Creative

Alisa Jaffa Glass Artist, Singer, Songwriter.

This is a great chat with Alisa, it demonstrates that life experience feeds into interests that become artistic projects and then in turn helps others to be creative and to develop self confidence.

Since turning 50, Alisa Jaffa trained as a Glass Artist and in 2018, has been running small-group, glass fusing workshops from her home in Maidstone, Kent. Alisa is also a vocalist in a band and started her singing journey within the last five years and occasionally writes and produces songs. Her philosophy is “It’s never too late to try something new.”

GlassAlisa Website and Workshop Information: https://glassalisa.co.uk/

GlassAlisa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlassAlisa/

GlassAlisa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glassalisa/

Alisa Jaffa Music Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlisaJaffaMusic/

New Groove Band: https://www.facebook.com/newgroovesouth

Alisa Jaffa Songs: Spotify Playlist

To support the podcast and get access to features about guitar playing and song writing visit https://www.patreon.com/vichyland

and also news for all the creative music that we do at Bluescamp UK and France visit www.bluescampuk.co.uk

For details of the Ikaro music charity visit www.ikaromusic.com

Big thanks to Josh Ferrara for the music

Guy Cresswell Musician, Product Demonstrator, Exhibition and Conference Productions

Great chat with Guy Cresswell who has been successful in many areas of music. There is much to be learnt from this Guy

Guy started musical life on the south coast of England playing in function and original bands, completed a 6 month tour of US airbases in Europe before moving to London in the 80’s working as a song writer, multi instrumental freelance musician and Product demonstrator for Roland.

He has played with a variety of artists from Jools Holland, Midge Ure and The Sweet before setting up a successful exhibition and conference production company. Guy graduated from Berklee College of music in 2000, his midlife crisis saw him learn to play double-bass and study classical composition in a London Orchestra.  Guy and his extremely tolerant wife (His words not mine) now splits his time between The UK, Caribbean and the US where he plays keyboards with the soul band Mama T and The O.G’s, plays bass, co-writes and produces original band The Rejects, and plays surf guitar in the festival band Los TacoCats … wherever he goes in the world he takes an assortment of musical instruments – just in case!

All this from a food fight in a Chinese restaurant in Birmingham ….

guy.cresswell@promusproductions.com

To support the podcast and get access to features about guitar playing and song writing visit https://www.patreon.com/vichyland

and also news for all the creative music that we do at Bluescamp UK and France visit www.bluescampuk.co.uk

For details of the Ikaro music charity visit www.ikaromusic.com

Big thanks to Josh Ferrara for the music

Harry S Green Singer, Songwriter, Recording and Music Producer, Magician.

This is a great chat with a very creative young man. There are lots of interesting examples within this podcast oh Harry adapting to situations and coming up with interesting new ideas, very enjoyable.

In Harry’s Words

“So I’m Harry Green, I’m a singer songwriter as well as a recording and music producer. As well as being a magician.

My passion is music. From when I was very young I started playing the drums and then realised that I couldn’t go busking with a drum kit so I taught myself Ukelele from tube and began busking and writing my own songs and recording them. Currently I am helping others to realise their musical talent and potential and help them to get their music out in the ethos.  I have my own website which is based around my recording studio active4udio.com

I am starting to put up pages for each artist with links to their material and songs. My own material is available throughout all streaming media under the name of Harry S Green my most prevalent songs current is Layla’s song which I wrote for my daughter’s funeral and my later song of Baby Blue eyes which was about my girlfriend. I have recently released a formal video for Baby Blue Eyes which is out on You tube.”

Visit www.active4udio.com

Baby Blue Eyes https://youtu.be/Qwigp5JsZPU

To support the podcast and get access to features about guitar playing and song writing visit https://www.patreon.com/vichyland

and also news for all the creative music that we do at Bluescamp UK and France visit www.bluescampuk.co.uk

For details of the Ikaro music charity visit www.ikaromusic.com

Big thanks to Josh Ferrara for the music

Nat Martin Musician, Teacher, Songwriter, Transcriber, Arranger...

