Andrew Marston introduces Ella Jones (Ross-on-Wye)

Ella Jones is a 13-year-old singer/songwriter and guitarist from Ross-on-Wye.
 
She's been writing and performing since the age of 7.
 
Her mum, Sarah, paid for Ella to record her first two tracks at Cobnash studios in December as a Christmas present, which we immediately played on BBC Introducing!
 
She's hoping to start gigging and busking on a regular basis.
 
All of our live studio sessions and festival gigs since 2005...

This weekend, it's the Upton Blues Festival.
 
The event has grown from a small get-together in a couple of pubs into what is now a festival that swamps the riverside town with many thousands of music fans, two main stages, an acoustic stage and ten venues putting on more than 100 performances in three days.
 
Our reporter Alice Porter has been at the event sampling the atmosphere and their own special brew!
 
Check out our local festival guide...

This week, Andy O'Hare reviews:

• Ash Mandrake at The Great Malvern Hotel.
• Miss Pearl & The Rough Diamonds at The Chestnut Tree, Worcester.
• Trash Boat & Blood Youth at The Marr's Bar, Worcester.

On Saturday 18th July, the best of the best descend on train stations and high streets around the country for the UK's first ever National Busking Day.
 
Stars like Ed Sheeran, Rod Stewart and Tracy Chapman all started off as street performers and Droitwich busking regular Paul J Rose who is taking part in the event.
 
Listen to some of our favourite interviews...

Apparently the Beatles' iconic Sergeant Pepper album will become part of the GCSE music syllabus for Britain's biggest exam board, AQA.
 
Students could be asked to study three songs from the album - including Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, which some say is about LSD and drug taking.
 
The Times paper suggests that to gain 100% in the exam, candidates should explain the lyrics to Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds using only John Lennon's official explanation, that it was inspired by a picture drawn by his five-year-old son.
 
We caught up with Jules Benjamin who played John Lennon in the Worcester tribute band The Beatless.

• In the news: From Hereford College of Arts to top of the charts - Olly Alexander's band Years & Years debut album goes straight to number 1.
• In the gig guide: Blues is on the menu is the most musical town in the two counties this week as the Upton Blues Fesitval rolls into Upton-upon-Severn. Next week, Bromyard takes an intergalatic turn as this year's Nozstock theme is 'Nozstockers Guide to the Galaxy'.