• Linking songs

    Now I have a show to write – which indeed I must as the auditions are soon – I’m wondering how much the musical material across the show should connect. Opera comes to mind – Puccini particularly – where characters have distinguishable musical ideas. But then maybe this doesn’t matter so much in musical theatre…

  • Curating a musical past

    Last autumn I attended an alumni/careers event at a university as a speaker; I was there to chat about my experiences of working in music education. Even now I often avoid writing “teacher” as so much negativity has developed around the “music teacher” role. This was particularly apparent when speaking to music students. Even after…

  • Taking the lead

    My last lesson of the day ended with a discussion of bows. Not being a string player I lack detailed knowledge of the nuances of a bow’s construction but it seemed likely that the tweaks François Tourte made to the bow in the 1780s would have made considerable difference to the sound produced. It struck…

  • New website

    My website is finally up. I’m pleased with the design, thanks to Rob (Albert Design) but I know I’ll keep nagging with additions. Click here to view the site

  • Can art speak without technique?

    After spending an hour with Ruth walking around the Royal Academy’s 2011 Summer Exhibition we were left rather speechless. The most poignant work being the photography in the Wohl room. These works demonstrated such incredible technique which was used to create works of real imagination. Skill was at play in these works. Wandering through the…

  • RA Summer Exhibition 2011

    I miss the rabbit from last year but this is rather an interesting take on stained-glass. Not that it is stained-glass…

  • Petite reprise

    Just as I settle down to my journey on the 91 I reflected on how often I’ve probably been on the 91. Many, many times. Does that somehow diminish the experience? Yes, there remains the notorious Russell Square roadworks that introduced a subtle variation to the journey which was enough to spark renewed interest. Apart…

  • Hide and Seek – Imogen Heap

    There is something disturbingly beautiful about this song. Perhaps it is the concentration on the voice; it sounds as if it is a cappella yet there is a synthesised sound played homorhythmically with the voice. Harmonically it uses primary triads coloured with extensions. All sounds rather straightforward – yet this music fits the text so…

  • Does harmony fuel the emotional energy of a song?

    As I sit on the 188 reading the recently penned lyrics for “Notice Me” I immediately heard a melody; perhaps this is due to the quality of the lyric rather than the speed at which my creative process works. Nevertheless I started to think how much the harmonic content of a song increases the power…

  • Getting started on my first musical

    I thought I would catch up with the rest of the world and start a blog. I am just starting to work on a musical for the school I teach at which is already proving an interesting experience since I am keen to write “tunes”; tunes that younger performers can actually sing. The first song…