I managed to trace my musical roots back to my great-grandfather who apparently played Euphonium in Caerwys Town Band, North Wales…since then no-one in the family has played an instrument (or if they have, they haven’t kept playing).
I started playing a way back in 1982 when I was….(not going tell you that!), playing mostly in school and county band until I joined the Glasgow Wind Band in 1986. I think then the whole music scene for me changed and it turned into a career aspiration rather than just a hobby. I was accepted into the RSAMD as a junior student where I studied trombone under Rsno player Lance Green for 3 years and then in 1990 I moved down to Cardiff to become a student of the WCMD.
While in Cardiff, after qualifying I enjoyed a bit of freelancing with the WNO and the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra. A move to Swansea in 1994 coincided with me meeting my 1st husband and then my Daughter Erinna being born at the end of that year.
I then moved to Port Talbot where I became a full-time mum and joined the British Steel Brass Band on 1st trombone. Over time I got more and more heavily involved with the band and eventually became secretary, a post that I held until leaving the band in 2000. During my time with British Steel they became 2nd sect Welsh Champions and were promoted to 1st sect but I also had a chance to play with Parc & Dare Band and Mid Rhondda who were, back then in the welsh Championship section. I did apply to play 2nd trombone in The Cory Band but at the time they weren’t allowing female players into the band…my god, how things have changed.
I move back up here in 2001 have done a bit of teaching at my old school (Stewarton Academy), played in a few shows, school productions mostly and played with Newmilns & Galston Brass Band, Dunaskin Doon Band and for a short time The Ayrshire Symphony Orchestra.
I met my husband, Kevin at the Scottish Regional’s 4 years ago up in Dundee so I have Brass Banding to thank for that. Kevin is a musician in the Royal Regiment of Scotland Band, (Army) and when we got married in 2007 we moved up to Edinburgh to live in married quarters and as I had basically stopped playing 2 years before that when I became pregnant with my 2nd child, retiring completely from playing was easy.
Here I am, out of retirement and playing 2nd bone with Bathgate….nice to sit back and let someone else worry about solo’s and stuff!!!
1. What is your occupation? Full-time mum at the mo to Aedan, who’s not even 2yrs old yet. I should be a brass instrumental teacher in a school somewhere…can’t say I miss it though.
2. If you were a crayon, what colour would you be? Blue
3. Favorite drink? Bailey’s
4. What do you do to vent anger? Moan at Kevin or go to the gym and take it out on the x-trainer or something!
5. What is on the floor of your wardrobe? God, everything! Shoes and Boots mostly…oh, and odd socks! Why does that happen, they go into the washing machine as a pair but never come out the same way?
6. What inspires you most? Losing 2lbs on the scales…..it should inspire me NOT to eat chocolate ever again, but hey, am female chocolate is a necessity!
7. What are you afraid of? Becoming like my dad…..unfit, unhealthy, over-weight and lonely.
8. Favorite car? Morris Minor! Nothing new, fast and flashy for me, (hmm, is that why I married Kevin?), prefer something old, solid and traditional with a bit of class!!
