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Music

I am a trained multi-instrumentalist with a background in both Classical and Jazz.

I believe the fact that I’m also an Actor gives me a great advantage in understanding the role of music in a Dramatic Context.

As a composer, I have written music for nearly 20 productions in the last 8 years.

Instrumental

Instruments Played: Saxophones (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone), Piano and Keyboards, Flute, Whistles (Including Low D). Also proficient on Tuned Percussion, Accordion. Basic Skills on Bass Guitar, Double Bass, Clarinet.

Having played piano from an early age, I started learning Saxophone at Secondary School passing my Grade VIII aged 16 and sitting my ALCM diploma at 18. I performed across the UK and Europe in Youth Jazz and Big Bands, but on commencing my Music Degree at Liverpool I began tutelage under Andy Scott and Tim Redpath of the Apollo Sax Quartet, and was introduced to the wealth of classical music also written for the Sax. I graduated with a First in Musical Performance, but took the decision to continue my training at Drama School rather than pursue a career as a musical soloist.

I aim to teach myself and become proficient in a new instrument each year. Other instruments such as the double Bass and Accordion have literally been thrust upon me in Rehearsals and I’ve continued to play them.

Composition

My compositions have usually been commissions, or created as part of a devising process. I have scored for actor musicians for live performance, and recorded acoustic and electronic instruments for playback. Work includes 10 second ‘stings’ and Jingles, to through-composed and full length pieces.

I have a particular interest in scoring for movement or for works that use music as part of the dramatic narrative (especially Puppetry and Mask), but I’m equally happy writing short incidental music for scene changes or one off songs.

I don’t work in one particular style or genre, rather I write individually to  design or brief. Below you’ll find some examples of my work with a short description of each project.

For more detailed information about my work and methodology please contact me.

My full composition CV can be seen at LinkedIn and ProfessionalPeople

Looking for the Rainbow

French Fancies

Tom’s Midnight Garden

The Island

Blood Wedding

Ruth

Looking for the Rainbow

Big Window Theatre 2010

Score for Early Years Theatre company; Recorded Music and Song.

Written by Nick Wood

Romeo and Juliet

No Nonsense Theatre 2006

Through composed soundtrack for Puppetry and Mask interpretation of Shakespeare’s original text set in 1950s Verona.

Tom’s Midnight Garden

Nottingham Playhouse 2008 50th Anniversary Production

Incidental music scored for 3 Actor musicians and 8 voices.

Ruth

No Nonsense Theatre 2009

Through composed soundtrack for Mask piece, instrumental and vocal.

French Fancies

Two Friends Productions 2011

Score and Songs for 3 Actor Musicians based on Maupassant's short stories and the Poetry of Baudelaire.

DreamPlay

Big Window Theatre 2011

Score for Early Years Theatre company; Recorded Music and Song

The Island

Nottingham Playhouse/ Det Norske Teatret 2009

Recorded soundtrack and vocal arrangements for European Theatre Conventions ‘Young Europe’ commission written by Laura Lomas.

Blood Wedding

Nottingham Playhouse 2010

Original recorded score for full production, with parts for voice and live instruments. Fusion of Rock and classical spanish guitar.

Examples

Each of these are montages of excerpts from the scores. They’re not ideal as they’re out of context and I’ve kept them short to help with load times and also to protect my copyright from downloads, so if you would like to hear complete tracks please contact me.

For studio recorded sound I work in Logic and Soundtrack Pro, and all instrumentations (both live and midi) are performed  by myself.