Nat is a freelance musician and guitar tutor at The Academy of Contemporary Music, Guildford and Lecturer at ACM London

Nat also plays for Toyah playing alongside Robert Fripp and has for several years worked with the wonderful Joe Harman

We talk about playing, teaching and developing a guitar style from early blues influences to modern technique.

for further information check out

instagram.com/natmartin2020

https://www.facebook.com/NatMartinGuitar/

To support the podcast and get access to features about guitar playing and song writing visit https://www.patreon.com/vichyland

and also news for all the creative music that we do at Bluescamp UK and France visit www.bluescampuk.co.uk

For details of the Ikaro music charity visit www.ikaromusic.com

Big thanks to Josh Ferrara for the music

Miles Grindey Guitarist

I am talking to Miles about guitar playing, recording and  his collection of Tokai guitars.

Miles Grindey was born and raised in Warsash, a small village in South Hampshire, UK. In 2016 he joined The Bones And Arrows where the band recorded the Bones and Arrows EP, writing solos for “Slow Light” and writing the chorus riff and solo for “Muddy Sunshine“. Later that year, he left the band and pursued a solo career and over the course of 2017 he wrote, recorded, produced and composed his debut album, Caught in a Storm, released in 2018. The album features tracks such as a cover of Joy Division‘s hit “Love Will Tear Us Apart” and fan favourites such as “Caught in the Act“, “Staring Competition and “It Gets Better“. Miles also wrote, composed and produced “Ethereal Bollocks” which was released on May 4th 2018.

Miles went to Atlanta, and during his time met vocalist Ian Michael Bruh (Bumpin’ The Mango, Backroad To Brooklyn), drummer Wayne Viar and was put in touch with bassist Enrico Galetta (based in Bolonga, Italy). Working on “Make Up Your Mind” and “Stride” , Make Up Your Mind was released a little while after Miles’ return to the UK on May 31st 2019.

For further details visit

https://linktr.ee/milesgrindey

To support the podcast and get access to features about guitar playing and song writing visit https://www.patreon.com/vichyland

and also news for all the creative music that we do at Bluescamp UK and France visit www.bluescampuk.co.uk

For details of the Ikaro music charity visit www.ikaromusic.com

Big thanks to Josh Ferrara for the music

Charlie Robinson Rock Guitarist Guitar Tech Blacklight Vice

Charlie Robinson, Southampton based, blues influenced rock guitarist of the heavy hard rock 5-piece Blacklight Vice.

Charlie’s musical journey started from a very young age in Maidstone Kent, a country boy turned South Coast Les Paul Slinger.

Playing in bands throughout the mid to late 00’s, touring the UK with jaunts to Europe.

Drawing Influences from the ROLLING STONES, AC/DC, MOTÖRHEAD, GUNS N ROSES to OZZY OSBOURNE & PANTERA. Its great to catch up with Charlie and listen to his new music.

Charlie is the owner of ROBBO’s Guitar Care & Maintenance.

Blacklight Vice Socials: https://linktr.ee/BlacklightVice

Robbo’s Guitar Care & Maintenance https://www.robbosgcm.com

Instagram: robbogcm

To support the podcast and get access to features about guitar playing and song writing visit https://www.patreon.com/vichyland

and also news for all the creative music that we do at Bluescamp UK and France visit www.bluescampuk.co.uk

For details of the Ikaro music charity visit www.ikaromusic.com

Big thanks to Josh Ferrara for the music

When less is more

There is an adage in the musical community that is an accurate scale of one's creativity. "Less is more".

We overcomplicate things. It seems that the most effective way, through my experience, is to question whether you need something. Can you drop something out of the equation? Does that improve things? Often, it does.

Through systems such as mathematics, drawing and stories, we can explain the world in such a way that we can manipulate and that all comes down to simplifying the world around us.

To support the podcast and get access to features about guitar playing and song writing visit https://www.patreon.com/vichyland

and also news for all the creative music that we do at Bluescamp UK and France visit www.bluescampuk.co.uk

For details of the Ikaro music charity visit www.ikaromusic.com

Big thanks to Josh Ferrara for the music

Alexandre Tilmans Entrepreneur Baz-Art South African Street Artists

Alexandre Tilmans is the Director and Co-founder of Baz-Art, and has numerous years of business expertise running a thriving internationally active arts organisation.

Baz-Art’s annual flagship event is Africa’s largest public art festival - the International Public Art Festival - which has expanded Cape Town’s economic and social development. Baz-Art’s success is tangible with the NGO receiving the award “Business of the Year” at the Cap40 annual Business Awards, with Alexandre Tilmans subsequently also being the recipient of “Entrepreneur of the Year”.

