Author: Adrian Lee

Composer and guitarist Adrian Lee is one of the leading music creatives in contemporary UK theatre and is the managing director of Musicotopia, the business arm of his creative production. Adrian Lee's output comprises over 60 scores for theatre, TV, radio, film, dance and music theatre. He has worked extensively with theatre companies including the Royal National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company and Young Vic Theatre. TV scores include music for documentaries broadcast by BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. His compositions have pioneered the integration of world music performance traditions and styles in mainstream media productions and his scores demonstrate a broad spectrum of compositional approach, from devised works, the use of improvisation through to fully-notated compositions. Gamelan music of Southeast Asia figures prominently in his output with collaborations and scores performed in the UK, Europe and Southeast Asia. Adrian's recent project, Hexagram, offered a series of live events in which he curates vibrant new works for electric guitar to showcase the instrument in a broad range of contexts for contemporary concert music.

SEK Spotlight: Izaak Spencer

SEK Spotlight: Izaak Spencer

This week our SEK Spotlight features Izaak Spencer. Izaak has supported the SEK programme through participation and assisting at our 2018 workshops. He is a third year music student from Falmouth University who enjoys learning multiple instruments and hopes to pursue a career in teaching.

  1. Name/Job Title:

    Izaak Spencer, Workshop Assistant

     

  2. Describe your current involvement with music:

    Session musician, multi-instrumentalist, composer and teacher. As well as current 3rd year Popular Music Student at Falmouth University.  Working with a multitude of people from inside and out of the university.

     

  3. How did you achieve a career in music?

    I didn’t really do the ‘band-thing’ like everyone else when they were young, possibly played in one or two when I was 15 but nothing serious! Living in the middle of nowhere (the Yorkshire Dales) meant I lacked musical stimulation from other artists and live gigs, but I always wanted to do more, so I taught myself guitar and most of my theory knowledge.  I never thought I would go to University, I thought it was always something for people with more money and those who wanted to study things like Maths and Sciences.  But I found out there’s no stigma with background when applying to University and you can get all the funding you need to afford it and so I followed my dreams, 400 miles down to the lovely and much more musically vibrant Falmouth.  Since arriving I have spent more time on my own skills, learning as many instruments as possible to fill any possible gap in any band.

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  4. Who are your musical idols and why?

    Where to start! I suppose the first person to make me want to pick up a guitar was James Hetfield from Metallica.  When I was 14, I just thought he was the coolest person in the world; standing on stage in front of thousands every night and loving life.  I learnt as many Metallica riffs as I could.  As I got older I found Matt Bellamy and Muse, which just opened my outlook as to ‘what a guitar can be’!  He made me buy as many pedals and effects as I could, but also realise the beauty and emotion that can be created though intricate compositions and experimenting with different instrumentation.  It really opened my mind to accepting different music to the stage I am at now, where I will just listen to anything that is thrown at me.  A typical journey in the car will consist of Spice Girls, Alter Bridge, Bruce Springsteen, some classic motown and jazz, ABBA, and just about anything else.  I take a lot of influence in my compositions from what I am currently listening to.

    I’m really into a band called ‘KeroKero Bonito’, a fantastic London-based Indie-Alternative-Pop band who’s lead vocalist is half Japanese, bringing her background to the songs and giving everything a fantastically fun J-Pop vibe, but with crushing guitars.  Good times, I recommend!

    5. What are your future music aspirations?

    I hope to carry on teaching; it’s something that I really do love doing. But I do want to keep as much of my session work and composing work on the side as possible.  I suppose I just want to keep being creative and inspiring people to be creative.

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    6. Why do you think the Scratch Electric project is beneficial to young musicians?

    Coming from a background myself where I haven’t had the chance to meet and play with other musicians, I saw this project and immediately saw the positives. With Cornwall being so large, it can be difficult for players to meet and network with each other, but SEK provides a platform for players to explore music in a whole new context; an ensemble.  I learnt myself from working in a guitar ensemble at Falmouth University, that you pick up so many skills that you never would in a band.  Skills like intense listening, professionalism, improvisation and learning pieces.  These are skills that transcend traditional music making in bands and prepare students for a career in the wider world.  It’s never too early to learn and develop these skills.

