Students at Sedgehill Academy have been writing, singing, rapping and producing their own music with Musician in Residence, Andy Gilbert, since 2005.

Set up and led by Andy, the innovative XFADE programme has benefited more than 1,000 budding young artists and creatives during its run. As part of his role, Andy works weekly with XFADE students training them in how to write, compose and produce music and passing on his own insight from a career in the music industry. Now reaching its 20th birthday, XFADE remains a thriving hub for original songwriting.

We’re incredibly proud of what the students have created – and of the impact the project has had on their musical and personal development as their confidence and skills have grown.

Former XFADE students have gone on to be Grammy-nominated songwriters, working with artists such as Doja Cat, John Legend and Aespa, while others now perform at the highest level with artists including Stormzy, Ed Sheeran, Dave and Raye.

Sedgehill Academy is incredibly grateful for contributions from supporters and friends of our school, which allow us to continue to offer some amazing experiences and support our students to express themselves through XFADE.

Find out more about the programme: https://www.sedgehillacademy.org.uk/how-we-learn/music

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