Tony English: Graphic Design, Studio Design & Construction

Tony's background is a diverse mixture of creative and performing arts.

After leaving school an accomplished guitarist in his native Newcastle, he studied graphic design and photography, then went on to study set design and construction, video, acting and directing. This culminated with his "Courage to Lose Sight of The Shore" short winning the Co-operative Young Peoples Film and Video Festival in 1991.

Throughout this period he was honing his skills as a songwriter and continuing his fascination with sound, and with the help of several short courses and perseverance he graduated from 4-track bedroom recording to being a sought after engineer and producer around the North East.

From 1991 through 1997, Tony sang and played guitar/keys with a string of original bands performing his music, whilst simultaneously fronting cover bands on the Workingmens club circuit (a painful but invaluable experience which also paid the bills). During this time he clocked up over 500 gigs and highlights included touring the Canaries Isles, playing the Astoria Charing Cross Road, being played on BBC Radio One, supporting Roy Wood and having a dog thrown at the drummer.

In late 1997 and tired of gigging, Tony came to Alchemea to take his sound engineering further and after completing his course in 1998 went freelance and has worked as an engineer with the likes of John Brough (engineer for Queen, Paul Weller, Gabrielle) and Tony Hadley (ex-Spandau Ballet).

From 2000 to present Tony has worked at the college as a supervisor and lecturer whilst continuing to pursue his eclectic mix of freelance employment through his company SlowglassCreative. Alongside his own and other peoples music, Slowglass has taken him into other supportive fields within the industry, this has seen him design album sleeves for Acid Jazz Records, acoustically design and build several high-end studios in London, and create advertising which has appeared in many national magazines.

Tony currently juggles these jobs alongside regular gigs with three vastly different bands. He produces, engineers and plays guitar with reggae band "Hassle", he sings with swing band "The Orphans" and plays guitar and sings his own music around the acoustic scene, where he is often accompanied by upright bass, violin and percussion.

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