My Musical Autobiography - so far

An idea that arrived from an American contact, who was asked to create her own, by the university professor who is leading a course about music therapy. An interesting idea.

Reading a UK report from last year which reported the idea that music services should be funded through Music Education Hubs rather than through local authorities and, that those Hubs have themselves received a funding reduction for 2014/15 of some 30%, I thought now was a good time to write my own musical autobiography. My musical life began at home, but was nourished through the Education System and maintained through my working life. Music is a deeply-rooted part of my life, so it is particularly pleasurable that certain of our younger friends are as deeply involved with music and are finding so much enjoyment.

Part One:
1. Started playing the piano aged I think 7.
2. Participated in a school musical entertainment.
3.Wrote my first play aged 10, which included music composition.
4. Listened to classical music with my father, who as a boy had
learnt to play the church organ.
5. Sang songs with the brownies each week.
6. Went to first ballet at Royal Festival Hall

Part Two:
1. Continued with the piano and started the clarinet.
2. Joined the school orchestra and the school choir.
3. Supply music teacher arrives and introduces us to Ramsey Lewis.
4. Finished piano exams
5. Joined local drama school and started entering music and drama festivals.
6. Joined the guides. Sang songs each week and during the summer camp.
7. Became aware of and then totally addicted to David Munro and early English music -
television series on Granada.
8 Riveted to Daniel Barenboim's Beethoven Sonata series on the BBC which if I remember correctly was on a Sunday morning.
9. Lost place in National Youth Theatre as very ill. Hospital for nearly a year.
10. Recovery. Changed school, new music, new everything.

Part Three:
1. Saw Canned Heat, Lindisfarne, Genesis and Van der Graaf Generator
2. Worked in independent music shop.
3. Went into Arts Centre Management as Arts Development Officer, programming music amongst other things.
4. Continued in Arts Management, but this time at The Arts Theatre/Unicorn Theatre for Children
5. Started learning to play the saxophone. Finished all the exams in three years.
6. Went to University. Joined a samba band, and a quartet.
7. Briefly part of the University choir.
8. Saxophones stolen while performing at Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
9. Going to concerts and gigs became the main outlet.

Part Four:
1. Started to play the accordeon and kazoo: everything and anything.
2. Currently co-organiser and singing in group (4 of us) covering pop classics French, British, American, Jazz, French chanson, Blues.
3. Gigging in France.