More Music For Bexhill

Unlike many others, however, he never gave up but instead became a guitar tutor with his own teaching company as well as a music consultant who organises and promotes events around Bexhill. Now he is calling for more music in our area and highlighting the need for more venues for live performance. Jeff said: "My aim is to bring musicians to Bexhill - I think we are missing out down here. I try to set up events but it is very frustrating because you feel there should be more going on. There are enough youngsters here to get things going. When I have organised events they have attracted a good audience and the feedback also has been good - but there is only so much you can do when you are trying to promote music locally." He demonstrates guitar playing in schools locally and says there is always a great deal of interest from young people who realise this is something they might like to try themselves. Jeff, 31, started playing guitar when he was 15 and was influenced by blues and rock. "I have always been fascinated by Hank Marvin and Dire Straits and it all grew from there. It was always a hobby. At first I realized playing guitar was cool, but it was hard work -and certainly when I started I thought it wasn't for me because it was too hard. But I persevered with it, and got in a couple of bands, and it went from there." When Jeff left Bexhill High School he didn't pursue a career in music but found work at Gatwick Airport where he stayed for ten years. "I found playing guitar took over more and more, and then teaching. I began teaching almost as a hobby, this was when I was between 22-25 years old, and more and more the teaching and playing took over, and something had to go - so the job went. "I started teaching full-time about six years ago, and I work in schools, adult education, private tuition, and I run rock schools. Now I am teaching and meeting different people - at one point I was teaching someone aged five right up to the eldest who was 80, and everyone in between. I have even taken students on trips - a couple of years ago we went to Memphis with a group of guitarist, and we went out to play the blues." As a promoter he has set up a couple of events already which were a great success - he organised Bernie Marsden, guitarist from Whitesnake, to play at the Wooden Beach Hotel and We Will Rock You guitarist Phil Hilbourne more recently performed at Bexhill Amateur Athletic Club where he delighted the audience with Queen songs and was happy to take part in question-and-answer sessions. "I just enjoy what I do," commented Jeff. "A lot of people come up to me after gigs and say what a shame there isn't more going on. I have been in Bexhill all my life and I know it is true, and that's why I am trying to set up other events, but the problem is finding a venue. I want to bring people into the town...I just think its a shame, and I wish there were more venues around here. You have to travel a long way to play or hear music...but there is a lot of talent out there we can bring down here."