Sizzling times

"Sixty Sizzling Songz" arrived from the printers today to Kevin Mayhews. It is frustrating knowing that other people have seen it, but not me yet. I am really excited about this book as I know how useful it would have been when I was "out there doing it".

Having said that, I have a few teachers conferences and workshops lined up where I will be able to introduce the book and have some fun with it.

There was a big ad. for this , and also "Piano Pizzazz" in the Music Teacher magazine this month which I was thrilled to see. Sometimes when you do something that you're excited about you just want to race up to people and say " I really think you might find this useful!!."

I'm nearing the end now of the "musical". I just have one more bit of incidental music to write, but I can't do that until I talk to Michael this week and we decide how it is going to work. Getting frustrated now, just want to put the project to bed then I can start the next.

Be open to whatever comes next. (John Cage)

Calling ex students of the North Bucks Music Centre.

I went for a walk this afternoon, mainly to get away from listening to my own singing on a demo CD I'm making of songs from the Living archive musical ( I don't have to pay me, perhaps I should have splashed out in the name of "in tune singing").

I also needed to get away from Christmas carols!! which I'm proof reading for Christmas Band in a book" (out soon!).

Anyway I walked around a few old haunts and came back a bit fed up. Around here, everything seems to be being replaced with something bigger and uglier. Many places of my childhood are either being demolished or considerably reduced to squeeze in another hundred houses just because there was a tantalising bit of waste ground.

Anyway, seeing one of these places reminded me of something I must blog!. The North Bucks Music centre was the venue of some of my (and many others) early musical experiences. It no longer exists, but became part of "The Milton Keynes Music Service". The music service is 40 years old this year, and are calling former students to play in a reunion gala concert at Milton Keynes Theatre on 30th June.

If anyone who happens to be reading this wants more details, contact Malcolm Crane at the Music Service. music@milton-keynes.gov.uk

Do not fear mistakes!

"Do not fear mistakes, there are none" Miles Davis.
I read this quote tonight and it really made me think. I have a real bee in my bonnet about people actually enjoying playing music. So many peoples musical hang ups are based on fear.
I remember on my first day at the Royal College Of Music having an opening talk from one of the professors. I remember him saying "Anything you play may be taken down and used in evidence against you". WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT!!.
I remember carrying that with me through conservatoire, and being absolutely terrified!!. I played some wonderful music in those four years but much of it was tainted by the fear of the wrong note, and the people waiting to pounce on it. I have many friends who had that experience at college and who still experience it to some degree playing in orchestras now. I have one friend who recently visited her old music college and she said she got "that" feeling again as she walked through the doors.
Thankfully I was set free from that musical straight jacket mainly by contact with open minded musicians (mainly jazzers) who maintained that there was more to it than that.
I have spent the past few years on a personal crusade to introduce people to "No fear" improvisation, a freedom in music ( while still maintaining good technique etc) and above all enjoyment.
So many gifted professional musicians are terrified of any sort of music that isn't written down.
DISCUSS!

The arrival of Pizzazz!

Gosh that would make a good title for a piece!.

"Piano Pizzazz" books one and two have arrived on my doorstep. Its always exciting when the "actual thing" is in front of you.

The big moments in the life of a published work are thinking of the idea in the first place, finishing it (phew), sending it off (hooray), proofs (not so much fun), and then the real thing arrives which means you can get excited about the whole thing again.

I'm very pleased with the look of the book, and really believe in what it aims to do (see earlier post on Mar 24th). I just hope people catch the vision, and enjoy it.

Acnowledgement of musical achievement.

I like to bring to your attention moments of musical achievement, and it gives me great pleasure to announce to the world the success of my husband in the woodwind class of the Oundle music festival at the weekend.

Not only did he win his class (playing harmonica), but was also invited to perform at the winners concert in the evening and was presented with a substantial trophy (pictured..the one on the right).

We marked the occasion with a chicken kebab and a cafe late, and we realised this was the first time ever I have been to watch HIM in a concert (its usually the other way round). A red letter day, watch this space...

Frustrated artist

I am a frustrated artist. I have tried every medium to create that ultimate picture (well any picture actually).

My imagination thinks I'm good at it, but nearly every attempt to capture something on paper ends with frustration and my masterpiece being filed under B.

