer scoffing at me when I told him I wanted to be a musician. After being told I needed to get a “proper job”, I settled on nursing. But the dream never faded. I quickly got the nickname “the singing nurse” and most days patients would be giving me requests.
Over the years I would regularly perform at friends’ weddings, and parties. Would jam until the early hours with like-minded musicians and eventually plucked up the courage to start gigging and I haven’t looked back.
It took a while, but eventually I felt a shift in my mindset and realised that I was and have always been a musician. Thanks to the wonderful family of musicians I have worked with and become friends with over the years, through their encouragement and wealth of experience, I finally felt ready to take the plunge and become a full-time musician. Makes sense really when I eat, sleep and breath music 24/7.
Running my own open mic nights, has enabled me to give other musicians a platform to express themselves, a safe space where they can play without judgement and where we all can learn and grow from each other’s various styles and techniques. I have genuinely learnt more over the past couple of years from other musicians than I ever thought possible.
Being a gigging musician myself, in various bands, and as a solo artist, I have also learned a lot about stage presence, vocal and microphone technique and most importantly, having the best time of your life.
Having the opportunity to teach and pass on the wealth of experience I have gained over the years, fills me with such joy. I believe, with a passion, that every single one of us has the ability to sing or play an instrument, and the capacity of happiness that brings is endless.
The studio is in Gallowstree Common near Caversham and my rates are as follows:
Performance and Guitar lessons:
60 minutes: £45
45 minutes: £35
30 minutes: £25
45 minutes: £35
30 minutes: £25