In 2019 Baz-Art received the BASA award and was also featured in the 2020 CNN street art documentary titled ‘Street Arts in Africa’. The new addition to Baz-Art’s offering - the Public Art Conference - launched in March 2022, will also feature on a Momint’s documentary.

Baz-Art employs close to 200 people annually.

In our chat we cover lots of aspects of the interface between art and business which I am sure you will find interesting.

For further details

https://baz-art.co.za/

To support the podcast and get access to features about guitar playing and song writing visit https://www.patreon.com/vichyland

and also news for all the creative music that we do at Bluescamp UK and France visit www.bluescampuk.co.uk

For details of the Ikaro music charity visit www.ikaromusic.com

Big thanks to Josh Ferrara for the music

Sian Sibley Teacher Pagan Witch Dragon Oak and Welsh Occult Conference

Sian is the leader of DragonOak Coven in South Wales. Sian has been practicing for around 40 years now and have experience in running a coven for around 25 years. She is currently studying for an MA in Spirituality and Ecology in University of Wales Trinity St David’s; Sian has recently completed a Post Graduate course in Cultural Astrology and Astronomy which includes a great deal of study on the Graeco Roman magical Papyri and the impact of astrology and star lore on cultures around the world.

In DragonOak they teach traditional witchcraft, using toolmaking, astrology, herbalism, working with the PGM, Kabbalah, animism and working with the spirits of plants, genus loci and the dead.

Sian organises the Welsh Occult Conference In Welshpool and the South Wales Occult Conference in Cardiff.

https://www.dragonoak.org/studying-with-dragonoak

To support the podcast and get access to features about guitar playing and song writing visit https://www.patreon.com/vichyland

and also news for all the creative music that we do at Bluescamp UK and France visit www.bluescampuk.co.uk

For details of the Ikaro music charity visit www.ikaromusic.com

Big thanks to Josh Ferrara for the music

Maria Harle Amazing Animal Encounters

Born and raised in rural Kent, Maria fell in love with wildlife and animals early on. Nature was respected and encouraged on her parent's smallholding and long before it became fashionable or mainstream to rewild, go organic or be sustainable, the gorgeous overgrown wildlife haven that was the farm they both worked on. Now a parent herself living in a shepherd’s cottage on their smallholding in the Kentish Weald, Maria has been teaching her own children, and countless others, to love and respect animals and wildlife since 2005, when they started accepting unwanted animals into their home.

 Amazing Animal Encounters was born to support pets in need leaving her job in youth work at the county council to concentrate on a new calling.

From Maria

I run Amazing Animal Encounters which provides uplifting, educational and therapeutic low risk animal experiences that are accessible for all and prioritise safety of the participant and the welfare of the animals. We focus on improving mental health, and providing services for SEN, the neurodivergent community and those with chronic and life limiting conditions. We work with groups and one on one, for organisations and for private individuals and families. In schools we provide educational workshops delivering animal welfare courses. Musical Menagerie the pre-school group is currently available to hire for groups. The animal encounters we run entirely fund my animal sanctuary which provides a loving family forever home for a range of animals from farm to domestic to exotic to rescue native wildlife. Our regular clients include KCC, behavioural needs schools, SEN schools and day centres, local primary and secondary schools, hospices and care homes.

www.amazinganimalencounters.co.uk

facebook.com/AmazingAnimalEncounters

Instagram is @mobilemenagerie

To support the podcast and get access to features about guitar playing and song writing visit https://www.patreon.com/vichyland

and also news for all the creative music that we do at Bluescamp UK and France visit www.bluescampuk.co.uk

For details of the Ikaro music charity visit www.ikaromusic.com

Big thanks to Josh Ferrara for the music

Sean Drummond Filmmaker, Screenwriter Musician.

 In this episode I am talking to Sean Drummond filmmaker, screenwriter and musician.

Sean talks about his work including the excellent Five Fingers for Marseilles.

Five Fingers for Marseilles is a 2017 South African Neo-Western thriller film written by Sean Drummond and directed by Michael Matthews.] It was screened in the Discovery section at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.

The films dialogue is in the African languages of Sesotho and Xhosa which still managed to get American back by sticking to their vision.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Fingers_for_Marseilles

First Teaser Trailer -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46tUAfrzgGw

Full Theatrical Trailer -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWT0hJhMZwk

Great chat .

