Words: Daisy Taylor, Photography: Danny Evans.
It’s been just over 2 months since Red House Yamaha Music School opened its doors, and illuminated its bold beacon of a window sign. Since then, over 200 students have flocked through the doors eager to embrace the Red House & Yamaha way of learning music.
With four floors of musical magic, and a max capacity of 800 students, Red House Yamaha Music School has the potential to flourish as Jersey’s musical community & education hub. That’s precisely what Charlie Northedge, Paul Sharkey, and Emily Hare are hoping for. Sitting down over a delicious Red House coffee with a towering wall of electric guitars as the backdrop, the talented trio divulge into the story behind the music school, Jersey’s music community, and aspirations for the future.
The story begins with Island Music owner, Paul Sharkey. Having been reached out to by Yamaha with the prospect of establishing an official Yamaha Music School on the island, Paul immediately ‘hunted down’ Charlie, poaching him as the perfect man for the job. Having always been ‘fascinated with music retail’, just over 3 years ago Paul plunged into his dream job of taking on Island Music. Since then, he’s found himself as an integral facet of Jersey’s music community. Hence when the opportunity to collaborate with Charlie arose, it was just the ‘right thing’ at the right time.
Having originally run Chordz Music School & Coffee House for many years before eventually selling it to a Guernsey-owned company, Charlie humbly admits that he ‘instantly missed it.’ ‘So we’re doing it all over again—bigger and better than ever.’ After all, ‘a bit of competition is a good thing, isn’t it?’ With classes ranging from drums and guitar to ukulele and DJing, there’s something inherently refreshing about the spin Charlie is bringing to the new school. The school currently boasts 10 teachers, with more set to join in 2026, including Red House manager and locally adored singer-songwriter Emily Hare (also known as Emily Faye). Emily proudly details the ‘guarded’ methods that Yamaha use when it comes to appropriately training their accredited tutors: ‘each teacher has to fly over to the UK to complete a course. Twice. For three days at a time’.
Whilst Yamaha’s training methods for teachers appear sculpted and rigorous, their learning style for students is very much the opposite. ‘It’s very much learning by ear first. So the last thing your child does is look at a book’. It speaks volumes when the teacher you are being taught by can say: ‘it’s actually the way I would have loved to have learned music as a kid too’. The rigid penciled-in boxes that dominate academic curricula, can feel stressful and inaccessible, particularly to creative children. Therefore, when Charlie exclaims with modest pride ‘we want it to be a fun environment, we want to nurture creativity, and enjoyment’, an immense sense of optimism is restored. ‘They should be skipping through the door’: ‘And most of the children are, they’re all buzzing’.
Not only is there a focus on accessibility in regards to interactive learning, but also in the way of sharing the financial load. It’s no secret that playing an instrument, or engaging in the creative arts more broadly, can become a costly hobby. For new parents, it may not be the first activity that comes to mind when encouraging children to participate in after-school programs.
However, this is precisely where Charlie and Paul are working to change the narrative. ‘Every student that signs up gets access to Yamaha’s education fund, so that they can get discounts on Yamaha instruments’. Financial relief through Red House Yamaha Music School and Island Music, comes in the way of 10% discounts on Yamaha instruments, payment plans, and free taster sessions. The goal is to make music education as accessible as possible to as many people as possible.
In addition to Paul Sharkey’s pivotal role in bringing the ‘first music school of its kind’ to the Channel Islands, he has also been establishing Island Music Presents–yet another string to his bow in expanding his ever-growing creative repertoire. As of yet, Island Music Presents has put on 10 shows in the past 8 months, with a conscious priority to spotlight young, local musicians.
Paul’s philosophy of breaking barriers for local musicians involves bringing the ‘right caliber of artists’ to the island and having local musicians support them at grassroots venues. In Paul’s words ‘this helps raise the bar for local artists’, particularly in a way that brings their names into the public eye. ‘It’s just about capturing that public imagination’. If bringing Justin Hawkins to perform at The Opera House and the Freedom Centre is what it takes to strengthen Jersey’s music scene, then we’re fully on board.
Despite Paul’s unequivocally inspiring efforts to amplify Jersey’s music scene, he expresses concerns about the ‘ceiling’ that looms over Jersey’s creatives, particularly musicians: ‘I think that’s the problem with Jersey if you’re to make a success of it, you’ve got to get your stuff together early doors, and then get off the island: because we don’t have an all encompassing scene’. Yet, there is hope for change. Paul suggests that we may be on the brink of a ‘guitar boom,’ noting, ‘fourteen-year-olds are coming through and listening to the same music I did as a teenager.’ Perhaps the current generation of teens hold the key to revitalising Jersey’s music scene.
If you missed the last open day on the 29th of November and are eager to explore music education opportunities – or even have a chat about the enhancement of Jersey’s music scene – take a stroll over to West Centre. You might even get the chance to sit on their retro Yamaha sports bike. But they’ll certainly be keen to tell you about the enthralling new courses launching in 2026, including Charlie’s 12 week Blues Guitar program, tailored to adults. You might also be lucky enough to try your hand at their Ernie Ball vending machine to grab some Christmas goodies for your favourite guitar enthusiasts, or check out the stunning pieces of art by local artist DEEP (David Prescott) scattered throughout the space.
At the heart of Red House Yamaha Music School and Island Music is a shared passion: it’s not just about picking up an instrument and learning to play, but about fostering creativity and providing a space for experimentation without judgment. Step inside, let the music fill not just your ears but your heart, and be part of the Island’s next chapter of music.
