Masterclass: Adam “Nolly” Getgood
Back in November, BIMM Bristol students were treated to a masterclass with bassist and producer Adam “Nolly” Getgood. Hosted by Drew Morgan, the intimate chat allowed for a glimpse behind-the-scenes with the ex-Periphery bassist and BIMM Bristol alumnus to hear all about his professional life and current projects.
Adam discussed his experience of the music industry since graduating from BIMM Bristol, which includes touring and recording as the bassist for Grammy-nominated U.S metal band Periphery, working with the likes of Sixth, Animals As Leaders, Devin Townsend and producing some of the foremost bands in alternative progressive-metal music.
He described how he’d made personal connections with the members of Periphery and others in the industry through his passion for music. So, when they were looking for someone to join their band, his name and work was already known, which is a useful lesson about networking: it isn’t about a specific outcome but simply being known so you are in the mix when opportunities arise. He also was open to taking on new challenges and when the opportunity to produce an album presented itself, he jumped on it even though it wasn’t his main focus of study.
Adam was candidly honest about his experiences touring and what led him to eventually bid farewell to Periphery to increase focus on his studio work and get a better work/life balance.
Since exiting the band, one of his most significant achievements is “GetGood Drums“, a drum sample library providing extremely high quality drum sounds for everyone from bedroom start-outs to accomplished producers. He also went into great depth about his recording techniques and processes for his production work.
Before the masterclass drew to a close, Adam offered some sage advice to current BIMM students. Namely, to ensure you’re really good at your craft, be easy to get along with, and be tenacious enough to work hard until you get it right.