The role music plays in our lives shifts over time.
As adults it's a form of entertainment, but as children it has this magical quality, with each sound emanating for the very first time.
It's something Tom Williams has experienced up close. Alongside his songwriting the artist teaches music at five different primary schools across Kent, interacting with kids on a one-on-one level.
“I’ve taught guitar and songwriting for eight years,” says Williams. “Getting back from touring at two/three in the morning and up again for teaching at 6am can take it out of you but teaching primary school children can be especially entertaining when they know you’re exhausted!”
New album ‘What Did You Want To Be?’ lands on March 29th, following sessions with Tim Rice-Oxley at his studio in Battle, East Sussex.
His experiences with the kids form a backdrop to these sessions, with Tom explaining: “I’ve wanted to combine my two worlds of teaching and making music for a long time, and the idea for the video came about as a natural extension of the new album’s title ‘What Did You Want To Be?’ and the whole notion of exploring your childhood aspirations.”
Album cut 'It's Dark Now' comes complete with an adorable video, taking Tom Williams back to Woodlands Primary School in Tonbridge. A number of pupils appear on camera, and it's a joyous, funny, and oddly moving testament to that sense of youthful innocence.
He continues: “I love how the video turned out, all filmed in a single day at Woodlands Primary School in Tonbridge. Each pupil had half an hour on camera and were played a variety of music while eating lots of sweets. Some students were rambunctious, some were quiet and thoughtful. Some danced and jumped and shouted and some quietly listened and chewed Haribo.”
“It was such a great day and so rewarding to that combine that side of my life with the other. One 8 year old pupil said to me as he left: I can’t believe I’m going to be on YouTube, it’s a dream come true!”
Tune in now.
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