When I first discussed the idea of percussion and dance I was not completely sure how this would work out. Me in a tutu? Maybe not! However my subsequent meetings with Marc Brew filled me with excitement about this brand new project. Marc’s dancers have been extremely responsive to having me on stage and in amongst them with my instruments. My … Read More
Suitcase to Suitcase
Just in case anyone is thinking that I lead a glamorous life let me describe it as it really is! Last Friday I returned around lunchtime to my home in Cambridgeshire from performing with Maria Rud, Philip Sheppard and Canty at the National Museum of Scotland. We collaborated on a brand new project titled AniMotion which combined art with music. … Read More
Poetry in Motion
East is east and west is west – so that say and next week I will be heading Eastward to perform in Peking with the Nürnberger Symphoniker as part of the Festival of Beijing. For me the colours in China represent a poetic feast for the eyes. Each time I visit I feel the vibration of colours surrounding me and I … Read More
PB… What’s Yours?
During the London 2012 Olympics and Para Olympics the term PB (or personal best) was raised and talked about constantly. In the quiet early light of day as I head for New York I begin to wonder what this means to us as individuals. My life has been full of firsts, most notably I am the first person to create … Read More
‘Isles of Wonder’ – Behind the Scenes
“When I was invited to participate in the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony I was both honoured and humbled. The onus on all the people who have donated their time, energy and effort towards the world’s most prestigious event is enormous. The attention to detail has been second to none from everyone who has participated both on stage and off … Read More
The (not so blue) Danube
I recently visited the beautiful city of Linz in Austria to give a motivational speech on for delegates attending the ICCHP conference. Whilst I enjoyed my supper one evening on the terrace overlooking the famous Danube River I reflected on the fact that due to heavy rain the river was flowing very fast and looked decidedly muddy and brown, not … Read More
How do I Look Today?
I have been watching an article on BBC 1 this morning stating that girls as young as 11 are so conscious of their looks they are posting airbrushed images of themselves on their own Twitter and Facebook accounts. The apparent cause for this unnatural behaviour is the media, fashion magazines and social networking sites which make youngsters feel they are … Read More
Sunshine
I am off today to perform with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra at the Concert Hall in Singapore. I have been back and forth to Asia for several trips over the years and it is always exciting. On this occasion I will be performing Yiu-Kwong Chung’s Concerto for Percussion and Traditional Chinese Orchestra and “The Sun” from The New Millennium of the … Read More
A Dangerous Journey
As patron of AbleChildAfrica I am acutely aware of the challenges faced by many countries through poverty. More recently I have been made aware of another form of insidious crime against innocent young victims involving exploitation, abuse and degradation. Ruth Beni, Director of Animage Ltd, sent me a video depicting the plight of 2 young girls, Rose and Grace. She … Read More
Shadow Behind the Iron Sounds
I recorded a CD titled Shadow Behind the Iron Sun in 2004. The recording was totally improvised which gave me the freedom to create onto a blank canvas. Improvisation can be liberating and exciting but it can also be frightening at the same time because I am never sure where the inspiration is directly coming from. For me improvisation is … Read More