Three short piano improvisations as winter approaches

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It is 75 years since the total destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Despite the efforts of governments and millions of concerned people across the world, the nuclear clock is as close to midnight as it was in the Cold War. Yet the UK still refuses to get rid of Trident and sign up to the […]

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Earth Our Home, a piece for Lightnight 2020

Lockdown scuppered the Liverpool Lightnight Festival this year but not all is lost. Here, in two parts, is a selection of poetry and music, recorded by myself and Helena Paul, another co-founder of Footloose. This material would have formed part of our live performance. All artwork by Helena. Earth Our Home Part 1 Earth Our […]

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Body percussion for children and families

If you want something different to do at home, here are some rhythm exercises using hands, feet and face, for children and families. Have a listen and then experiment with your own ideas.

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Vocal improvisation ideas

Here are some ideas you can try out at home when you feel bored. The great thing about doing it in isolation is you don’t need to worry about getting embarrassed and wondering what other people think! Body percussion /music – rubbing hands Different hand claps Hands tapping face Thighs and feet Vocalisations 1 Vocalisations […]

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Insect sounds

Insects hear in many different ways, with many different parts of the body. I don’t know how one cricket sounds to another, but suspect it is nothing like the sounds we hear. Here’s some recorded cricket calls, vastly slowed down, so the rhythms can be picked out by human ears.

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Defenders of the Forests

Paulo Paulino Guajajra, in Brazil, and Liviu Pop, in Romania, are the most recent forest rangers to have been murdered trying to protect the forests they loved. Many others have been killed, attacked or threatened – for being  guardians, protecting the earth. This lament is for all the ancient forests in the world, and all […]

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You can’t tame a Zebra

It’s true – however much you manipulate..there are some animals you just can’t domesticate! Good to know in these over-tamed times

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Sound of wind in poplar trees

Some people can recognise different tree species by the sound of the wind in their leaves (i can’t)

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Cabaret for the Anthropocene

This was the theme of an artist’s residency in Masterton, New Zealand, and continues to develop. In it i combine improvisation, recorded sounds and my own songs, exploring what it means to be human in this time when human activity is affecting our planetary systems – climate, atmosphere, landscapes, and the delicate web of life […]

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