Date for the diary.

Just a note to put the following TV programme in your diary to watch.

"Legends the Dankworths" Fri Nov 9 . 9pm BBC 4

National Harmonica championships!

We have just returned from the N.H.C in Bristol.

The weekend was very "Harmonicaish" with every genre represented and harmonica technique, slides, reeds and licks hotly discussed.

The main event was at the Folk house and there were workshops, concerts, harmonica stands and cups of tea!!. (there was also a very nice covered market round the corner!).

It was very interesting to listen to some of the competition classes, and the standard was generally high. The anxious competitors could be seen warming up in the foyer, the concert hall and on market stalls!.

The concert on Saturday evening was inspiring and some of the best players in Europe were performing. The Bald chap in the middle of the group picture above is Willi Burger a very famous and incredible Italian harmonica player.

I have come home inspired to write a dazzling piece for next years champion!.

Schools Music Association conference

Just had a brilliant weekend at the SMA conference at the Craiglands hotel Ilkley Yorkshire.
I did two workshops, one on the Saturday about seeing the Recorder in a new light, then one on the Sunday to introduce "Sizzling Songz". Both were received well by a mixture of people who had come across my work before and some who hadn't, which was really good.
The "Kevin Mayhew" van came full of my titles, and there was a stand with just my books on which was amazing.
It was a weekend of inspiration and it was exciting to attend other workshops.
I met a lot of interesting people, and was able to talk to people who were using "Red Hot" and "Razzamajazz" and finding them useful. It was brilliant to be able to explain how some of the books can be used in conjunction with each other. Fantastic!

Musical cats

We have always had characterful cats, Gershwin, skat and Bebop. Skat has recently made friends with a hedgehog, but cannot boast the musical talents of Nora the piano playing cat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0zgQAp7EYw&mode=related&search=

Concert!!

As I lay in bed last night having a migraine, the mould from the music camp marquee flashed before my eyes, and I lay in pain wondering how we are going to raise the money to buy a new one.

We have already pencilled in a fundraising concert for Easter time at the Stables, but we are not sure yet what form it will take. Perhaps on the same lines as ". lets hear it for Avril".

We are having a meeting about it soon, but one idea was to have a day at the Stables of various groups of campers being coached by Music camp Celebrities (you), to miraculously ( as usual) put together a stunning and glitzy performance for the evening . This would be interspersed with celebrity snippets, bassoon quartets (!) and stunning staff ensembles and solos.

As you can see these are only blueprints but I'm getting excited already. Please leave ideas and encouragement below.

Do you remember Music and movement??

I am soon to do some workshops at the Schools Music Association conference in Yorkshire.

One of the other workshop leaders is Douglas Coombes of "BBC Time and Tune" fame. He was a bit of a legend in music Education in the seventies and eighties for his radio programmes for schools and his arrangements and compositions.

With him in mind, and while listening to some "uplifting" classical music in the car the other day, I had a flashback to junior school and my weekly thrill. "Music and movement".

This too was from BBC radio for schools and the presenter invited you to tear around the school hall to a piece of Vaughan Williams pretending to be a bumble bee, or lay on the ground and be a seed which when the music started burst forth with shoots and started to grow.

I remember absolutely losing myself as I spun around the hall to "Dance Macabre" in just vest and navy blue knickers. What a wonderful experience that was!. It was a complete listening Education and total music appreciation, with a bit of exercise thrown in.

Those immortal words will stay with me forever............AND STOP.............

How do I feel about photocopies????

I was interested to read about the woman in America this week who has been fined huge amounts of money for making her music collection (like thousands of others) free to the world on the Internet.

It is true to say that recording companies and popular artists do make megabucks from recording, but is that an excuse for blatant theft?.

I know many people photocopy my music, my publisher says " do they steal from shops as well?".

My generous nature and my desire to make music available to all would say "help yourself", were it not for the fact that I know the costs, enormous production and effort that goes into a project that is designed to inspire, entertain and educate.

Composers end up with a small percentage of the selling costs, and contrary to popular belief nobody makes a lot of money out of publishing music. There are usually people behind its production with a lot of love and belief.

A peri said to me recently. "If we didn't photocopy music all the time, we wouldn't survive".

There's something wrong somewhere.

Sizzling Songz

"Sixty Sizzling songz "got a very nice review in "Music teacher magazine" this month. (always a relief!!)

Ronnie Hazelhurst

Sad to hear of the death yesterday of Ronnie Hazelhurst. Jazz musician, arranger and composer.

He was probably best known for his various TV themes including "last of the summer wine" (played by Chris's harmonica teacher Jim Hughes). He will also be remembered for conducting the British entry at the Eurovision song contest for many years. He also co-wrote S club's "Reach for the stars"!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Hazlehurst