I keep writing notes in my diary to remind myself that I'm not actually very good at it, and that I find it frustrating rather than relaxing and fulfilling. Then I read an art book or see someone else's work and get inspired again!!.

I know people (one in particular actually) who are frustrated musicians, desperate to play an instrument or sing, but who obviously have greater gifts!.

I have come to the conclusion that perhaps I can paint pictures or create "that" scene using music. I just have to convince myself that that's the way I do it.

Anyway, must sign off, just going to an art exhibition.

What's happening?!?

Life at the Shrimps is never dull. It was while listening to Chloe playing "Everything is somewhere else" (annoyingly better than me) in preparation for her recital, that I remembered where that title came from. If you read the programme notes at St Martin in the fields, forget all that, I was just trying to sound clever, this is the real reason.

"The National Youth Music Camp" was originally started by Avril Dankworth in 1970, and was called "The Avril Dankworth National Children's Music Camp". Avril was a very vibrant figurehead, and a great inspiration to many, to have the great idea of a music camp, and to make it happen, was inspirational.

Avril's camps are remembered with affection for many reasons, but one thing she was famous for was her motto ( chanted altogether after morning sing-a-long) "Be in the right place at the right time doing the right thing".

When I took over from Avril as artistic director five years ago, I thought perhaps I should have a motto. After leaving everything all over the ten acre site, "Everything is somewhere else" seemed quite apt!.

Other Shrimp news. Chris is preparing for his debut on the harmonica at a festival at the weekend, and Martha has just formed a band called the "Jelly beans" (!).

"HELP! Who is Robert Dillon?"

Has anyone ever heard of, or know anything about a composer called Robert Dillon? (not Bob!.. well not as far as we know).

My Daughter Chloe is doing an A level recital on bassoon, and has included a piece by him called "Lament". She has to write programme notes and has searched the Internet, Groves, and probably the telephone directory, and as far as she can ascertain, he does not exist. Help would be much appreciated. Please leave a comment.

"Why Red Hot Recorder Songs?"

Thought I'd just write something about the thinking behind "Red Hot Recorder Songs", as some of the songs appear in the "Playtime" section of "Sixty Sizzling Songz".

The reason I wrote the book, was firstly because pieces like "EBGB's "Mr Cool" and banana tango (pieces with lyrics) had caught the imagination of pupils and so many people had said "My pupils favourite piece is....).

I thought there was some weight in doing a whole book of such pieces as an extra learning tool for those pupils who needed the extra help of song words to learn to play and eventually read the notes. It was quite a challenge to come up with two and three note pieces that also had lyrics to aid learning. There are the inevitable titles like "BA star" and "In the BAG" but they seem to work especially for those who will find reading notes difficult.

"Sixty Sizzling Songz" has a selection of subtitles that the songs come under ( Fun time, Swing time, Old time, One more time etc). "Play time" is a group of songs that you can play along to with a simple recorder or treble concert instrument part.

Vacancy!

We need a maintenance man (or woman) for Teenage camp 2 (National Youth Music Camps). This is the week starting Sat 28th July. This is a voluntary position, but we do feed you and provide a tent and bar allowance as well as travelling expenses. Its a fun week, and although it is hard work, its very rewarding, especially if you enjoy music. For more details, contact: polly.rolfe@stables.org Please ignore the weather in this photograph (Its the only one I had). Its never normally like this, its always sunny.

This is incredible!

Have just been away for a few days, and when I got back a friend had Emailed me this link to an article in the Washington post. Its worth a read. It involves an experiment where Joshua Bell disguised as a busker played on the subway in the rush hour for commuters. He was playing virtuoso music on Fritz Kreislers violin . One of the finest musicians in the world playing the most incredible music on one of the finest instruments ever made. The results were astonishing to say the least. Take a look. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html?hpid=artslot

Lets hear it for Michael (and Gilbert and Sullivan).

