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Sophie Cavez is a self-taught diatonic accordionist and electric bassist from Belgium. She has firmly established herself in the world of button accordion music, leading her own projects and offering her talent to others in the worlds of concert, balfolk, theatre and storytelling. She has spread a new diatonic sound across the Belgian and international stages, combining power, charm, and sensitivity.
Her career spans many collaborations across multiple different European countries and cultures. Her current projects include her own group KV EXPRESS which offers a repertoire consisting solely of her personal compositions in a drum’n bass n’accordeon trio. DUO MONTANARO/CAVEZ, with the French violinist Baltazar Montanaro, with numerous concerts around the world and already a great reputation after 15 years on stage. • SIRUS project with 2 Swedish musicians, Josefina Paulson and Jonas Akerlund. DUO PAULSON/CAVEZ born from the meeting within the Sirus Quartet project, CD 'Murmures' recorded in 2023. SARAÏ with the fantastic Occitan singer Juliette Minvielle and Baltazar Montanaro, the trio was born in 2022 and now tours in concert format and in folk ball format with a repertoire of poems in Occitan set to music by the trio. With a first CD in 2023. Duo project with her partner, JULIEN PADOVANI, pianist from Poitiers. And most recently with FLUENCIA QUARTET - an encounter between the worlds of flamenco, Swedish traditional music and Belgian accordion.
Sophie's Links:
website | Facebook | Tunebooks & CDs
Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinar tutorials & learning resource archive:
Learn DG melodeon with Mel at The Stables, Milton Keynes Nov 25/Jan 26:
Live @ Mel's & ONLINE Double duo house concert 9th December 2025:
Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:
Intro & outro music:
'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.
Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':
www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com
Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk
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Bruno Le Tron is a diatonic accordionist based in Brittany, France. It was in the 1980s that he discovered folk dance and Fest-Noz and developed a passion for the diatonic accordion. A few years later, his encounter with Jean Blanchard and Evelyne Girardon marked the beginning of his professional career. In 1990, Bruno wrote his first album, the famous "Valhermeil". What followed was a succession of encounters, musical of course, but above all intensely human.
He toured the French and international stages, developing his style, both energetic and sensitive, without ceasing to compose dozens, hundreds of pieces, the most famous of which were covered by musicians from all walks of life. He was one of the founding members and composers of various groups: Maubuissons, a Franco-Belgian creation based on the diatonic accordion and European music, Topanga, a completely original reed trio (bagpipes, harmonium, accordion), Vertigo, which revisits French neo-traditional music, duo Laloy-Le Tron, a diatonic accordion duo dedicated to an energetic and sensitive folk dance.
Bruno discovered Balkan music alongside François Heim, with whom he formed the duo Intersection. He also participates in the international project Samuraï Accordion, a European quintet of diatonic accordionists that won the Charles Cros Grand Prix du Disque in 2011. Finally, he is currently working on a new, more personal project: Initium, a concert or Bal Folk based almost exclusively on his new compositions, in which he is accompanied by a clarinet, a double bass, and percussion.
This conversation takes place in both French and English, with translations where necessary.
Bruno's Links:
Website | Tutorial book series | YouTube | Facebook | SoundCloud
Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinar tutorials & learning resource archive:
Learn DG melodeon L2 with Mel at The Stables, Milton Keynes November 9th 2025:
Double duo house concert Live @ Mel's 9th December 2025:
Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:
Intro & outro music:
'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.
Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':
www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com
Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk
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Judy Minot is a music educator and musician, and the author of the award-winning book Best Practice, Inspiration and Ideas for Traditional Musicians. She plays piano, accordion (piano and bisonoric), and fiddle in a range of styles including Celtic, Québécois, Playford, jazz, and contra.
Judy believes in the power of trad/folk music to bring richness to our adult lives. “Amateur” musicians often compare ourselves, in a negative way, to professionals. But being a dedicated musician does not mean you have to make a living by it, or even perform. If you love making music, you deserve to take yourself seriously and love your own playing, no matter your age, your profession, or your level of playing.
