A GROUP of talented young musicians have had their first taste of fame - thanks to a rock guitarist from the US.

Thirty-six youngsters took part in mentoring sessions with Elliott Randall, who studied at the famous New York School for Performing Arts - brought to prominence in the hit TV series and musical Fame.

Mr Randall played guitar on the Fame soundtrack and also was a member of legendary bands Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers.

He has now spent two weeks in North Yorkshire working with young people who are signed to the county council's own record label, 6K.

They have been instructed in the use of the industry-standard digital recording equipment bought by Connecting Youth Culture (CYC), the council's education service's youth arm.

"We would like to see young people produce quality music in their own space so we are training them in ProTools, the standard recording programme for the music industry," said Mr Randall.

"Ninety per cent of the music you hear is recorded in this medium, so it is important to ensure the young people are literate in it to give them the opportunity to take it home, set up and improve the quality of their music."

He added: "Most young people don't get the opportunity to record their music, it's a mere moment in time.

"By doing this, it enables them to freeze that moment, get the feedback they need to improve and, hopefully, one day make some hit music."

CYC has also invested in two mobile recording studios, which will travel the length and breadth of the county recording young musicians and discovering new talent.

The county's executive member for young people, Councillor John Watson, said: "Elliott has done a fantastic job working with our young people who look up to and respect him as one of the leading names in the music industry.

"The invaluable lessons they have learned will now be spread across the county using our new mobile studios overcoming the geographical obstacles to talent spotting we have in North Yorkshire.

"We know this is exactly the type of thing the young people want from the county council because we spent a year talking to them and it shows we are responding to their needs."