Long established as the champion of local music, the chain of Timbre live music bars and restaurants feature local musicians nightly to capacity crowd. “Singaporeans have been very supportive of local bands, judging by the nightly attendance at the four Timbre outlets as well as at our music events. However the local music scene needs more diversity and vibrancy. There’s a huge pool of latent artistes waiting to be discovered. Hence, we wanted to do something positive for the music scene and that is to be the breeding ground for musicians.” Mr. Danny Loong, Chief Creative Director, Ublues Group.

And so Timbre Music Academy (TMA) is born. The school is aptly located within Old School seeped in a rich educational heritage history and currently a vibrant creative and arts hub. TMA offers guitar, bass, drums, strum & sing classes on a group as well as individual basis. The syllabus is based on performance and pop/rock songs that the students will love, with a holistic balance of technical skills, live performance skills and theoretical knowledge.

“I did not enjoy my piano lessons when I was young. The rigid methods and the gruelling exams killed my enthusiasm. I found out later in life that my predicament was quite common among my peers. That is why I agree wholeheartedly with TMA’s approach of learning music through songs that students love.” Jack Ho, one half of local singersongwriter duo Jack & Rai and a TMA instructor.

Added Edward Chia, Ublues Group’s Managing Director, “The music academy is the next logical step as music and entertainment is our core business. Timbre knows what audience wants, has a plethora of experienced musicians and we have experience in the organising of music events. It’s just a matter of distilling all the information and experience into a systematic, yet fun teaching model.”

TMA will be the first and only school in Singapore that also operates four live band stages (Timbre @ The Substation, Timbre @ The Arts House, Timbre @ Old School and Timbre Mobile currently located at East Coast Park). Students will get ample opportunities to hone their performance skills in front of a live audience, on dedicated TMA students’ nights. For outstanding students, the chances of landing professional gigs are much higher at TMA.

“Music is meant to be heard; not confined within your bedroom walls. But it was tough getting my first gig and is probably still as difficult today for many. Bar owners are not willing to risk their business and reputation for unproven musicians. I’m certain the live experience and opportunities that TMA students receive will give them a competitive edge against other emerging musicians.” Rai, of local singer-songwriter duo Jack & Rai and a TMA instructor.

Various TMA instructors also perform with their respective bands every night across all four Timbre stages. It is mandatory that all TMA instructors perform professionally. As live performance education is one of TMA’s core competency, only instructors who are experienced, up-to-date and passionate are able to impart live performance skills. TMA’s syllabus is developed by these musicians to groom and inspire potential students into performers on stage under an apprenticeship programme.

“Classroom theory alone is simply inadequate for the real stage. Soft skills such as emoting a song, getting a great vibe and groove going within the band, putting on a rock-star persona, interacting with the audience, reacting to unexpected events on stage etc can only be taught by someone who has journeyed before you. With four stages featuring different TMA instructors, students can witness the live application of the very skill they’ve just learned in their afternoon class. Indeed, what you see on stage is what you get in class.” Melvin Wong, Bassist of popular local band EIC and TMA Principal.

For more information on TMA and its course, please visit www.tma.com.sg

Operating Hours: Tuesday to Friday 11am – 8.30pm

Saturday & Sunday 10am – 8.30pm

Closed on Monday