RONSON'S SCHOOL VISITS TO MEET ASPIRING STARS

Music producer MARK RONSON picks up vocalists for his records by standing outside British drama schools and befriending the students on their way out.

Ronson refuses to hassle established artists into working with him, preferring instead to form relationships with aspiring singers - and he patiently waits for the stardom-destined among them to contact him once they've shot to prominence.

The Grammy winning star - who befriended such collaborators as Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen in the same manner - often targets London's Brit School and the Sylvia Young Theatre School.

He says, "People think I'm very well connected because I know famous singers but that's only because I've worked with them and met them before they were famous. I guess the key is to befriend people you think will become famous in the future, which requires a lot of instinct and a bit of luck.

"I'm on a roll now. I just stand outside the Brit School and the Sylvia Young Theatre School and wait for future famous kids to come out and just get their numbers. One out of 20 will blow up."