 To support the podcast and get access to features about guitar playing and song writing visit https://www.patreon.com/vichyland

and also news for all the creative music that we do at BluescampUK and France visit www.bluescampuk.co.uk

For details of the Ikaro music charity visit www.ikaromusic.com

Big thanks to Josh Ferrara for the music

Bruno Migliorini Traveler Coffee Drinker Micro Finance

In this episode I'm going to be talking to Bruno Migliorini. I met Bruno when I was studying for my NLP master practitioner in London. A group of us used to hang out after the sessions in a little pub across the road from the venue and Bruno made a statement that he was going to travel the world and be photographed drinking coffee at various locations. This episode is about his amazing journeys and over 90 pictures taken that's some extraordinary exotic places.

Bruno talks a lot about NLP early on in the interview which a lot of people will find very interesting as well as it be great for me to catch up with him again after so long.

For the pictures

https://www.facebook.com/bruno.migliorini.585

To support the podcast and get access to features about guitar playing and song writing visit https://www.patreon.com/vichyland

and also news for all the creative music that we do at Bluescamp UK and France visit www.bluescampuk.co.uk

For details of the Ikaro music charity visit www.ikaromusic.com

Big thanks to Josh Ferrara for the music

Seeing What Is Unseen

Have you ever lost your keys and spent ages looking for them and then miraculously they appear to be in a place that you’ve already looked? Sometimes we are surprised by the things that are right under our noses. Part of creativity is looking for opportunities, so in this episode I will be exploring ideas from being a musician and the world of NLP. Here are some techniques to help you; • The idiot check. • Looking at the world through different eyes. • Coming back from a holiday travelling of road that you’ve travelled many times, but because you’ve had two weeks away the road looks different. • Sometimes changing one aspect of what you’re doing or how you look can reveal something new. • Changing what you believe. • Challenging what you believe about a person or a place. Make the Music Happen with the Rock and Roll Circus https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/make-the-music-happen-with-the-rock-and-roll-circus-tickets-463568183917 To support the podcast and get access to features about guitar playing and song writing visit https://www.patreon.com/vichyland and also news for all the creative music that we do at Bluescamp UK and France visit www.bluescampuk.co.uk For details of the Ikaro music charity visit www.ikaromusic.com Big thanks to Josh Ferrara for the music

Dave Swift, Bass Man with the Jools Holland Big Band

In 1991 Dave Swift heard that Jools Holland, ex-Squeeze keyboardist and TV presenter, was searching for a bassist who played both double bass and bass guitar. With the renowned bassist Pino Palladino then holding the “bass chair” in Holland's band, this was a bold move on the young bassist's part. The advantage from Swift's position was that he also played double bass and was already skilled in sight-reading. Swift auditioned, was hired on the spot, and has been Holland's bassist ever since.

Thanks to his talent and growing popularity, Swift is often invited at shows and camps. Recently, Swift was invited to appear at the annual Warwick Bass Camp in Germany in 2016 as a VIP guest, along with numerous popular bass luminaries from all over the world. The 2016 Warwick Bass Camp was held in Markeneukirchen, Germany, and had a roster of outstanding bassists. Attending professors included Alphonso Johnson, Felix Pastorius, Anthony Wellington and Steve Bailey. Swift was also a guest lecturer at the March 2016 Bass Guitar Show at Earls Court Olympia that filled the room to capacity.

Dave Swift is still an in-demand session musician outside of Holland's band and has also played double bass for American soul singer Gary U.S. Bonds, Ben E. King and on ex-Kinks frontman Ray Davies's album, Other People's Lives.

To support the podcast and get access to features about guitar playing and song writing visit https://www.patreon.com/vichyland

and also news for all the creative music that we do at Bluescamp UK and France visit www.bluescampuk.co.uk

For details of the Ikaro music charity visit www.ikaromusic.com

Big thanks to Josh Ferrara for the music

In 1991 Dave Swift heard that Jools Holland, ex-Squeeze keyboardist and TV presenter, was searching for a bassist who played both double bass and bass guitar. With the renowned bassist Pino Palladino then holding the “bass chair” in Holland's band, this was a bold move on the young bassist's part. The advantage from Swift's position was that he also played double bass and was already skilled in sight-reading. Swift auditioned, was hired on the spot, and has been Holland's bassist ever since.

