 It's been a very challenging few months work wise but I'm happy to report that my online teaching is running well and because of this I've been able to teach people all over the UK and even as far as the USA! As we adapt to new challenges many of my students are finding more time to practice and feel themselves improving and notice an improved overall well-being from spending time developing their drumming. Their positivity is inspiring me to be a better teacher and musician. With my main source of income (gigging) completely gone, my students have been a complete lifeline financially and I thank them very much for getting me through this tough time! If you are interested in finding out more, visit my teaching page here. An Evening of DrummingThis month (June) I hosted my first 'Evening of Drumming' performance opportunity for my students. It was a great success and I'll continue to host concerts every so often so my students can perform to friends and family (that might never get a chance to actually see them play in the flesh). This has been a very positive bonus to the online lessons!  Lockdown Music VideosHere are a few recent videos made in lockdown with bands I work with: Time Keeping and a MetronomeI've developed a new series on youtube originally created for the members of Camden Light Orchestra but designed for anyone that plays an instrument. Learn new ways to practice with a metronome and how it can transform your playing from host Anna Metronome in her unique quirky presentation style. Check them out below! Episode 1Episode 2Hello everyone! I've had a few messages from people enquiring about drum lessons asking if I'm still teaching as I haven't updated my blog post in such a long time. Oops! I am still here, and trying to keep up with my busy schedule but I've let my website slide. Sorry! The best way to keep up on my comings and goings is my facebook page which you can check out here. It's much easier for me to keep that updated but I will make more of an effort to keep my website going too! Now for a bit of news... New Function Band - Class of '99Very proud to share the showreel for this new Pop/Punk function band. We've all worked so hard on it, please check it out! Interchange Dectet - Album Release Oct 2019Earlier this year I went into the studio with a bunch of wonderful musicians to record the tracks for the debut album from Interchange Dectet. Below is a taster of the music that will be released in October 2019 and we can't wait to share it with the world! Education WorkThis summer I'm looking forward to being a faculty member of the Hitchin Summer Music Course once again in August and as well I'll be working on the Sound and Music Summer School for budding composers showing the ins and outs of writing for drums. I'm still teaching Private Lessons in Brixton twice a week (gig permitting) and still have a few slots for new students so if you are interested please contact me for more info! Some recent photos:I seem to have missed a couple seasons here, how did that happen? Suddenly the hats (touques) are on and it's chilly out! Chilly for London that is, which is cold enough for me. Time has been racing by and I have so many exciting things to share with you, so let's get going! In no particular order of course... MTV EMA's @ Wembley Arena When I was little, I had a much loved VHS tape of Spice Girls live at Wembley Stadium. This month I got to play Wembley Arena for the MTV European Music Awards drumming with Clean Bandit. Here's a pic of me busting out some traditional grip (a rare occurrence). Check out the full video below. The History of Rock Touring Theatre Show Moving along from pop music to rock music, I'm thrilled to share the new showreel video for the brand new touring theatre show 'The History of Rock'. It's been so much fun putting this together and I can't wait to share our touring dates in the next few months! Watch our showreel below: Charlie Pyne Quartet Album Recording From rock music to jazz - recently I went into the studio with the Charlie Pyne Quartet, featuring Charlie on double bass and vocals, Liam Dunachie on piano and Luke Pinkstone on saxes. We recorded an album's worth of Charlie's original material and are so excited to get it out. We had a wonderful day at The Hat Factory Studio in Luton and everyone played so well! You can see in this picture my view from the kit, although I was in an isolation booth, I had video feeds of everyone in the band so we still had some visual contact. This session was particularly fun for me as I decided to have different drum sounds for each tune. I can't wait to share our music with everyone soon! Interchange Dectet (New Project) I'm also thrilled to share that I've had a great few gigs with the new dectet, Interchange led by Issie Barratt. We've had a few brilliant gigs at Scarborough Jazz Festival (read a review here), Jazz in the Round at The Cockpit in London and also we performed at the Southbank Centre for the EFG London Jazz Festival 2017. We play all original music commissioned mostly by different members of the band. Everyone comes from really different playing backgrounds so our music is really varied but it all incorporates elements of improvisation. I'm using a lot of percussion as well as the kit and it's loads of fun to bring the compositions to life and play with some really amazing musicians! We'll be playing lots more in the following months and recording an album as well so keep your eyes peeled for that. Rafe's Dilemma (New Project)
Another new band! This one is led by Jamil Sheriff and is inspired by the play 'Spring and Port Wine' by Bill Naughton. We've had two great gigs up north at The White Swan in Leeds and The Lescar in Sheffield and will be recording an album in the new year. The music features Nel Begley on vocals/effects, Sam Vicary on bass/effects and Jamil on rhodes/synths/effects. The music is heavily improvised and flows in an out of song structures with lots of electronics and effects and is so much fun to play! Keep an eye out for more dates in the future, it's a really immersive experience for the listener. Pure Anthems @ Infernos Clapham November marked the launch of the brand new 'Pure Anthems' night at retro club 'Infernos' in Clapham, London. It was a roaring success and will be happening again on 1st Dec. Expect to hear all of your favourite classic anthems performed by a live band synced to lyric screens throughout the club so you can sing along. Another fun factor is that we get to dress up in costumes. I've been waiting for an excuse to get out my purple eyelashes again!  In other news, I've relocated my private teaching to a studio in Brixton and it's going very well. I still have a few slots left (great festive gifts!) for new students so please contact me if you are interested in studying. You can also keep up to date on what's happening on my facebook page, please like and share! Thanks for reading and hope to see you soon!
