Jazz FM and Yamaha announce the Replay Project

A new project from Yamaha and Jazz FM aimed at inspiring lapsed players to aim for the stars and feature at Love Supreme Festival launches today.

Published 15th Mar 2015

If your hopes and dreams of being a successful musician have long since lapsed, if you stashed your instrument in the loft as life's responsibilities took over then read on, as your time may well be yet to come.

Regret giving up your beloved instrument? Well now's your chance to put things right and go centre-stage at one of the UK's most popular music festivals starring along side headline acts including Van Morrison, Chaka Khan and Hugh Masekela.

Jazz FM and Yamaha UK have teamed up to offer a unique once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join the Replay Big Band. Along the way you'll be professionally coached by James Pearson, pianist and Musical Director of the world famous Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, and Pete Long, Musical Director of The Ronnie Scott's Jazz Orchestra. The ultimate goal and prize will be to perform a set with guests at Jazz FM's Love Supreme Festival in July.

The organisers are looking for adult amateurs who have played saxophone, trumpet or trombone. Successful applicants will be invited to a series of rehearsals, including at Yamaha Music London, Yamaha's own flagship store in central London.

To have this once in a lifetime opportunity download the audition piece from jazzfm.com/replayers, record yourself playing a piece and apply by uploading your entry.

Jazz FM's Head of Live, Alex Lloyd comments, “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Yamaha for the Replay Project. This is the first ever professionally produced opportunity for lapsed players to hit the big time and hopefully inspire many others to return to playing. We know that, almost without exception, giving up an instrument is a huge source of regret for most people. This project aims to re-ignite the spark that got them started.”

Yamaha's Charles Bozon said " It's central to the Yamaha philosophy to encourage people to take up playing but also to encourage former musicians to return to the instruments they once loved. The Replay project is a brilliant and very high profile example of our philosophy in action, I can see this developing into an inspiration for hundreds if not thousands of lapsed players around the UK ."