Thanks to his talent and growing popularity, Swift is often invited at shows and camps. Recently, Swift was invited to appear at the annual Warwick Bass Camp in Germany in 2016 as a VIP guest, along with numerous popular bass luminaries from all over the world. The 2016 Warwick Bass Camp was held in Markeneukirchen, Germany, and had a roster of outstanding bassists. Attending professors included Alphonso Johnson, Felix Pastorius, Anthony Wellington and Steve Bailey. Swift was also a guest lecturer at the March 2016 Bass Guitar Show at Earls Court Olympia that filled the room to capacity.

Dave Swift is still an in-demand session musician outside of Holland's band and has also played double bass for American soul singer Gary U.S. Bonds, Ben E. King and on ex-Kinks frontman Ray Davies's album, Other People's Lives.

To support the podcast and get access to features about guitar playing and song writing visit https://www.patreon.com/vichyland

and also news for all the creative music that we do at Bluescamp UK and France visit www.bluescampuk.co.uk

For details of the Ikaro music charity visit www.ikaromusic.com

Big thanks to Josh Ferrara for the music

In 1991 Dave Swift heard that Jools Holland, ex-Squeeze keyboardist and TV presenter, was searching for a bassist who played both double bass and bass guitar. With the renowned bassist Pino Palladino then holding the “bass chair” in Holland's band, this was a bold move on the young bassist's part. The advantage from Swift's position was that he also played double bass and was already skilled in sight-reading. Swift auditioned, was hired on the spot, and has been Holland's bassist ever since.

Thanks to his talent and growing popularity, Swift is often invited at shows and camps. Recently, Swift was invited to appear at the annual Warwick Bass Camp in Germany in 2016 as a VIP guest, along with numerous popular bass luminaries from all over the world. The 2016 Warwick Bass Camp was held in Markeneukirchen, Germany, and had a roster of outstanding bassists. Attending professors included Alphonso Johnson, Felix Pastorius, Anthony Wellington and Steve Bailey. Swift was also a guest lecturer at the March 2016 Bass Guitar Show at Earls Court Olympia that filled the room to capacity.

Dave Swift is still an in-demand session musician outside of Holland's band and has also played double bass for American soul singer Gary U.S. Bonds, Ben E. King and on ex-Kinks frontman Ray Davies's album, Other People's Lives.

To support the podcast and get access to features about guitar playing and song writing visit https://www.patreon.com/vichyland

and also news for all the creative music that we do at Bluescamp UK and France visit www.bluescampuk.co.uk

For details of the Ikaro music charity visit www.ikaromusic.com

Big thanks to Josh Ferrara for the music

Old Grey Guitarist: meet the school guitar teacher who has over a million followers on TikTok with his solo covers

John Wines has devoted his life to teaching young people to play guitar – now his Queen, Randy Rhoads and Pink Floyd covers and lessons have made him a hit online

John Wines is our kind of guitar hero; the UK guitar teacher has spent years passing on his love for the instrument to others. He played in bands for years and makes a living teaching guitar in three different schools in Dorset where he's based, as well as working as a guitar tutor privately. And that was his life, until recently when he woke up and found he was going viral on TikTok and Instagram.

John currently has 17.3 million likes and 1.2 million followers on TikTok. Not bad for a player who only joined social media to pick up a few new student for private lessons.

John is passionate about the guitar's power to help young people. He's seen the effect learning to play an instrument can have on special needs children. And he's got a gift; he's not only a fantastic player, but the kind of teacher a lot of us will wish we'd had growing up. His rise also undermines the assumption that TikTok is a place where younger people find shallow success; John's content has connected with people.

For more details

https://www.musicradar.com/news/old-grey-guitarist-meet-the-school-guitar-teacher-who-has-over-a-million-followers-on-tiktok-with-his-solo-covers?fbclid=IwAR3hC3pzFFumAfIIT_n69_2X5WrZJXPefFoTc8q6MpLPNXBvbZyEiFBls4o

To support the podcast and get access to features about guitar playing and song writing visit https://www.patreon.com/vichyland

and also news for all the creative music that we do at Bluescamp UK and France visit www.bluescampuk.co.uk

For details of the Ikaro music charity visit www.ikaromusic.com

Big thanks to Josh Ferrara for the music

Joseph of Nazareth Carpenter, Saint, Father, and Protector of Virgins

In a special Christmas edition, I have the pleasure and the honour to speak to Joseph of Nazareth.