    7. What advice do you have for young musicians wanting to pursue a career in music?

    Never give up.  Sometimes it might seem like you are going nowhere, but with the right amount of passion and drive you can achieve your goals. Don’t be scared to collaborate and network.  You will always doubt yourself; the best of us do, but always remember where your passion lies and where it can take you.

 

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SEK Spotlight: Matthew George

SEK Spotlight: Matthew George

Our second SEK Spotlight features musician Matthew George. Matthew has been a tutor on the Scratch Electric Programme at our Livewire Youth Music hub in Saltash. From a young age he aspired to a career in music and since then has dedicated his time to expanding his skills and knowledge. Find out his thoughts on the importance of developing as a musician…

1. Name/Job Title:

My name is Matthew George, and I am a tutor for the Saltash group of Scratch Electric Kernow.

2. Describe your current involvement with music:

I am a dedicated musician who is constantly honing his skills and looking for new outlets. I regularly perform around the Plymouth area as part of an acoustic duo; this is one of my more recent ventures, following a number of other musical groups I have been in over the years, including a country duo, an extreme metal band, and a more traditional rock act.  I teach various musical skills (guitar, bass, drums, theory, and production) at Livewire Youth Music Project in Saltash.  This is an amazing opportunity for me to pass on the skills I have honed, and to directly improve the lives of young people.

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Livewire Youth Music
3. How did you achieve a career in music?

From a young age I knew music was going to be a huge part of my life. And also from a young age, to achieve a musical career, I knew that first and foremost, one must be highly proficient at music.  So I made sure to implement a strict practise schedule which I followed, and still do follow.  Once I developed the necessary skills and techniques, it became a case of being able to seize the opportunities around me. If you put your heart into everything you do, people will pick up on that.  And if you do a good job, one thing can lead to another.  It’s always important to keep striving for more, to keep striving to be a better and more diverse musician. If music is your aspiration, you have to be prepared to give it your all.

4. Who are your musical idols and why?

When I was growing up, at school, it was all about bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, Metallica and Nirvana. This was my first real exposure to rock music, which got me into playing guitar.  I was always intrigued by how this style of music could portray such emotion, in a really raw and powerful way.  From there, my tastes became more technical; I became a fan of Progressive Metal such as Opeth and Dream Theater, and this progressed quickly to a deep love for even more complex bands such as Animals as Leaders and Periphery.  The stimulation I got from listening to such creative and experimental music was second to none.  As my ear became more focused, it allowed me to appreciate all the layers of this music as intended, yet it still retained the emotion that drew me to music in the first place.  Recently I have got into contemporary jazz such as Robert Glasper, which delivers that same experimental, complex vibe with a fresh electronic aesthetic.

5. What are your future music aspirations?

I want to continually improve my skills and release some original music at some point in 2019.

6. Why do you think the Scratch Electric project is beneficial to young musicians?

Scratch Electric is an incredibly unique project for young musicians. First and foremost, it brings large numbers of them together, and they can all share knowledge and be inspired by each other.  Everyone has their own unique style, and being exposed to so many others in one room can be incredibly eye opening.  Traditionally you would expect maybe two or three young guitarists maximum to be jamming together at one time.  However when you have 30-40, there are so many different things to learn.  You can’t just power through at full throttle; no single person is in the spotlight.  You really learn to appreciate space, and you learn to get creative, to craft a part that will add a unique texture to everything else that is going on.  It really pushes you out of your comfort zone, and the result is extremely rewarding – and these concepts can then be brought back to your own music when you get home after the session.

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Scratch Electric Rehearsals
7. What advice do you have for young musicians wanting to pursue a career in music?

There is no substitute for hard work.  If you want to be an amazing musician, you’re going to have to work for it.  Be open minded, and seek inspiration from many sources.  The more well rounded you are, the better your own music will sound, and also you’ll be much more employable.  You never know what opportunities you might be offered, and you have to be ready to conquer them, even if they’re slightly out of your comfort zone.  Everyone has their preferred genres, but the language of music is universal – If you’re technically proficient, and know some basic music theory, you’ll find it much easier to jump straight into most musical situations, regardless of what your preferences are.  And I believe that is really important in forging a career for yourself, especially in the early stages where openings can be hard to come by. You could be a really talented person with so much to offer the world, but if you have to turn down a major jazz gig because you can’t play a 9th chord, or you have to turn down the offer to produce an up and coming band’s debut record because you don’t know anything about their particular strain of indie rock, then you are missing out.  Be over-prepared and don’t be afraid to try new things; you never know where they might lead you.