The flowers are out here in London and we've already had weather warm enough for shorts! The past few months since my last entry have been varied (as usual) and I'm still finding my feet here in the south of England. As ever, I'm expanding my private teaching and have released another short video outlining a few questions that many people have in their first drum lesson: I've also made a facebook page for my teaching. I upload exclusive content that you won't find on my website so check it out here and give me a 'like' if you fancy! In other news, My trio has recently completed a 10 session residency for Live Music Now at Ayletts Care Home. It's been lovely working with Pete (and occasionally Aron) and getting to know the residents over the span of time. Special thanks to Ivan Gonzalez the photographer for these excellent shots on the last session! This residency has marked the end of Katie's Allsorts Trio's time with Live Music Now. We've had an excellent 6 years and have done 151 participatory performances. I'm now looking forward to mentoring other musicians on the scheme and look forward to my continuing involvement with such an amazing charity.
In other news I'll be submitting my (dual) citizenship application this month, which has been a pile of work to put together. This will be the very last piece to the very long sega, but first I will have lots of waiting to do. Good thing I'm patient (or trying to be!)
It's been 5 months since my move to London and I thought I would do a quick blog update to share some new things with you and also to wish everyone well - I hope you all have a relaxing time over the holidays and all the best for a prosperous 2017. It's going to be a good year! New Function Band - 'There SHE Goes'I've recently joined a brand new acoustic roaming function band called There SHE Goes. The idea with this group is that we can roam around the events we play at and perform to smaller groups of people and then move on somewhere else. It's a great idea for some different, unique entertainment that will really engage audiences. Everyone in the band has great energy and we are looking forward to a busy 2017. It's been lots of fun creating drum parts for my new mobile rig, and coordinating my singing along with it too! New Drum Lessons VideoI recently tried my hand at making a promo video for my drum lessons with the idea of giving the viewer a bit more insight into how I structure my lessons and what to expect. I had a great time learning more about video making and already have some ideas about another video in early 2017. My teaching has started to pick up in London and I am still taking on new students so please contact me if you are interested! New 'Up All Night Band' Live ClipUp All Night Band (My 4 piece party pop/rock group) is still going strong and we are now taking bookings for the summer 2017 season. Here is a live clip from a gig this autumn - we suit any group of folks wanting to have a good time. Get in touch today for a personalised price quote! Faculty Member of 'Camden Light Orchestra'
Karaoke Rocks @ The Constitution, Camden I've played a few times at a brand new night in Camden - Karaoke with a live band. Our music is linked to the lyric monitor so it's just like traditional karaoke, and we've got a huge song list. We've had some really entertaining characters get up and sing and it's been fun trying out some songs I have never sung before. The next one will be 2 February and although I'm not in the house band for that one, I'm hoping to come anyway and have a sing - see you there!
 Too much stuff! Well, it's time for a new chapter - this summer I moved to London! My new place is pretty neat - I can look out from my office/studio to my huge back garden (featured in the video clip I've posted below) that has a walnut tree, apple trees and every so often a handsome ginger cat strolls by that I've named Morrissey. I've only been here a month and have some very exciting projects in the works which I will be able to share more about soon (it's still a secret!!). The past 8 years in Leeds has been really wonderful of course, but I'm hoping this change will spark some fresh creativity into my music. Also you may have noticed a website makeover. It's about time, eh! Summer PhotoshootThis summer I had a great photoshoot with the brilliant Maria Alzamora. I wanted to capture a bit of Leeds before my move and chose to showcase the beautiful Leeds Market and Burley Park Train Station. If you mosey on through around the website, you will spot some more snaps. Which one is your favourite?
