A Wirral musician has quit his job to become a full time ‘loop pedal artist’ and teacher. John Paul Cumberlidge, 45, has quit his day job in I.T to fully commit to his career as a musician and his unique business teaching loop pedal masterclasses.
JP is a pioneer in his field, amassing over 30,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, JohnPaulMusicUK, which covers all the looping essentials from top tips for those starting out in looping, to reviews of various loop pedals. Looping may be a foreign concept for many, but you will certainly have come across musicians who use a loop pedal in their performances: Ed Sheeran, KT Tunstall, to name a few.
The art of looping is when an artist records a musical phrase, using a loop recorder, that will repeat over and over again. This phrase can be a part of the melody line, bass line, or any part of the song that you wish. The musician continues to add layers to their track using the loop to create a full instrumental line and add dimension to their music, which consequently means that every performance with a loop pedal is different.
The Covid lockdown in 2020 hit many musicians hard, with music venues shutting down all over the world, but JP took full advantage of the new opportunities that the lockdown offered. Every Sunday, the loop pedal enthusiast would live stream, using solely lines that people would leave in the comments and his loop pedal to create tunes. Little did he know, it was these live streams that would grab the attention of people across the country.
With venues not allowing crowds of people in, live streaming became an effective way for musicians to continue to promote their music. JP aided this by using his YouTube channel to demonstrate to musicians how they could live stream, as well as introducing them to how to use the loop pedal.
JP’s boundless knowledge about music means that he has now been able to quit his day job to turn his passion into a full-time job, supporting other aspiring loop artists to get their careers off the ground, while continuing to share his videos with thousands of viewers.
For those aspiring to learn how to loop, JP offers courses and classes, both face-to-face and over his successful YouTube channel, JohnPaul Music UK. The Merseyside musician is determined to make looping accessible to anyone interested in starting, offering beginner classes to show people the ropes.
You don’t even need to reside in the Liverpool area to benefit from JP’s expertise, thanks to his online courses available through his website, JohnPaulMusic.co.uk, he is able to do classes one-to-one online. Indeed, looping is accessible to everyone, as starting out costs as little as £2, thanks to apps such as Quantiloop and Loopify. However, for those looking to become a professional, JP also covers how to use the Boss RC 500 and 600, as well as the Sheeran Looper.
JP explained: “In open mic nights, there are artists after artists going up on stage with their acoustic guitar, singing a song, and exiting the stage. With a loop pedal, musicians can add a different dimension to their music.”
He continued: “My courses allow artists to take their music to the next level. As they are 1 to 1 classes, mentees get a tailored experience and can focus on many different aspects of looping, from the essentials to more advanced techniques.”
JP is a successful musician in his own right, having graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Digital Music. He released his album, aptly named ‘Looping My Brain’, in 2018, which is composed of songs that he has crafted using the loop pedal. JP’s goal through his music is to tell personal tales solely through his lyricism and trusty loop pedal.
Additionally, it’s not just the UK where JP has found success; he has recently been invited to teach a loop pedal masterclass in West Chester, Pennsylvania. JP’s success seems to have no end, as his courses continue to expand and focusing on growing his business has allowed him to be more active on his YouTube channel than ever before.
For anyone interested in getting started in looping, JP’s video ‘The EXACT Loop Pedal I WISH I Knew’ is perfect for beginners. Additionally, the masterclass, under the same name, is available on his website now for just $48. Even better, by subscribing to the masterclass, you get bonus material and lifetime access! If you’re looking to be the next Ed Sheeran, contact JP to see how you can get started with looping or check out his YouTube channel.
Check out JP on YOUTUBE, INSTAGRAM and on his WEBSITE.
You can also listen to his podcast HERE.