Judy herself has never been a professional musician. Instead, she enjoyed a long and successful career in broadcast television and in digital marketing, while playing Celtic/Irish music with Patrick Clifford and Fiona Tyndall, and playing English Country/Playford and contra dances all over the East Coast US. She was on the staff of Folk College, an annual music camp in Pennsylvania, USA. She has recorded with Patrick Clifford, Anna Bosnick, and the band Na’bodach, and her solo CD, Give Us a Tune, is available via streaming on Soundcloud.
Judy holds a 4th degree black belt in the martial art of Kokikai Aikido, which she taught at Rutgers University for 12 years. She is also a certified yoga teacher. She has written regularly for Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and publishes a regular blog on the concepts of Best Practice. She has taught Best Practice workshops online and in person at many camps and festivals including Ashokan Northern Week, Northeast Heritage Music Camp, and the Northeast Squeeze-In. Judy currently resides in Ireland.
Judy's Links
Webiste | Book | Blog | SoundCloud
Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinar tutorials & learning resource archive:
Learn DG melodeon with Mel at The Stables, Milton Keynes September 28th 2025:
Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:
Intro & outro music:
'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.
Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':
www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com
Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk
Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:
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Chris Hall is a 5-time award winning accordion player / vocalist / harmonica / bass / guitar / drums who, it’s said, almost single handedly introduced the sounds of Cajun and Zydeco swamp music to the UK. His first band 'RCajun and the Zydeco Brothers' and founding The Derby Swamp Club started an avalanche of interest in this music. He has headlined festivals all over Europe appearing in several other bands. Chris founded his own agency, Swampmusic, which brought many leading Louisiana bands direct to the UK and Europe. He started his own record label Bearcat Records and hosted his own regular weekly Cajun and Zydeco show on BBC Radio 2. He has appeared an over 30 albums including the works of global music superstars including Paul McCartney, Dave Gilmour, Ian Paice, Mick Green and Pete Wingfield, Kate Bush, Seth Lakeman, Bill Wyman and Mike Harding.
His international band Cajun Roosters brought together members from Germany, Belgium, Scotland, France and England headlining theatres and festivals in Germany, France, Belgium, Denmark, Indonesia, Austria, Netherlands, Poland and the UK.
He continues to headline festivals with his various bands and plays locally when he has time with Lil Roosters and The Shamrockers and also plays drums with local band Carla and the Honeymakers. When he’s not out playing he gives classes in Cajun music and also builds, tunes and restores melodeons in his workshop.
Chris's Links
SwampMusic website | CajunRoosters website | Facebook
Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinar tutorials & learning resource archive:
Learn DG melodeon with Mel at The Stables, Milton Keynes September 28th 2025:
Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:
Intro & outro music:
'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.
Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':
www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com
Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk
Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:
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Simon Care started playing melodeon at the age of 10, after failing terribly at the Piano Accordion. Playing for Moulton Morris, under the watchful eye of Dave Jolly he eventually ended up playing in the local morris ceilidh band, Captain Thunderbox. After depping in The Cock and Bull Band for Dave Whetstone, he was invited to join The Albion Band. He toured with them for 8 years and recorded 6 albums. After a short hiatus, he then joined roots/reggae band Edward II, where he toured the world until 1999.
He formed his own band, Tickled Pink, during this time, and recorded with various artists including Show of Hands, Merry Hell, Little Johnny England, Trad Arrr. In 2009 Edward II reformed and carried on their journey, and recorded 3 subsequent albums. Simon is currently working with Banter, with Tim, Nina and Mark, and regards it as one of his favourite musical adventures .... in total he has recorded over 60 albums - but the one closest to his heart is Two's Up and Two's Up 2 recorded with his long time friend and stunt double Gareth Turner, who we sadly lost in Sept 2023. As he would say "Keep on keeping on".