Joseph talks about being a Carpenter in a Roman province and the pluses and minuses that affords him. He also talks about the lineage and a little bit about the life of his famous son.

According to the Matthew's Gospel, Joseph agonized over Mary's apparently illegitimate pregnancy but protected her and the unborn Jesus by accepting her as his wife after an angel appeared to him in a dream and directed him to do so. Receiving rich presents from mysterious eastern magi at Bethlehem after Jesus' birth, he then fled to Egypt to avoid the wrath of Herod the Great, returning to the land of Israel after Herod's death and settling in Nazareth. In Luke's account, Joseph travels to Bethlehem for a census and returns to Nazareth without going to Egypt, after presenting Jesus publicly in the Temple of Jerusalem.

Wishing you all a peaceful Christmas and new year

To support the podcast and get access to features about guitar playing and song writing visit https://www.patreon.com/vichyland

and also news for all the creative music that we do at Bluescamp UK and France visit www.bluescampuk.co.uk

For details of the Ikaro music charity visit www.ikaromusic.com

Big thanks to Josh Ferrara for the music

Sally Maynard the importance of teaching of languages in schools

I am talking to Sally Maynard about the teaching of languages in UK schools and the problems that are inherent in the education system and society in general regarding teaching and learning of foreign languages.

This has many parallels to the position of the arts in education and I certainly learnt something from this conversation.

Sally is an Educational Lecturer at Coventry University and has been Head of International Development and Senior Lecturer at York.

To support the podcast and get access to features about guitar playing and song writing visit https://www.patreon.com/vichyland

and also news for all the creative music that we do at Bluescamp UK and France visit www.bluescampuk.co.uk

For details of the Ikaro music charity visit www.ikaromusic.com

Big thanks to Josh Ferrara for the music

John Levett agent and promoter of live music jazz funk and soul

Today I'm going to be talking to John Levett who runs the listening room music agency. Twenty three  years ago his children were budding musicians but they were struggling to find gigs and he wanted to help them nurture their talents. So he started getting them bookings, from there on he worked with more musicians, bands and venues.  Today he books for events, restaurants, pubs, weddings funerals etcetera but also shares in the risk of that booking which is especially important in today's climate.

Great chat with John who I first met nearly 20 years ago. John talks about important points to do with aspiration for both musicians and footballers, and their being led to believe within society that there is a career path and how we can help in securing a creative environment for young talent.

Visit http://thelisteningroommusicagency.com/

To support the podcast and get access to features about guitar playing and song writing visit https://www.patreon.com/vichyland

and also news for all the creative music that we do at Bluescamp UK and France visit www.bluescampuk.co.uk

For details of the Ikaro music charity visit www.ikaromusic.com

Big thanks to Josh Ferrara for the music

Antony Holloway: My Life So Far 2022 Psycho punk in the Medway, Sculptures, Cellos and living in France.

This was a blast ..

The show notes have been provided by Antony so I have kept them in his voice.

I was born in 1963. Grandad on my mum’s side had been a professional violinist, playing on cruise ships, in orchestras and silent movies. I have vague memories of visiting his family home, an East London terrace house with his brothers standing around singing and him rattling off “Roll out the barrel” and “My old mans a policeman” on an upright piano.  My dad was born in a horse drawn caravan into the family of a traveling theatre. He was orphaned when young and the company broke up before he was old enough to join in the vaudeville shenanigans.

When I was a child, my dad would call in to pay bills and leave money for food shopping, otherwise he was absent. My mum painted and played the piano but also spent long periods of time in bed depressed. During one such depression she was seduced by a visiting neighbour and shortly moved in with him. My eldest two sisters both left home around this time so I was left to bring myself up along with my remaining sister, Louise. I was eleven and had just started secondary school, Louise was three years older.

There were advantages and disadvantages to an unconventional childhood. Nobody ever mentioned school or homework, there was never any talk about qualifications or careers. The only thing that had been pressed upon us was musical instruments. I started playing the cello when I was seven years old and throughout all of the chaos I always managed to go for a music lesson on Saturday morning.  At school I was quite bright but found rules and regulations difficult. It all seemed rather irrelevant and the only lesson that really interested me was art.