Recently I've been collaborating with fantastic South African musician Thanda. We've worked together delivering music workshops for darts and decided we would like to do some playing together on top of that. We made a little video in my back garden showcasing our music. We've really enjoyed figuring out how to make the music work with just vocals and drums. Also it means that we are totally mobile and can add exciting movement to our performing. If this is something you might like for your event, please get in touch for more information! Can you feel the crispness in the air? This blog will be taking a look back at the past few months. This summer was filled with great music, learning and new experiences. I will share a few highlights (in no particular order): I've been playing with excellent vocalist Jenny Smith quite a bit recently. From sunny Sunday Bossa Nova music in Leopold Square, Sheffield to filling the dance floor at Revolucion de Cuba for their 'Big Swing' events in both Sheffield and Manchester, it's been tons of fun.
 Another relatively new project that celebrates the music of James Taylor has been taking off nicely. Sweet Baby James has had 2 brilliant gigs, one in Halifax, West Yorkshire and one in Abergavenny, Wales. Check out a new addition to my kit in the picture above - some majestic wind chimes! It's so hard not to play them constantly in every song because they sound so nice. I'll keep working on it! In other news, I've started taking advanced driving lessons through the Institute of Advanced Motorists and am working towards the advanced driving test. I'm really enjoying the process of becoming a better driver and practicing is a great excuse to get out and about and enjoy everything Yorkshire has to offer. I recommend the lessons to everyone!
As always, please get in touch if you are looking for a drummer, or teacher or anything at all. I look forward to hearing from you!
The fellas in the band really rose to the occasion and played at a consistently high level each night. Matt Hurt on guitar nailed all of the Brian May solos and often combined 2 guitar parts in his playing so that the 4 piece band sounded even bigger than the 5 piece band last year! Pete Gavin laid down the signature Queen bass lines with flair and ease, also he wowed audiences with his entertaining and adventurous solos. Lastly Oli Cadman was the master of the sounds - from pumping rock synth to storm soundscapes he made the band sound smokin'. On top of this, his great keyboard playing kept the singers in line and on form. Not to mention the stunning dance moves from all 3 guys - from choreographed bass + guitar flourishes to Oli's hip dip and clap it was a feast for the senses.  No usual costumes? No problem! Now it's back to the usual mix of teaching, workshops and gigs in and around the UK. Next month I'll be heading back to the Tuscia in Jazz Festival in Bagnoregio, Italy to play a gig with Aeroplanes at Brescia, soak up the sun, food and jazz. Until then, please get in touch if you are looking for a drummer or want to say 'Hi'. Remember, keep fit and have fun!
 Photo - Ian Cartlidge
This past month has been very busy with my trio doing workshops from Live Music Now. Over half term we partnered up with Harrogate International Festivals and NYMAZ to present 'Musical Villages' in North Yorkshire. We started out with a few taster sessions in the local schools leading up to the half term week. Over half term we worked with a great group of kids for 5 half days in a row and composed our own suite of music that we performed on the last day. Using a few words for inspiration, we created a story about Pete (the bass player) and his nemesis, Mr. Artichoke. In the story, Pete unintentionally squashed Mr. Artichoke's family which upset him so much he decided to get Pete back. Pete narrowly escaped death in various scenarios - in the shower, in the car, in the hospital, in the kitchen. We then composed the sound track for the story using drums, percussion, guitar, bass, clarinet, trumpet, alto sax, flute and other instruments. We even recorded our own samples for the music! The final performance was a combination of acting and music and it went down a storm. On top of that, we've been working in a few schools in South Yorkshire. It's been really nice to spend the whole day in one school so we can get a chance to work with more individual children instead of a large group concert style performance.
 I'm an Evans artist! Photo - Pete Gavin I'm thrilled to announce that I have become an Evans artist! I've been playing Evans drum heads since my very first kit so I'm very excited about this. Special thanks to Elaine Smith at D'Addario for sorting it out. In other news, I've had a fantastic summer filled with great gigs including getting my hard hitting klezmer on at Audio Farm Festival in Wales with Tantz (filling in for Matt Davies)  Tantz! The Allsorts Band had a great few gigs - pictured below is with special guests Riley Stone - Lonergan and Alex Munk at The Bull's Head, London. Also we were in Leeds at Wharf Chambers and back with the original lineup at at Glyde House in Bradford and at The Lescar in Sheffield.  The Allsorts Band I've had a few dandy gigs with Up All Night Party Band, and I've depped in a few new bands and met some lovely people. Most recently I've joined Louise Gibbs new project - Seven Deadly Sings. Looking forward to upcoming gigs in Scotland in November.
On the educational side of things, I've been doing my training in Makaton which will be a blast to incorporate into my workshops, and I'll be heading down to London a few times in the upcoming months to do some workshop training with Spitalfields Music. I'm looking ahead to a cosy, musical winter full of drumming and composing (long overdue!!) |
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