Simon's Links
Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinar tutorials & learning resource archive:
CLOSING DATE 7TH JULY Folk Unbound: The Gathering 14-18th July 2025
www.melbiggsmusic.co.uk/folkunbound
Wilkes' Gob Border Morris recruitment practice 20th July:
Contact wilkesgob@gmail.com
Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:
Intro & outro music:
'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.
Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':
www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com
Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk
Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:
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Frankie Insley is a multi instrumentalist based in Newcastle who has a deep love for the one-row melodeon and fiddle. After discovering folk through Morris dancing as a teenager, and completing the Newcastle University Folk Music Degree, she has become a passionate advocate for the joy of folk.
Frankie is an absolute force for community folk music and dance. She is the founder of DIY Ceilidh, a chaotic, joyful and hugely popular monthly ceilidh series that is volunteer-run and queer friendly.
When she’s not calling ceilidhs she is also heavily involved with Newcastle’s punk scene, performing in her band Bitchfinder General. She also performs with the Newcastle drone folk collective Powtes.
Frankie will be guest tutoring alongside Mel and Lucy Huzzard on the inaugural Folk Unbound: The Gathering folk music summer camp for women and marginalised gender musicians looking to gain confidence and explore group music making in a celebratory way.
Frankie's Links
Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinar tutorials & learning resource archive:
Learn melodeon with Mel at The Stables, Milton Keynes June 28th 2025:
Apply to join Folk Unbound: The Gathering 14-18th July 2025
www.melbiggsmusic.co.uk/folkunbound
Mel's workshop/session/concert at Bormingham Accordion Centre 5th July:
https://melbiggsmusic.co.uk/calendar
Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:
Intro & outro music:
'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.
Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':
www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com
Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk
Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:
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An accordionist, violinist, singer, composer, and arranger, Martin's artistic approach is open and curious about different aesthetics, from dance music, bal folk, jazz, musette, gypsy swing, contemporary and improvised music. Martin began playing for Balfolk at the age of 13. He built a solid background focused on the traditional music of Western Europe and has been sharing his skills since a young age in music schools and numerous workshops. He also plays in numerous Breton music ensembles. After studying musicology, he moved to Sweden to study music and dance. He works with contemporary dance and explores different aesthetics, including gypsy swing and improvised music. Today, Martin devotes himself to live performance and creation through concerts, musical theater, shows for young audiences, film concerts, and folk dances.
Join me this month as I sit down to chat with Martin about his time growing up in Brittanny surrounded with traditional and contemporary folk music, the relationship between the bow of his fiddle and the bellows of his accordion, meeting accordionista Marc Perrone, how it is to learn and work across different European cultures and what public transport means to him as a performer.
Martin's Links:
Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinar tutorials & learning resource archive:
Learn melodeon with Mel at The Stables, Milton Keynes May 10th & June 28th 2025:
Apply to join Folk Unbound: The Gathering 14-18th July 2025
www.melbiggsmusic.co.uk/folkunbound
Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:
Intro & outro music:
'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.
Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':
www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com
Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk
Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:
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Join me this month as I sit down to chat with Archie Churchill-Moss who has worked as a session musician for some of the UK's top folk acts (Seth Lakeman, Sam Sweeney, Cara Dillon, Eliza Carthy, Blair Dunlop, Jim Moray) and producers (Andy Bell, Ed Harcourt). Performing with trio 'Moore, Moss, Rutter' saw him receive the coveted BBC Radio 2 Folk Award in 2011.
Archie has toured extensively across western Europe and perform at some of Europe's top music festivals, including headline slots at Colours of Ostrava (Czech Republic), Tønder festival (Denmark), Cropredy Convention (UK) and Cambridge Folk Festival (UK). With a contemporary approach to composition and arrangement, Archie has developed a style of playing that draws as much influence from the tradition as it does modern popular music. His engaging teaching style comes from a wealth of experience in his position as principle lecturer at Leeds College of Music and teaching on the National Youth Folk Ensemble.