In 1978 I was fifteen and my sister Louise went to art school in Rochester, at this point I was living in the house of my mums chronic alcoholic boyfriend which soon became my personal hell. Then, I think it’s fair to say that post punk counter culture saved my life. I had always worn jumble, had a home cropped mop on top of my head and just generally didn’t relate to other peoples experiences.  Having generally been an outsider, I started visiting my sister and suddenly felt right at home. The Medway garage band scene was just kicking off, the Pop Rivets had released their first LP and I was there for the first Micky and the Milkshakes gig. I went back to Folkestone, nurtured myself on the John Peel show, got hold of an old Woolworths guitar (Satelite?) and started writing, playing and singing three chord songs.

I played guitar and sang in bands (punk/rockabilly/skiffle) around Folkestone and Dover while I got myself an Art A level at the local Tech College. I then headed off to art school in Rochester and found that the garage band scene was now thriving. I came across a busker, Tim Webster and started playing with him. Tim had a Johnny Burnette album, so we learned all the songs and played them on the streets of Kent. I soon started playing bass guitar in a band with him and Martin Waller, sax player from the Gruffmen and very early Milkshakes gigs. Originally called The Outerlimits we later became The Sputniks. We played so many gigs at pubs, art schools and parties, practically every week for three years.

The cello lessons had remarkably carried on in parallel with gigging, I think I stopped just before The Outerlimits. Even during my Foundation Course at Rochester I thought that I would probably go to music school.  However, the rock and roll was just too much fun, so art school seemed a better place for me. The flexibility of Art school hours gave me the opportunity to slope off and play music and again it was somewhere I felt at home.

When art school finished and the Sputniks broke up I was briefly at a loss for what to do. However, following the birth of my first daughter I was obliged to earn some money and through relentless searching and endless job applications I quickly got myself a commission to make a public sculpture in Swindon. Following this I had a commission at the prestigious Grizedale Forest Sculpture Trail which was my passport for back to back public sculpture commissions all over England.

Thirteen years, three more daughters and god knows how many sculptures later I found that I was spending all my time on motorways or in meetings with councils and local community groups, this was not where I wanted to be.  In 2000 we moved to France, I carried on knocking out sculptures for a few more years but became more interested and occupied with restoring ancient buildings. 

In 2006 I had a chance meeting with Bart Coles who had played with The Escalators back in my Sputnik days and was living nearby in France. Although our paths had never crossed we had been playing the same venues and had been on the same scene. I’d never played double bass but bought one, learned how to play and started to play and sing Rockabilly music with Bart on guitar and a variety of local drummers. As The Gruff Cats we played plenty of local gigs over a six year period but eventually with no permanent drummer we packed it in.  Around this time I made the decision to restart playing the cello. After a 35 year gap it took a while to get up to speed but now, six years later, I’m probably better a cellist than when I was at 18, certainly a more experienced artist and performer.

So now in 2022 I play my cello every day and have regular concerts playing baroque, blues, rock and roll or swing on cello or bass with a variety of musicians.  Sculpture is on the back burner for now, but I’ve started on a long awaited project printing T-Shirts. Lino cuts to begin with but hopefully moving onto wood block printing and screen printing before too long. We also recently finished the 22 year renovation of the farm house we bought in 2000 so last year we moved into another ruin and have started all over again.  I don’t really see much difference between making stuff or playing music, all that matters is that I don’t stop.

Shazzie, TV presenter, raw food guru, online business Wizz

In this podcast I am talking to Shazzie the presenter of the Sky TV series Raw Kitchen and founder of Detox Your World superfood business, which she created in 2000 and sold in 2012, after turning over $20 Million.

Shazzie is also the author of five groundbreaking books, including the world’s first book on raw chocolate, Naked Chocolate with David Wolfe. She is also the author of the Sleep Easily Meditation app which has been listened to over 36 BILLION times and she has been helping people to build online businesses since 2014.

This is a great chat with Shazzie, and she discusses many entrepreneur ideas that are worth following.

For further details visit Shazzie’s excellent website

https://shazzie.com/about-shazzie/

To support the podcast and get access to features about guitar playing and song writing visit https://www.patreon.com/vichyland

and also news for all the creative music that we do at Bluescamp UK and France visit www.bluescampuk.co.uk

For details of the Ikaro music charity visit www.ikaromusic.com

Big thanks to Josh Ferrara for the music