Crystal Bats will be supporting UK chart-toppers Sam And The Womp when they come to Norwich Waterfront on 3rd December this year, as part of their UK winter tour.
Tickets cost £8, and can be bought from the UEA Ticket Bookings website here.
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“Arabella” – the new single from Crystal Bats – is released today. (The launch party is tonight at The Birdcage in Norwich, for anyone looking to attend.)
I appear in the music video for “Arabella”, playing synths and keyboard, and you can watch it here:
And thanks to Charlotte Rutherford for this snap of me on set at the video shoot:
On Set At “Arabella” Music Video Shoot · Charlotte Rutherford And you can buy “Arabella” on iTunes here.
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Thanks to a restructuring, and a change in the funding system for In Harmony Sistema, the continued existence of the project in Norwich was in some doubt, towards the end of last year. When its DfE Grant was cut, In Harmony Norwich was discontinued.
I found the decision to cut the funding to In Harmony Norwich unfathomable. It was a short-sighted and stupid choice, and one which I suspect was motivated more by money and “image” than by a genuine concern for musical education.
On a personal note, I was disappointed not to get to be involved with In Harmony any more – I had spent a whole year working on this exciting and ground-breaking project, and had seen first-hand what a positive effect it was having on the children and the schools involved. I had enjoyed my time on the project, and I felt that I also developed and grew a lot as a person during the course of that year.
But I feared that the much more damaging implications of axing In Harmony Norwich would be what happened to the children involved, when the rug was pulled from under them – in a music education sense. I couldn’t stand the idea that talented and motivated children, who had spent several years learning an instrument, playing in orchestras, and benefitting from all the wonderful experiences that ensemble music can provide, would suddenly – almost overnight – be left with nothing to show for that.
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I am very excited to start playing keyboards in East Anglia’s most exciting and dynamic party and function band, the Joe Ringer Band. Playing an entertaining mix of classic party tunes and modern pop hits, with everything from swing and soul to rock and pop thrown in, these are going to be some very fun gigs indeed!
My gigs with the Joe Ringer Band start from the middle of October, and I’m looking forward to getting the ball rolling with them.
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I have been a proud endorser of Pellwood Professional Drumsticks for six years, now – and now, for the first time, I am travelling to Čestice, in the Czech Republic, to visit the company, and see their operation in action.
I am really looking forward to meeting Ivan and his team at Pellwood, and talking shop with them, and seeing where the drumsticks which I use on a daily basis actually come from!
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On 20th July, I am going to be playing piano in the gallery at Pellafort Press – a silkscreen and printing studio run by artist Scarlett Massel – to celebrate the official opening of the Press’ gallery and workshop.
I shall be providing an entertaining mix of light jazz and lounge piano music to complement the evening.
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I am delighted to be playing keyboards and synth with local pop duo Crystal Bats. I’ve had a great time in rehearsals with them so far, and very much enjoyed the material – now I’m looking forward to playing live as well.
My first Crystal Bats gig will be at The Waterfront, Norwich, on 22nd July – hope to see you there!
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Following on from the gig Witchers did at the Classic Rock Society, supporting British Prog acts Credo and Comedy Of Errors, we have also been interviewed by the Classic Rock Society’s own magazine. In this interview – appearing in the May/June issue of the magazine – we talk about going from a four-piece to a five-piece line-up, and the changes that has had within the band, and we discuss our plans for the new album (coming later this year) and what lies beyond.
You can order your copy on the Classic Rock Society’s website, by choosing the May/June issue of the magazine on this page, and paying with PayPal.
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In Harmony is a project working to bring musical education to primary school children in some of the most deprived parts of the country. Inspired by, and partly modelled on, the famous Venezuelan “El Sistema”, In Harmony Sistema currently works in three areas in England – Lambeth, Liverpool, and Norwich.
I am very excited to be working with the Norwich branch of In Harmony Sistema, which is run by the Norwich and Norfolk Community Arts organisation, as a percussion teacher, and I am looking forward to being able to bring music to chidren who, otherwise, might not have the opportunities to learn.
Having seen the work that In Harmony Sistema do in local primary schools, I feel sure that this initiative is having a huge positive impact on the lives of many local children, and I am delighted to be involved, and to be a part of that process.
If you want to know more about In Harmony Sistema, click here to go to their website, and learn about the work they do, and their achievements to date. For more on this story, check out the list of related links at the right-hand-side of this page.
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I am very happy to be an endorser of Carrera Drums, as of the start of this year. Carrera produce nothing but top-quality musical instruments, made by hand in the UK – I am proud to be associated with them.
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