Info & Advice category: Interviews
If you bump into Jin Jin walking down the street on her phone, there’s a distinct possibility she’s recording a top line she caught herself humming. As many songwriters and creators know, inspiration can strike at any time, so it’s important to capture ideas as soon as possible. Because who knows? It could be another […]
Over the past 15 years Jennifer Walshe has become one of the most fêted composers in contemporary classical music. From writing an opera for Barbie dolls (XXX_LIVE_NUDE_GIRLS!!!) to creating a collective of fake Irish composers each played by Walshe herself (the Grúpat collective); from works for symphony orchestra and organ (Hotel Chelsea) to works for […]
Cathy Dennis is arguably one of the greatest British songwriters of all time. Following a successful stint as a solo artist in the ‘90s, Dennis has since written for some of the biggest names in music, from Kylie Minogue to Janet Jackson, Britney Spears and Katy Perry. Her lyrical brilliance has been proven time and […]
For someone who has won five Ivor Novellos, three ASCAP awards, a Gold Badge Award, an MBE and Eurovision, it’s somewhat remarkable that 79-year-old Bill Martin still feels he has more to achieve. He’d like to end his career with a hit musical – after having a musical called Jukebox in 1985, which coined the […]
It was once something no self-respecting artists would have considered, whatever the circumstances. But nowadays bands are falling over themselves to grab a slice of the corporate dollar by teaming up with a brand, without fear of losing credibility for having ‘sold-out’. Such has been the sea change in attitude that a brand association can […]
What has been the most pivotal moment in your career to date? An invitation on to the IRCAM induction course in 1981, where I learned music programming. Your work as a free vocal improviser has pushed so many boundaries – what drew you originally to the voice? Just as a baby is especially responsive to anything resembling a human face, […]
What has been the most pivotal moment in your career to date? Moving to Scotland. Being in a smaller, but vibrant, cultural scene opened up many possibilities in terms of collaborations and projects. And above all, the music and landscape were a revelation. What sparked your decision to develop a career as a composer, in addition to […]
The subconscious mind remains an unfathomable well of potential inspiration. However, you might be surprised at some of the figures that float about in Goldie’s subconscious, not least Judie Tzuch. She perhaps isn’t the first songwriter you imagine would have made much impact on him as a 13-year-old boy, kicking a ball around in Walsall. […]
Shiva Feshareki likes taking risks. Her first show performing with the jazz organist Kit Downes last year was not planned, rehearsed or even discussed in detail until the night of the show, despite it being broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. While most performers might baulk at that prospect, particularly as it brought together the […]
Whether listening to her family’s LP and magnetic tape collection or attending the Plovdiv Verdi festival every summer, Dobrinka Tabakova was surrounded by music from an early age. Many of Dobrinka’s earliest and fondest memories are singing in school or chapel choirs, cocooned against the beautiful and magical backdrop of the Rhodope Mountains. As well […]
Nigel Osborne has been called a Renaissance man, and that seems no less than the truth. He has a long and distinguished career as a composer. But the BASCA award focuses on his inspiration as educator and humanitarian – his pioneering use of music to support children of conflict. I reckon uniquely for a composer […]
Wayne Hector wrote his first number one single in 1996 – when he was just 17. His list of writing credits is now so accomplished that you’d expect it to belong to a man twice his age. If you’ve listened to mainstream radio in the past 20 years, then you’re sure to have heard his […]
Simon Bainbridge has had a major influence as both composer and teacher. I begin by asking him about his influence on other composers through his teaching. “I very rarely discuss my music in detail with my students,” he comments. “However, I may attempt to illuminate some particular structural issue by making a correlation with my […]
It would not be an overstatement to describe Ludovico Einaudi as something of a phenomenon. With 132 million streams worldwide, 400,000 followers on Spotify, 11 million Vevo views and over 1.5 million records sold, his music speaks to a wide and varied audience and regularly fills concert halls. Yet to consider his work purely in […]
Laura Mvula would be forgiven for feeling she deserves her second Mercury Prize nomination even more so this time around. The accolade, for critically acclaimed The Dreaming Room, comes after a difficult four years. Since the release of her debut Sing To The Moon in 2012, she has divorced the man she met while studying […]
