There was an opportunity to compose a one page score for top ensemble Noszferatu as part of Frontiers Festival. I was mad busy working/writing essays/finishing other pieces and had resigned myself to not being able to do so. However, when I spotted my name down on the list, I thought I’d rise to the challenge […]
improvisation
stuff no-one told me
I love this blog! Beautiful illustrations paired with life lessons by illustrator Alex Noriega.
100 Hour challenge
It’s been a month since I last updated you on this. Well, well, well, haven’t I been good! Wherever there is a piano, I is. I am practicing jazz standards and improvising. I’ve been averaging 2 hours a day and it has positively impacted upon my gigging, I got loads of compliments at Friday’s penultimate […]
Week 6 & 7: 100 Hr Challenge
Day 1: Fail, still in Brumtee, spoke to mi ma about secretly moving my piano from the old house to the new (behind Pa’s back), we’ll see, he doesn’t really do Internet btw. Day 2: Fail still in Brum, social media workshop, helping these cherubs become digital journalists. Day 3: Fail, still in Brum exhausted, […]
Soulful Summer
Just completed a week of workshops for THSH and UFA, project was called Soulful summer. I helped facilitate sessions based mainly on developing young people’s composition skills. I was blown away by the young people’s ideas and good vibes. Some of the feedback I got was great, and was nice to see some of the […]
Week 5: 100 Hour Challenge
Day 1: Fail Day 2: Fail Day 3: Fail Day 4: Fail Day 5: Fail Day 6: Fail Day 7: Fail Summer workshops all day last week. In Brum. I suck. Yes, I do. I’d come home and want to sleep, but had planning and preparation to do. When I’m near my keyboard nothing will […]
100 Hour Challenge: Week Four
Day 1: Practiced and wrote music with fellow workshoppers for half a day, spent the other half playing jazz standards for a few hours, really slowly, still practicing the same two, sounding better! Day 2: Wrote music again with matees, one hour of practice. Day 3: Practiced, learning chords and listening to what they sound […]
100 Hour challenge: Third week
Hmmmm… Day 1: Practiced for two hours Day 2: Practiced for an hour Day 3: Back in Birmingham, no practice Day 4: Nada Day 5: Nada Day 6: Nada Day 7: Nada Hmmm think I failed there. I did read up on stuff but… few ebonies and ivories were tinkled last week! On the plus […]
100 Hour challenge: Second week
Day 9: Practiced for two hours, worked through 2-5-1s randomly. Tried to improvise over them, sounded pants! Day 10: Went to Rachel’s after workshopping all day, got lost, took ages to get there so was tired and hungry, played through scales, and tried to improvise, felt a tad exposed and embarrassed playing knowing Ms. Carter […]
100 Hour Challenge: Days 4 – 8
I spoke to my mum about my old piano (given to me at childhood); currently covered in cobwebs and black bags (don’t ask), but the easiest option was to use my fella’s MIDI controller attached to Garageband, couldn’t be bothered to pair up with Logic, wanted a less heavy DAW, a basic piano sound was […]
100 Hour Challenge Anyone?
I went along to a regional creative agent conference today and was inspired by Ewan McIntosh to do a 100 hour challenge, well in fact, I was initially inspired by Rachel Carter, who was inspired by Ewan (in a previous training event) to do it. Thing is, I’m uncertain as to whether I can do […]