MB Redfined

Joacim Cans (VIT '94)

|    Jan 01, 2005

Shortly after graduating from VIT in 1994, Joacim Cans returned to his native Sweden, where he started his professional singing career with shooting metal stars HammerFall. Their debut album received fantastic reviews, reaching the highest position ever for a debut metal band on the German charts. The following albums went even higher, achieving the number one position in Sweden for both album and video. Joacim and HammerFall have also enjoyed international chart success in Japan, Finland, Switzerland, Austria and other countries around the world.
HammerFall’s chart success has led to three world headline tours as well as support tours and shows with bands like Deep Purple, Dio and Iron Maiden. Awards include Swedish and German Grammy nominations and two Swedish Gold Record awards for the albums Renegade and Crimson Thunder.
In 2001, Joacim got the chance to join his favourite band from the 80´s, Warlord, for their reunion album. In 2004 he will release his first solo album on Sanctuary Records, supported by members from Halford, Fates Warning, HammerFall and Primal Fear. He has also done guest appearances on folk music albums, metal albums and been seen frequently on national Swedish television.
Apart from HammerFall and his solo career, Joacim runs the publishing company Metal Heart Music & Publishing, which has a co-publishing agreement with Warner Chappell Scandinavia. He frequently lectures about the music business as well as about his life as a touring musician & songwriter.
Recording and touring with a world-class rock band is an incredible experience, but it’s also physically and emotionally stressful, particularly for the vocalist. Joacim’s hard work as a VIT student paid off when it came time to go to work on stage night after night. “My MI experience was truly one of the highlights of my life, and gave me priceless tools for developing and preserving my voice,” Joacim reflects. “The combination of vocal studies and performance classes gave me a lot of self-confidence that I have brought with me in life as well as into the spotlight on stage. It's still harder to sing in front of a vocal performance class than it is standing in front of 30,000 screaming fans. MI also gave me the tools for warming up and keeping my voice in shape that have helped me keep my voice during three world tours. MI is the ultimate school for giving you knowledge of how to use your voice and how to make it last.”
To learn more about Joacim and HammerFall, check out the following sites:
www.hammerfall.net
www.metalheartmusic.com
www.joacimcans.com
(HammerFall photo credit: Michael Johansson)

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“More and more of the auditions I’m having for recording artists are turning out to be MI class reunions. The graduates of MI have been dominating the new, young music scene in LA”.

- Barry Squire
  Music Industry Talent Coordinator
  MI Hiring Hall Manager



MI alumni are working on stage, in the studio and behind the scenes around the world, with new stories arriving nearly every day. A sample of former MI students who have achieved industry recognition also includes:




Alessandro Cortini
Nine Inch Nails

Kalen Chase
Korn

Dave Kushner
Velvet Revolver

Rafael Moreira
Pink, Christina Aguilera,
Rock Star: Supernova

Mike Ward
Wallflowers, School of Fish

Kevin Hastings
Liz Phair

Pete Griffin
Hanson

Rivers Cuomo, Brian Bell,
Scott Shriner
Weezer

Curt Bisquera
Elton John, Mick Jagger,
Bonnie Raitt

Pete Anderson
guitarist, producer

Paul Gilbert
Mr.Big, Racer X

Norman Brown
recording artist

Scott Henderson
recording artist

Oscar Cartaya
Jennifer Lopez, Spyro Gyra

Alex Al
Tupac Shakur, Stevie Wonder

Keb’ Mo’
recording artist

Fred Clark
Chaka Khan, Ray Charles,
Stevie Wonder

Dave Weiner
Steve Vai

Jennifer Batten
recording artist, Jeff Beck,
Michael Jackson

Toss Panos
Steve Vai, Mike Landau,
Robben Ford

Frank Gambale
recording artist, Chick Corea

Kevin Dukes
Don Henley, Boz Scaggs,
Jackson Browne

Chad Smith,
John Frusciante
Red Hot Chili Peppers

Clayton Gibb, Les Falconer
Keb’ Mo’

John Shanks
Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Raitt

Allen Hinds
Randy Crawford, Natalie Cole,
Crusaders

Jeff Buckley
recording artist

Ray Luzier
Korn, STP, Army of Anyone,
David Lee Roth

Matt Laug
Alanis Morissette, Slash

Ash Sood
Sarah McLachlan

Joacim Cans
Hammerfall

Leah Andreone
recording artist

Irene Gutierrez (DJ Irene)
DJ/producer/remixer/recording artist

T.J. Guger
Göla

Valerie Vega
Zomba/JIVE recording artist (France)

Ernest Tibbs
Alan Holdsworth, Natalie Cole

Toshi Hiketa
David Lee Roth

Travis Johnson
Dickies, TSOL

Jimmy Herring
Allman Brothers, The Other Ones,
ARU, Widespread Panic

Josh Sklair
Etta James, Jeffrey Osborne

Dan Caron
Clifton Chenier, Charles Brown

Jimmy Scott
Little Milton, Solomon Burke

Steve Kerscznic
Tom Jones

Brian Allen
Virgil Donati, Greg Adams

Meja
recording artist

Jesse Gress
music editor, Guitar Player Magazine

Sarah Hudson
recording artist

Chris Maloney
Dweezil Zappa, Lisa Loeb