Ruth McGonagle

I first began practicing music at the age of nine. I started by playing the piano which I'm now at grade 8 standard

I have also accomplished violin grade 7 and clarinet grade 5 and I play guitar.

I have taken part in many competitions and festivals, including the Belfast, Carrickfergus and Holywood festivals. I have been involved with the European Piano Teachers Association Competition every year.

 In 2002 I was the winner of the first heat of the advanced class in a piano competition which runs throughout Northern Ireland and attended the final stage in London.

I have performed on local singer/songwriter Jennifer Jones' album, which I feel as a musician has helped me progress and improve on my improvisational skills.

As a greater lover of music, my tastes range from the classical to rock genres, I feel that the band "Muse" combine these genres successfully, and in my spare time I enjoy watching and listening to the local music scene, checking out the various talents.

I get my own inspiration from the singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan, I enjoy writing especially for piano and guitar and I feel that with each new song I write I learn more about myself and music, which I find to be one of the most rewarding parts of being a musician, as well as working hard on a track and ending up with a really good one!

William Conville

Before this course began I was just learning to play the guitar and since attending I have got a greater knowledge in chords, modes and scales. I feel that I can now play, sing, write and most importantly understand music thanks to this course.

Kelly Foreman

I'm twenty-seven years old and I have had a passion about singing from an early age. Over the last few years I decided it was time to do something about it.

I have had no formal training for singing apart from taking part in the school choir and plays. I was once a backing singer for a group playing in various pubs and clubs as a cover band, although I gave this up to have my baby daughter.

Apart from singing I enjoy song writing and I hope to get involved with this side of the music industry. I feel that everyone can relate to or me moved in some way by the lyrics of a song and this is what I  hope to achieve.

My enjoy music from Coldplay, David Gray, Limpbizkit, Led Zeppelin, Linkin Park, Eminem, Sheryl Crow and TLC.

Ryan Gorman

I am mainly a bass guitarist, but I also play piano. Prior to the music workshop I have been a member of three bands, two of which have recorded albums and performed live gigs. I have also set the the web site for a band.

I am currently in a progressive rock/metal band called "Sun Trade", I was previously in "Impromtu" and "The Dirty Arrangement". I have also taken part in a schools version of stars in your eyes and I reached the semi final stage. I have also played in a school charity concert and a battle of the bands, which my band won. I have also featured on a friend's solo album and an instrumental side project called "A Drugged Down Rainbow".

 Claire McGonagle

I first began singing at school. I attended the school choir and entered into many comptetions including School choir of the year, which we came 2nd in in 1998, and the Carrickfergus Music festival.

In 1997 I sang on the George Jones show, live on air. After this he invited me to sing alongside him and others in the Ulster Hall. This was my first ever live performance in front of an audience, although I was very young, I knew that it was what I loved more than anything.

This year my school choir  where asked to go to Sweeden to take part in a live concert with thirty other choirs from all over Europe. We were one of two schools from the whole of Ireland to be involved.

 In 2000, I was awarded first place for singing in the Belfast and Carrickfergus music festivals. I then attended the Belfast Youth Chorale and I have performed with them at the Proms.

Overall I enjoy singing and my tastes range from pop and rock to gospel, classical and jazz. My favourite artists include Whitney Houston, George Michael, Snow Patrol and the Beatles.

Christina Graham

I draw my eclectic taste in music from soul to dance, classical to R&B to help me with my vocals. I began singing at school in several choirs and performing in the Ulster hall and in Dublin, and I was part of the 1996 winning UTV school choir of the year.

After a lull at university I was delighted to find Denise Boreland, who taught me the Estill techniques of vocal training and it felt like a whole new world had opened up for me and restored my passion for singing. After taking a year out to travel I developed a love of Latin music from salsa to the samba and I became interested in percussion and dance.

I then decided I would try to find out as much as I could about the music industry and I have attended various workshops such as, Sound Live which was run by the Prince's trust, The Fanta Academy. I have performed in the Waterfront Hall and NTL studio as well as the Nerve Centre.

I also has the opportunity to work backstage on the Irish Scot production "On Eagles Wing", this confirmed my desire to work in performance and song writing.

2004 - Making Music Workshop - song writing and vocals, wrote and recorded own material

2004 - Starred in BBC NI series "Pullin' Moves".

2004 - Voice training, Estill Techniques - Marie O'Sullivan

2004 - Musical Choir assistant on, "On Eagles Wing", Odyessy Arena

2003 - Sound Live - Derry

2003 - Fanta Academy of Performing arts - Belfast, (Fanta Fever Night)

2002 - Cinemagic Masterclass - Ralf Little, Dermot O'Leary, Peter Gibbons

2001 - DBS Stagecraft - Edinburgh - Voice coaching Estill Techniques - Denise Borland

Luke Devlin

I have played as a member of two bands, "Vice Vegas and "Killing Susan", on various occasions. I have also completed my first year at Bangor Technical College doing a music course. This has given me the opportunity to perform live with the class band and improvisation classes and it has given me a head start on recording techniques and computer generate music. In my spare time I teach guitar and bass guitar.

Anna Rhodes

I am a bass player and I was the guest bass player for one of Derry's Industrial Goth bands. I have played in a number of gigs and have supported "The Crux Shadows" in Dublin.

As much as I love performing my main interest is to become a Live sound engineer. I realized this while attending the Music Business and Technology course at the Nerve Centre in Derry. I also attended a national diploma in popular music at NWIFHE, during which I studied everything from music theory to stage performance.

Marty McCloskey

I have been playing drums for about 3 years. I have an original band called "The Suspects", who have just recorded there first e.p. in "Studio Monkey" recording studios.

I went to my first workshop in Bangor 2003, they told me everything I needed to know about the music business and i decided that this is the industry for me.

Thanks to the guys at the Making Music Workshop I have had the opportunity to play with the following well-known musicians; Linley Hamilton, Nicky Scott, Clive Wills, Neil Everett, Barry McCrudden, Dusty Hagan, Robin Martin, Simon McBride, Kahuna, The BIG Kahuna, Fiona Trotter, Todd Gordon (Edinburgh), and Dave Patrick (Edinburgh).

I have also played with STARK, Almost Likely no, Suckerpunch, TRIC, to name a few.

I have also had the opportunity to play at the following venues, The Kings Head "Live Lounge", The Bureau, The Errigle Inn, The Front Page (24thDecmber), Live at the Warehouse and The Nerve Centre Derry.