Tessa Greer

Tessa is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Beat ‘N’ Track where she coordinates accredited music and personal development programmes, Step into Music (a Steps to Work programme) courses across Northern Ireland as well as hundreds of DJ, radio, sound and vision workshops and programmes.

Tessa regularly works with culture and arts festivals, local councils, theatre companies, fashion shows, marketing and promotional events and arts centres with her experienced team of music industry professionals to provide a host of music and sound solutions. By night, Tessa aka DJ Troya has performed regularly throughout the local and international DJ circuit. Her eclectic music style currently sees her play a weekly residency at the Park Inn in Belfast to a house full to capacity of satisfied punters. Her passion for music is equally evident through her own music productions which she self-released on her own imprint as well as signed tracks to established labels Immersed and Zazoo Records.

Matt McGinn

Originating in a village in the Mourne Mountains called Hilltown, Matt has truly made his stamp on the Northern Irish music scene and further afield with his unique blend of heartfelt and quirky songs.

In 2010 Matt supported Dave Gerity (BellX1), Kelly Joe Phelps, Foy Vance, Kila and Brent Mason to name a few. In the last few years his music has been used in many adverts and programmes on TV and radio. 2011 has seen the released of Matt’s debut album ‘Livin’ which he is currently touring. In addition Matt is collaborating heavily with Ciaran Gribben (INXS,Madonna, Paul Oakenfold) where last year they supported Paul McCartney in Hyde Park and also performed at Electric Picnic and Oxegen. This year will also have seen Matt’s debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and one of Ireland’s major folk festivals, Fiddler’s Green. The start of 2012 sees Matt sharing a stage with none other than Nanci Griffith ‘In the Round’ as part of the Belfast Nashville Music Festival. Over the last few years Matt has been privileged to have spear-headed workshops across the country where he has helped others develop songwriting skills in schools and underprivileged areas. www.mattmcginnmusic.com

“Matt combines his sublime Guitar skills with a voice smoother than an ageing scotch and contemporary folk tunes sweet enough to give Paul Simon diabetes…” Chris Wright -chriswrites.net

“There are many positives about ‘Livin’… it’s quality all the way, with choice songs and exemplary playing…the songs are brave and Matt sustains the atmosphere that suits each piece…” Stuart Bailie – BBC Broadcaster & Former NME Editor

“Matt McGinn’s album Livin’ has an otherworldly quality that will draw you in like a warm fire on a cold night” John Carver – Presenter of ‘Across the Tracks’ on Melbourne’s PBS FM

Amanda St John

Amanda is a tutor on Beat ‘N’ Track’s Steps to Work courses, delivering a Speaking and Listening unit with a focus on self promotion within the music industry.

She also offers support for the recruitment, CV writing and job search elements of the course and leads vocal workshops and songwriting sessions. She has a background in Recruitment and Coaching as well as being a professional Singer and Songwriter for over 14 years.

Chris Malinski

Chris teaches sound and audio production skills as well as internet music promotion. Originally from Pila in Poland, Chris is a classically trained flautist and has performed in a hugely diverse range of bands since 2000, including funk, soul, Irish trad and world music.

He is an accomplished soloist, having performed with both flute and saxophone across the UK. Since his arrival in Northern Ireland in 2004, Chris has developed an excellent reputation among the Northern Irish music scene, and has been invited to play with such artists as Sir James Galway, Duke Special and Ken Haddock. In June 2008 Chris gained his Music Production qualification of SERC in Bangor.

Barry Cullen

Barry delivers audio and video workshops for Beat n Track: Introduction to VJing, DJing and audio production.

Experimental/electronic producer Barry Cullen also releases audio and video work under the name BEW (Barry’s Electric Workshop). Part of the Dodgy Stereo collective, Barry blends sounds and images from old junk with hi-fi sounds and graphics, trying to find a balance between creating something new and making it fit along with something recycled.

Niamh Shiells

Niamh delivers Career Coaching and Personal Development programmes for Beat ‘N’ Track clients.

Niamh is an Accredited Career and Executive Coach, Master Practitioner in Neuro Linguistic Programming and an Endorsed Provider of Institute of Leadership & Management Training.

Jonny Woods

Jonny, a guitar player and producer from Belfast, is one of Beat ‘N’ Track’s Music Production and Recording tutors.

Jonny has written music featured in plays and films locally and abroad. He specialises in Logic and all things Apple as well as enjoying working with analogue audio systems.

Gleave Dobbin

Music Production and DJ tutor, Gleave Dobbin, kicked off his career at the tender age of just 14 years old by winning the NI DMC Mixing Championship and went on to tour with the Prodigy and The Utah Saints.

Ever since then it’s been non-stop for Gleave, as he DJs at some of the world’s finest clubs including residences across the UK and Ireland. His significant back catalogue has been played on compilations and radio shows worldwide, receiving rave reviews in magazines like Mixmag, DJ, IDJ and M8.

Timmy Stewart

Belfast Dj Timmy Stewart is also one half of production teams The Jet Project and Bubba and T-Bone, currently recording for labels including Get Physical, Snatch!, Viva, Intimacy, Darkroom Dubs and his own Extended Play imprint.

He has been djing now for more than 15 years and in that time has held residencies at David Holmes’s Shake Ya Brain, Tora Tora Tora & Exploding Plastic parties, his own Digital Boogie, Tsunami, Islandhopper and UNiT events, Shine, The Stiff Kitten & currently with Yello, Love & Death and Thompsons in Belfast as well as playing regular guest slots all over the globe.

Simon Mills

Simon Mills is a writer, producer and DJ and is mainly known for being one half UK electronica duo Bent, who rose to fame in 2000 with the critically acclaimed album ‘Programmed To Love’.

In ten years and five albums, Simon has toured the world performing live and DJing alongside the likes of Faithless, The Chemical Brothers, Orbital and Mylo to name a few. Much of his material has reached TV, film and advertising. He’s also worked alongside major publishing and record labels developing and producing their up-and-coming-artists and singers. Currently he is producing, releasing and promoting solo work as well as djing regularly in the UK and Europe, with plans for a sixth Bent album in the pipeline.

Kiani (aka Katrina O’Kane)

Gaining respect in all the right quarters, Kiani is fresh from some rather high profile sets including, a live set at Stiff Kitten supporting Fractious, playing at Culture Night with producer Jan Jaffer (as part of the pairs side project Tjem Banani) and being the first ever female to be crowned Lap Off Champion 2011.

Katrina spent her ensuing teenage years being ‘obsessed with dance music’ and taught herself how to mix on some second hand soundlabs. The DJ says it still ‘wasn’t enough’ for her though. “I was studying art and all of my inspiration was coming from the music I was listening to. I knew I had to find out how to make the type of music I was getting all this energy and inspiration from, so I went and learnt to produce music.”

Katrina has cut her teeth on the live and DJing circuit at venues, nights and festivals such as Acroplane, DSNT, Stiff kitten, Cave, Exile, Jigs And Rigs Festival, Antidote, Vibe, Kaleida, Belfast Music Club, Vinyl Frontier amongst others.

She uses ableton live an m-audio x-session pro, the novation launchpad and an evolution uc33 midi controller.