Augustus Clark, BMus Bass Guitar

When did you start playing bass guitar?

When I was about 14, but I was learning piano at the same time. I didn’t get really into bass playing until I was about 17 when I was listening to a lot of 80s rock and joined an 80s glam rock band. We were called Valerie and toured around Norway.

What’s your favourite style of music?

My favourite style has always been rock. I like organic-sounding instruments; I don’t like it when things sound too electronic. At the moment I’m focusing on writing and performing my own original music.

What do you like about the RNCM?

I like being in a building surrounded by people who make different types of music to me. I can go to classical concerts or the opera and get ideas and inspiration for my own music. The collaboration between the courses is great, so I have the option of using classical students for recordings or performances.

Everyone is very supportive of each other in what they do. People are very open-minded. You also make lots of contacts because your own classmates are all going to be a foundation for what you do in the future.

What are you most enjoying about the course?

I’m really enjoying the Rhythmic Connections class with David Hassel. It’s really inspiring because we learn about the history of music across different cultures. He teaches us all about the different rhythms and different sounds of instruments played around the world, from South America to Africa – getting us to think outside our European perspective.

Another thing I like is that the BMus course is four years long, giving you time to figure out exactly the type of musician you want to be. Just because I’m doing original music now doesn’t mean I’ll want to do that in three years’ time. There are a lot of other opportunities that are available to us here, so I’m excited to see where things will lead.

How do you like Manchester?

I grew up in Norway and moved to Manchester in September, but my Mum and Dad are English so I’ve been raised in an English family. For that reason the adjustment hasn’t been too hard because I consider myself somewhere in-between Norwegian and English. I also have a lot of family here in England so it’s nice to learn more about my heritage. I’m a football fan so being in Manchester is particularly nice.