Chiswick Recording Studio Supports Alice Gross Memorial Song

Offers prize of a day recording winning song in competition set up by Ealing Council

The British Grove Studios in Chiswick, founded by Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits, is supporting a song-writing competition launched by Ealing Council in memory of murdered teenager Alice Gross.

The studio is offering the prize of a one day recording session for the award winner. Applicants for the award must be in year 10 or 11 and either live or go to school in Ealing.

14 year old Alice disappeared on a walk by the canal in August 2014. Her body was discovered a month later in the River Brent, she had been murdered by convicted killer Arnis Zalkans, whose body was later found in Boston Manor Park.

Alice was a promising musician and song writer with musical aspirations and last year Ealing Council’s Music Service launched the award, which gives young Ealing singer-songwriters the chance to record a song in a professional music studio.

British Grove studios

A student from Brentside High School has been awarded the first song writing prize .Raquel Joseph was presented with her award at Brentside High this week from the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Abdullah Gulaid.

The talented youngster wrote a song called Crestfallen which touches on the issue of depression. Raquel said: "This song was written about a girl suffering with depression, I tried to put myself in their shoes.

"The lyrics confer the struggle of depression and I wanted the listener to be able to understand and connect with them, even if they are not suffering from depression themselves. I wanted to give them an insight into the darkness and loneliness of the illness.

"Personally I think that it is something that people struggle to talk about and I feel it should be more widely spoken about in order to help sufferers overcome their battle and know they are not alone."

The 2018 Alice Gross Award nominations are now open. Pupils that have a passion for music and are in year 10 and 11 should upload an MP3 recording to the Ealing music service website.

Alice’s family have also set up Alice’s Youth Music Memorial Fund in support of the National Foundation for Youth Music to enable disadvantaged young musicians and singers to follow their musical passions.

July 5, 2018