Listen in to find out more about our teaching approaches, why G Major is the centre of both our musical universes, his new collaboration and forthcoming album with Irish player Moya Sweeney, his working relationship with Tom Moore and more.
Archie's Links:
Website | Instagram | Bandcamp
Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinar tutorials & learning resource archive:
Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:
Intro & outro music:
'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.
Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':
www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com
Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk
Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:
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Leija Lautamaja is a Helsinki-based artist and musician specialised in Finnish and Nordic folk music & dance. Her instruments are 2.5 row diatonic accordion, reed organ, electric guitar and voice. She has a Master’s degree in folk music from the Sibelius Academy, with her musical roots in the local traditions of Southern Ostrobothnia in Western Finland where she grew up surrounded by the living tradition of Finnish melodeon playing.
Her active bands are Nordic co-operation Floating Sofa Quartet, Finnish folky girl band ENKEL, and The Moontwins - a warm-hearted rock’n’roll duo with one of Finland’s most respected guitarists PK Keränen. Currently she’s working on her singer-songwriter solo album.
Join me this month as I chat with Leija about growing up with a champion punk rock guitarist father and how that's influenced her own take on composition, song writing and performance, getting to work with one of her musical heros PK Keränen in Moontwins Duo, nerding out over trad music from other Nordic countries that travels far and wide, and we even touch upon the socio-political history of Finland and how that's likely to have had an effect on the slow growth of social folk dance in Finland. Until Leija got her hands on it, that is!
Leija's Links:
Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinar tutorials & learning resource archive:
Folk Unbound: The Gathering 2025 - Early Bird prices end 14th March!
www.melbiggsmusic.co.uk/folkunbound
Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:
Intro & outro music:
'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.
Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':
www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com
Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk
Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:
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Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne is well known on the English folk scene for his work with the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominated trio ‘Granny’s Attic’ and as a soloist. Originally from Birmingham, Cohen developed a keen love for melodeons and concertinas while still at primary school. Cohen’s main passion is for English traditional music and song, but his musical interests run broader than that, into Baroque music, ragtime, and Victorian popular music and he has been known to throw all of these into his performances and teaching.
Join me this month as I sit down to chat with Cohen about his route into English folk music, how his journey through the education system all the way up to Leeds University School of Music has shaped his approach to the work, the evolution of Granny's Attic and the working relationship with Lewis and George, how he developed his distinctive style of singing and playing, and the importance of Black Music acknowledgement in the history of English folk music, and the influences that go between cultures.
Cohen's Links:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp
Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:
Mel's Improver melodeon workshop at The Stables, Milton Keynes Mar 1st 2025:
Folk Unbound: The Gathering 2025 - Applications open 14th Feb!
www.melbiggsmusic.co.uk/folkunbound
Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:
Intro & outro music:
'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.
Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':
www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com
Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk
Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:
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John Spiers is famously one of the busiest and most unavailable box players on the English folk music circuit. Most well known for his long-term collaboration with Jon Boden in Spiers & Boden, and together co-founding their multi-award winning global phenomenon big band Bellowhead, John can also be seen playing with Steeleye Span's Peter Knight as a duo, Peter's Gigspanner Big Band, and Saltlines, as well as in duo with fiddler & vocalist Jackie Oates.
Join me this month as I get to fangirl my original melodeon hero - the reason I picked up a box in the first place - and find out more about his journey into folk music and what a wild ride it's been to experience such a monumentous career trajectory from the quaint, rural Oxfordshire villages he sessioned in as a young adult, to the bright lights of Bellowhead's reign.
John's Links:
Mel's melodeon workshops at The Stables, Milton Keynes Jan & Mar 2025:
Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:
Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:
Intro & outro music:
'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.
Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':
www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com
Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk
Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:
YouTube | Instagram | Facebook
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Martin Ellison is a gem of the traditional English folk music scene. Hailing from Leyland in the industrial North West of England, he's had an affinity with Southern English Country Music since his early teens. Growing up through the revival of the late 60s and 70s he was exposed to a variety of influential folkies including Bernard Wrigley "The Bolton Bullfrog", Shirley and Dolly Collins, Mike Harding, John Kirkpatrick, Reg Hall, Roger Edwards, Oscar Woods, Bob Cann among many others. He went on to form his ceilidh band Ran Tan Band and played for The Threlfall Sisters.
Join us for a cosy, wholesome conversation between two generations of traditional English folk musicians comparing notes on session etiquette, the positives and negatives of sharing on social media, and opening up about our personal battles with mental health and performance anxiety.
Martin's Links:
Replay Martin's Melinar: A Masterclass With The Maestro:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/116906019
Mel's Festive Melodeon workshop & concert Birmingham Accordion Centre 7th December 2024:
https://accordioncentre.com/acb/whats-on/
Mel's melodeon workshops at The Stables, Milton Keynes Jan & Mar 2025:
Sign up to the Folk Unbound mailing list for more information about mine & Lucy's folk camp in July 2025:
https://pages.melbiggsmusic.co.uk/fsuf83bapj
Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:
Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:
Intro & outro music:
'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.
Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':
www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com
Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk
Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:
YouTube | Instagram | Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Do you reflect on how familar spaces, people, events shape you over time? Do you ever think about how these situations affect you positively/negatively, internally/externally? How can we build better 'nests' to nurture ourselves and others, allowing the discovery and development of our real abilities and talents?
Big questions for a Monday morning! But don't let that put you off. Join me and Lucy Huzzard - Sheffield based singer/songwriter, musician, folk dancer & educator - for a comforting romp through some stuff we both wanted to air out with you all.
And we FINALLY get to announce an exciting new venture that we're both collaborating on next summer...
Lucy's Links:
Instagram | Lucy & Hazel IG | Lucy & Hazel FB | Lucy & Hazel website
Replay Lucy's Melinar: Melodeon Friendly Swedish Tune - Frejas Hymne Polska:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/114442049
Sign up to the mailing list to hear more about 'The Out Crowd' event in Castleton, Derbyshire, 14-18 July 2025:
https://pages.melbiggsmusic.co.uk/fsuf83bapj
INFO Beginner/Improver melodeon workshop with Mel 10-3pm The Stables, Milton Keynes, November 23rd 2024:
INFO Mel's Festive Melodeon workshop & concert Birmingham Accordion Centre 7th December 2024:
https://accordioncentre.com/acb/whats-on/
Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:
Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:
Intro & outro music:
'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.
Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':
www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com
Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk
Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:
YouTube | Instagram | Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As a player of an instrument, have you ever thought to take musical inspiration from another? How would you go about doing that? Do beards make you a better bird watcher? How does Rapper dance culture differ from the rest of the Morris/English folk dance world? These questions and more covered in this month's episode!
Will Allen is an English melodeon, fiddle, and banjo player. Having gained quite a solid reputation as one of England's busiest and most in demand folk musicians, he can turn his hand to most things dance including ceilidh, contra, Irish, Scottish, Morris, Rapper and more. He can be seen playing with duo Brown Boots with Martin Clarke on fiddle, Quebec inspired Club Débris, Contra/Set Dance duo WillPower with Will Chamberlain on keys, and his two solo English Fiddle albums, recorded with Rowan Piggot.
A young head on old shoulders, this month's chat illuminates Will's approach to music and life, how he takes sanctuary in the Great Outdoors, and firmly believes in not boxing yourself into a culture corner when it comes to finding inspiration. I hope you find joy in his wisdom and enjoy listening!