It has been while writing out pages of music, and lyrics for our musical "Grand Illusians" that I realise once again what an absolute genius Michael Forster is.
The show is set around a school and another world associated with it called "Illusia". . He has written a wonderful story line, and some masterful and very funny lyrics. My favourite songs are a duet between the love sick teaching assistant and caretaker ( who is the unwilling subject of her affections), and an amazing Gilbert and Sullivan style patter song sung by the dinner ladies about school dinners ( called "Platter Patter"). It was while writing out the lyrics for the latter that I thought "How does he do this?". I have played in many a Gilbert and Sullivan orchestra pit, and I think Michael's lyrics are actually more witty than W.S.G!.
The show has been commisioned by the Living Archive for the anniversary of a school in Woverton, but it is being used as a community project so adults will be involved too. Perhaps we could interest members of the Wolverton Gilbert and Sullivan society!. The picure is of W.S Guilbert not Michael Forster!.

"The Jazz"

We are all very excited in our house about the new digital radio station "The Jazz" (http://www.thejazz.com/). It is a sister station to classic F.M., and has been playing music since Christmas.
Actual programming is about to start, and there are some big Jazz names doing shows. One of these is Jacqui (Dankworth). Hot foot from recording (nearly ALL) the backing tracks for my "Sixty Sizzling Songs" we're thrilled she has this programme, and can't wait to hear it!.
Actually, she didn't need to do all the sixty tracks in one go, she had already recorded the fifteen or so that had already appeared on "Red Hot Dots", but she did point out ( in good humour!!) that she was recording the equivelant of three albums in a day!.
Having said that, some of the songs did last less that a minute. I wonder if her recordings of "I'm a nut", "King Kong Konga", "Be kind to your web footed friends" etc will appear on the show? (!).

Good excuse!!!

First, Happy Easter!,

Just thought I must share this extraordinary story about something that happened to me this week. I had invited a couple of friends round to play some ensemble music ( Cafe Haus music and Klezmer) I had bought a while ago, and hadn't got round to playing.

I was really looking forward to the evening. I cooked a meal and our friends brought pudding and wine..

Well! we retired to the loft to play. The line up was piano, clarinet sax and bassoon. I was playing sax, and can safely say I have never played so badly in all my life. I was so out of tune that my mouthpiece was nearly hanging off the instrument, and the sound I was making was just awful!!. I was particularly embarrassed as the clarinetist was also a sax player, and this was the first time she had heard me play. I spent the evening apologising, and felt disappointed to say the least after looking forward to the evening so much.

As said in a previous post we played in church on Friday. I had a job getting the mouthpiece on my sax, and realised I had a very sticky and half dissolved mint (quite large!) stuck up the mouthpiece (!!!!!). I had taken my mouthpiece in my bag to Frankfurt to try some saxophones, and the mint was probably loose in my bag. Well at least the sax smells nice!

Good Friday

We played for the Good Friday service this morning.

I often have a desire to write contemplative music. I have written one or two hymn tunes, but that was really just setting someone else's words to music. I would like writing to be more than that.

I wrote a mass setting about three years ago, and that was quite a spiritual experience. I really did think at times " where did that come from?".

I don't know if anyone actually uses "Remember" ( except the church of Christ The Cornerstone in Milton Keynes who sang it on a recording ). It has sold quite a few copies, it would be nice to know where a work of heart and soul travels.

Mixed Ensembles

Its always very difficult finding music for a mixed ensemble. This is especially true if the group is mixed ability as well as a diverse mix of instruments. I first wrote the Razzamajazz "Really Easy Band Book" to try and fulfill a need for really easy ensemble music for very beginners, but more recently had the idea of "Band in a book" which is literally what it says.

There are about ten pieces with a piano part or backing track but with all the parts in one book so you could actually have three players to a stand all reading different parts. the parts are really flexible, and the books can be used for a duet right up to a school orchestra. The pupils can practice their parts at home along to the CD which comes with every book. There are parts for most instruments. I think the only part I didn't put in the first book was for an instrument in F, but I have rectified this in the " Christmas Band in a Book" which will be out soon.

Trying to finish!

Have spent the day trying to finish the songs for "Grand Illusions" our musical for the "Living Archive". I really want to finish so I can enjoy Easter and not have to worry about unfinished work. I have more or less finished the outline now, I then have to launch into the great writing out process. I could use "Sibelius", but actually work quicker with a pen!, I also feel a lot more creative with a pen in my hand . There is a lot to do, I feel a rare tropical illness coming on.