Music History and Music Theory questions? Ask Mike!

You’ve always wanted to do more than just listen to music. You want to play a musical instrument yourself. Now you’re going to take the plunge. You’re going to organise music lessons and set aside time for practice. One question remains: which instrument will you choose to learn? … more about Which musical instrument should I learn?

The Rainbow Steel Band opened for business in 1957. Having emigrated from Barbados to the UK , steel pan aficionado Hallam Ifill chose to settle in Bath, Somerset. Other newly-arrived steel band enthusiasts made their homes nearby. A church hall was hired, rehearsals took place, and the Rainbow Steel Band was born. … more about Rainbow Steel Band celebrates 50th anniversary

Ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee) is the Gaelic name for an evening of Scottish country dancing, accompanied by musicians playing a merry mix of traditional jigs, strathspeys and reels. … more about What happens at a Scottish ceilidh?

Hurricane Katrina may have laid waste to the city itself in 2005, but the spirit of the place lives on in the music. This statement was graphically realised at this year’s New Orleans Jazz Festival. … more about The spirit of New Orleans lives on at Jazzfest

Strike up a jig or reel in preparation to dance “The Dashing White Sergeant” and the fiddle is never far away. For centuries, in country towns and villages across the British Isles, dance tunes and fiddle skills were passed from father to son. There was always a local band to call upon at harvest time. … more about The great ceilidh revival

One evening in the early 1930’s in the dressing room of The Claridge on the Champs-Elysees, virtuoso gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt was warming up on his guitar as he always did before a performance, when violinist Stephane Grappelli casually started to improvise around his chords. … more about Swing jazz, the Paris Hot Club way

Music for me is a love affair. The love of my life? An instrument that emanated from the near East, was perfected in Renaissance Italy and has proliferated across Europe and the rest of the world since then, such that it is part of the warp and weft of most styles of musical expression from the humble to the grand. … more about Fiddle player meets classical violinist

Has Glastonbury Festival sold out? It’s an arguable point. One thing is for sure, in terms of tickets, it certainly hasn’t sold out this year, but in terms of ethos - well, there’s no two ways about it, it’s not the same chaotic, quirky, off-the-wall emporium of the Hippy surreal that it once was. … more about Has Glastonbury Festival sold out?

Improve communication, release stress and create a positive attitude in within the workforce by introducing music-making into the workplace. Music workshops provide an novel and innovative method of improving corporate performance. … more about Music builds team spirit in the workplace

In days of yore, the mean fiddler could leap impromptu upon a nine-gallon beer cask in the back room of a country hostelry and whip the crowd into a frenzy with his wild playing. Not so in the UK today. First he must sit down with a long risk-assessment form, then he must complete a detailed license form. … more about The silencing of the mean fiddler