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SEK Spotlight: Phil Innes

SEK Spotlight: Phil Innes

Leading up to the final Scratch Electric Kernow performance in February 2019, we asked our tutors to share some insight into their experience and musical influences, as well as offer advice to young musicians starting out in the industry. Our first SEK Spotlight features Phil Innes. Read on to find out what musical tips he has to share…

  1. Name/Job Title:

    Phil Innes. Tutor for SEK.

  2. Describe your current involvement with music:

    I’m a member of the Ludi Kernow electric guitar quartet. I also make music and sound for theatre, art installations, and videos. I have a little studio so I do quite a bit of recording, sound design, voice overs….

  3. How did you achieve a career in music?

    To begin with, just playing in bands the same as many other people. I’ve always played acoustic guitar as well, but electric guitar is really my first and enduring love. These days I use whatever means are necessary to make music and sound but nothing else is quite as exciting to me as the electric guitar. At the same time as playing in bands, I was developing an interest in theatre. I did a bit of acting and went to Cornwall College to study A level Theatre Studies. Through the connections I made there, I was asked to make music for theatre shows. That became, in a fairly organic way, a bigger part of my musical activity. I love the variety of stuff that you get to make when you’re making music for other situations. I moved to London for a few years in my 20s and learnt a lot while I was there. Not just about playing but about recording. Being a music educator is just an extension of my enthusiasm for sharing music; so that’s always something that I’ve naturally done but I’ve been doing it in a more official capacity for about 20 years now. I’ve only just recently completed a music degree – and that’s sort of taken me off somewhere else…

  4. Who are your musical idols and why?

    Gosh… too many to mention! And if you asked me again next week I’d give you a different list. Radiohead! They’ve made so much amazing music. Music that is angry and angsty, music that is warm and tender, music that is introspective and makes you cry, music that makes you want to punch the air and sing at the top of your lungs… They’ve never been afraid to push into new areas. A band with real integrity! Tom Waits is a hero. There’s a common thread in my musical taste: I love theatricality! But I don’t mean “jazz hands” West End theatricality as such. With an artist like Tom Waits, his entire output feels like one long theatre project. He draws you into a world of places and characters… His music is beautiful but in that way that a rusty vintage car might be beautiful, or a piece of furniture with the paint peeling of it. I love PJ Harvey. Again, an artist with real longevity and still making music that seems vital. I love Steve Reich, Philip Glass, John Adams…. Morton Feldman!! Let’s talk about Rothko Chapel by Morton Feldman! Music that sounds like a ghost most of the time – almost not there at all at times. And then has this beautiful viola melody that knocks me over every time. Gah…. Too many heroes! Anna Calvi, Flaming Lips, Chris Thile….

  5. What are your future music aspirations?

    To just be better at it! It’s a bottomless pit… and to play live more. Live playing was the cornerstone of my musical life for really long time but more recently I’ve become a bit tied to the studio. Over the last couple of years there’s been more live playing and I’ve been reminded of how much I love it.

  6. Why do you think the Scratch Electric project is beneficial to young musicians?

    Because playing together with other people is usually a good idea but when there’s that many electric guitars it becomes a BRILLIANT idea! It’s not something you get to do very often. It allows us to find out other, less obvious things that the instrument is capable of.

  7. What advice do you have for young musicians wanting to pursue a career in music?

    Oh I don’t know… be passionate! But that doesn’t necessarily mean being noisily passionate; some people are passionate in a more quiet, intense way. Other advice: always have a spare set of strings! Ha! Make sure you know at least one AC/DC riff. Never be late for a rehearsal or a gig. Don’t hide in the loo when it’s your turn to make the tea.

www.philinnesmusic.co.uk
@philinnesmusic

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