Fresh Sounds bringing musicians together in Gloucester

MUSIC has been an integral part of Ronald Woods’ life from a very young age.

Now a resident of Gloucester, Ronald shares his passion for music with a group of musicians every second Saturday at Gloucester Creatives.

Originally a jam session, the group decided they wanted to create their own arrangements of songs.

As a result, the jam session has evolved into a concept called Fresh Sounds.

The idea behind Fresh Sounds is to move away from traditional jamming and encourage members to bring music to share, with the hope that the group will eventually refine the pieces for performance.

Currently, there is a core group of about six musicians, but they are always welcoming new participants.

“We have guitarists, vocalists, drummers, and harmonica players,” said Raymond, “but all types of instruments and voices are welcome.”

The group is open to musicians of any age and level of experience.

“You just have to love playing music with a group,” Ronald said.

“The group plays quite an eclectic mix of music, ranging from folk to rock to electronica, spanning the 50s to the 90s,” he continued.

“We are currently working on our own arrangement of Leonard Cohen’s classic, ‘Hallelujah’.”

Christine Dodd, a recent resident of Gloucester, told News Of The Area, “The group was so welcoming.

“It was a fantastic way to meet like-minded people who enjoy playing music together.”

Members of the group come from diverse backgrounds, which, according to Alexis Apfelbaum, allows the group to continually expand musically.

“We workshop songs and improvise, making it a great way to build confidence both musically and in performance,” Alexis explained.

The monthly Open Mic Night at the Gloucester Golf Club offers the group an opportunity to test their music in front of an audience.

The group’s next gathering will be on 6 September at Gloucester Creatives.

By Wendy BUSWELL