JARGON BUSTER:
Border - a style of Morris dancing from the border counties of England & Wales
Rapper - Rapper Sword Dancing - lively trad. NE England dances with flexible steel 'rapper swords'
DERT - Dancing England Rapper Tournament
Irons/rubbers - the wooden sole of a NW Morris dancer's clogs are shod with iron or rubber
Will's Links:
Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | YouTube | Club Debris | Brown Boots
Replay Will's Melinar: It's Not *Just* A Melodeon - how to take influence from other instruments:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/112800836
INFO Absolute Beginner Melodeon Workshop with Mel 10-3pm October 12th 2024 (hire boxes available):
Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:
Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:
Intro & outro music:
'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.
Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':
www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com
Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk
Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:
YouTube | Instagram | Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How does one dance and play at the same time with a 6kg instrument strapped to them? How many jobs can one switch with Tim Van Eyken? Why should everyone try Morris dancing at least once in their lifetime? And how do you leave a job with AstraZeneca in a blaze of glory to become a full-time musician?
... this, and many more questions answered in this month's Very Lovely Chat!
Saul Rose is an English folk singer, Morris dancer, and diatonic accordion player. He is known for his work with Eliza Carthy, Waterson:Carthy, Faustus, Maclaine Colston duo, James Delarre duo, and the eminent ceilidh band Whapweasel, amongst many others. He took over the actor-musician role of 'Songman' in War Horse at The National Theatre. Saul has danced and played with many Morris sides over the years, including Hexham Morris (Cotswold), Chiltern Hundreds (North West), and Newcastle Kingsmen (Rapper).
CW Saul talks about the circumstances of Paul Sartin's death from 33:50 to 35:36.
Saul's Links:
Saul Rose & James Delarre Bandcamp | Saul's Facebook Page
Replay Saul's Melinar on Total Melodeon - how to get everything you want out of your instrument:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/110971161
INFO Weedon Balfolk (nr. Northampton) 1/2 day dance/music workshop & evening bal September 21st 2024:
https://www.weedonbalfolk.co.uk/
Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:
Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:
Intro & outro music:
'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.
Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':
www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com
Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk
Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:
YouTube | Instagram | Facebook
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Have you ever considered what it's like to grow up as a woman on the English folk scene? How can you evolve as an artist and learn to own your artistic voice? How can we collectively empower other women and young girls to take up leading roles in creative careers? And why are good reels so hard to find for the melodeon?!
My guest this month is singer, songwriter and multi instrumentalist Hazel Askew. She's one third of full throttle fempowered folk band Lady Maisery, works with her sister Emily Askew, has won several music awards including Best Album for 2017 folk supergroup Songs of Separation, and appears with Awake Arise - a collaboration between Lady Maisery and Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith - for their midwinter tour, and leads regular music workshops for the EFDSS and other regional organisations.
Our conversation flows through influences in younger self, to balancing time for education projects and perfomance opportunities, working in film, TV and theatre, including Fisherman's Friends: The Musical where we both shared the stage.
Hazel's links:
Website | Facebook Page | Instagram
Replay Hazel's Melinar tutorial on accompanying songs:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/108784848
VLOG: 1 YEAR WITH MY CASTAGNARI HANDRY - Theatre update:
https://youtu.be/4zq3VpbnZlQ?si=TsA5I7q4NLd5d_1N
VLOG: WHAT IT WAS REALLY LIKE WORKING IN MUSICAL THEATRE | First Time Actor-Muso:
https://youtu.be/Q9_p2UtqTTw?si=JEgj6KJbr3OMEdMp
VLOG: English Folky's First French Festival - Le Son Continu 2023:
https://youtu.be/PuY3pK4a6xs?si=ee_0fHnfz5Ya2mFY
Join my PATREON for extended podcast episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:
Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:
Intro & outro music:
'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.
Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':
www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com
Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk
Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:
YouTube | Instagram | Facebook
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Did you know that silent movies are still a thing? And who knew that diatonic accordion works so well in Baroque music?! And what's this about a Belgian footbass?
Benjamin Macke is a French accordionist, composer, teacher and Belgian basse au pied revivalist living in Belgium. His musical style is rather blended, having started out as a classical percussionist, jazz drummer and trombonist, he plays with a variety of musicians including his partner Birgit Bournauw, Flemish & Baroque bagpiper.
