Hello! Here’s a little introduction to who I am.
I started working with Lydia in 2022, and what a joy it is! We work and think in quite similar ways, and I’m looking forward to sharing some of the things we’ve been talking about here!
Before working with Lydia I was a lecturer in Popular Music and taught classes in Songwriting, Performance and DIY Practices… ways that other forms of art, craft and community intersect with music making. Before that, I was a touring singer-songwriter/cellist. You can hear some of my songs here.
The photo above (the one that says “look here!”) is from a performance I did in collaboration with Penny Klein at SET in Bermondsey. Penny and I used to run an experimental performance and music night called “The Surround”, all around London. We encouraged folks who were unsure of where to take their experiments and strived to create a welcoming environment for those who want to share unfinished, uncertain ideas. To give you an idea of what it was like… one of my favourite Surroundings was in a derelict hotel around the corner from Hyde Park. It was full of grand, vacant rooms, mottled mirrors and spiral staircases. Performers were stationed in all corners of the building, and the audience was guided from room to room to watch the entertainment unfold.
Over lockdown in 2020, I made a series of plays on Instagram with Benji Jeffrey. We put a call out for plays to be written with a quick turnaround which we then performed over Zoom, and were then shared on Instagram. Here's one example, and you can watch them all on my Instagram.
This year I drove up to the Black Isle from Glasgow to pick up a couple of Brother knitting machines from a Gumtree seller. I’m now teaching myself how to use them. It’s a steep learning curve, but I’m having a lot of fun. More soon I hope!
More bits and bobs can be found on my website. And, of course, on this Substack…