As well as Duo Macke-Bournauw, he is known for his playing with Balfolk band Shillelagh, various theatre & ensemble projects for audiences of all ages, and his solo movie-concert project Le Ciné-concert de Poche where he writes and performs sound tracks for silent movies.
Tune in this month for conversations about making connections with ourselves, our instruments, our audiences and our students and fellow musicians, and why this is so important not just in music, but in being part of a community.
Benjamin's links:
Website | Facebook Page | YouTube
Replay Benjamin's Melinar tutorial on fingering, phrasing & accents:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/106977278
VLOG When I met Benjamin at Halsway Manor Melodeon Study week:
VLOG I Blame Benjamin Macke for this:
Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:
Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:
Intro & outro music:
'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.
Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':
www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com
Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk
Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:
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Ever wondered what the record is for how many tunes someone can compose in a day?! Well, I'm not sure of the official answer to that, but I'm sure Toon could give the winner a run for their money! His iconic melodies have travelled far and wide across the Euro-dance music scene over the last two decades and more.
Toon Van Mierlo is a Belgian musician of many talents including diatonic accordion, bagpipes, saxophone and whistles. He is best known for his work with multi award winning folk duo Naragonia, and for his playing with Hot Griselda, Novar and Duo Decombel-Van Mierlo, among many others.
In this episode, we discover how a life-long fascination with biology and the natural world has lead to the birth of many tunes and projects for Toon over the years, both musically and otherwise. Join me this month as I sit down with a very good friend to get to know them and their outlook on music and life a little better.
Naragonia's links:
Website | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram
Watch Toon's Composing In Real-Time Melinar on my Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/104719753
TurboBal UK Tour June 2024:
https://melbiggsmusic.co.uk/turbobal-uk-tour-2024/
Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:
Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:
Intro & outro music:
'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.
Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':
www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com
Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk
Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:
YouTube | Instagram | Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Everyone has a comfort zone - even the multi-talented musicians who you might assume are impervious to such things. How can we challenge ourselves to overcome our uncertainties and nervousness to take a risk and break free of the pigeon holes we put ourselves in? Are you motivated by feeling the joy music brings to others?
Pascale Rubens is a composer, singer, teacher and diatonic accordionist best known as one half of multi award winning Belgian folk duo Naragonia. This month's conversation takes a relaxed route, finding many commonalities along the way. Through talk of finding vs making time for creativity amongst everything else life entails, drastic career changes and finding the accordion later in life, and getting geeky over our shared passion for teaching and being a part of our student's successes. Also, I get nosey about how Naragonia's secret sauce is made...
A thoroughly lovely chat in which you get to hear two friends deepen their acquaintance, and mutual appreciation of each other's work.
Naragonia's links:
Website | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram
Watch Pascale's Rhythmical Accompaniment for Dance Melinar on my Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/103145730
Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:
Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:
Intro & outro music:
'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.
Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':
www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com
Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk
Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:
YouTube | Instagram | Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What makes a hard-working, award-winning melodeon legend? How do you turn a terrible idea into a musical triumph without falling out with other people? And what's the strategy for remembering SEVEN current repertoires at once?!
Andy Cutting is an internationally renknowned diatonic accordion player from England. He works extensively across genres (and borders) in duos, trios and bigger line ups as a dance musician, session player, & accompanist. His current bands include Blowzabella, Topette!, Leveret, Niepold:Cutting, Gudrun Walther & Andy Cutting, and Martin Simpson's band. Join me this month as I sit down in conversation with him to chat about his long career in folk music and beyond, how he works with other people, and how he has become internationally recognised his characteristic sound and style.
Andy's links:
Andy's Playing With Other People Melinar on my Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/101033499
Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:
Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:
Intro & outro music:
'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.
Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':
www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com
Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk
Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:
YouTube | Instagram | Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.