Galtres Festival 2012

The other weekend I endured the joy of sleeping two people to a one man tent and wrecking my back purely because it was my favourite time of the family year. No, I don't mean my birthday - that was two weeks ago. I mean that it was time for the best family outing I get every year, to the Galtres festival. This particular festival seems to be the only one where I can find decent vegetarian take-out food, but the food isn't all, only just a bonus.

Galtres has so much going on for family; unusual things - unless jousting and falconry are something you see everyday, a jam packed programme of workshops and entertainment for both children and adults as well as fantastic bands playing, which often introduces me to those I didn't know of before. If it wasn't for Galtres, I may never have even discovered Blackbeard's Tea Party.

I have to say, I was sad to see the Angel Gardens not there this year since I had a bet on with 'the Poi lady' that this year we'd have a spin off but busking, bands and the 'gyspy' gypsy tent kept me well occupied and entertained.

As far as acts go, there were some fantastic ones. Feeds, Ellen and the Escapades, The Happy Endings, Victoria Hume and Bootscraper are definite recommendations, and also Sarah Horn & James Cudworth who were in The Undecided last year absolutely captivated everybody with their fabulous folk music. Unfortunately for them, the paragliding photographer was making a distraction of himself whilst they played, but what else do you expect from this festival really?

I did enjoy all of the headline acts, apart from Adam Ant who I listened to for five minutes before deciding that I'm probably not the right age and don't have the right tastes to even begin to quite understand the appeal. (Sorry to any fans reading this!)

The highlight of Galtres for me was undoubtedly Ellen and the Escapades. I've been following them on Twitter for a while, but hadn't realized they were playing so I was quite surprised when I did and went to see them. Four words: vocally and instrumentally flawless.

One thing I've learnt though is that I'm starting to turn into a music snob, tearing other people's vocal technique apart in my head when in reality I have no right because I make the same mistakes. This doesn't bode well. I must switch off the Maureen Hunter voice from my head.

Anyway, until next year Galtres!

Click here for information about the festival.

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Spring Cleaning My Whole Life

"Why on earth do I have so much stuff?" I asked myself only after I'd pulled out the entire contents of my wardrobe. I don't think I realized that my hoarding habit had got quite that ridiculous until then. I mean, it was so bad that I was shocked not to find mini lost Amazonian tribes in there in their own little mini world.

This week is my designated 'spring clean' because lo and behold, my 16th birthday arrives this Thursday and I want to clear out the shit of school and my past and have a new, fresh start. New college, new friends, being discharged from the CAHMS system, a fresher room and a new me is exactly what I need, and exactly what I'm making happen.

I'm going to explain some of my story today, which is a tender subject, but hopefully it'll help you to understand my music and my outlook more, and just how much it means to me that some people like my music.

Basically, I've always had troubles when it came to people and being accepted. In primary school I was always 'the fat one',  and in secondary school I was always too 'weird' to be seen with. I studied hard, I dressed flamboyantly, I loved all sorts of unusual things compared to other people, and I hated most things that were 'in'. And obviously because of the way people treated me, spoke about me, the physical trials they put me through and also other factors which made me wary of the opposite gender, I began to hate myself.
Understatement. I despised myself and I wanted to die so badly and there was nobody I could talk to. I'd pushed everybody who did care away and tried everything to cope with my feelings; various forms of self harm and trying to make myself perfect. But I don't want to dwell on the past now. I will blog about my eating disorder some other time in relation to the media and peer pressure, but not now. The point is, without having music and my online fandoms to help me, I probably wouldn't be here. Being in and out of counselling never really helped me, and school was shit at doing anything until the final year.

Anyway, the important thing now is to wake up every morning and thank God that he led me back to him after I lost all belief, hope, and general understanding of myself and be damn proud of myself for getting through it all. Even just 6 months ago, when I first attempted to become Astrid-Gwynedd I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel and now I'm here. Okay, I still have some quite horrendous days and I am still on medication, but that's to be expected. The difference though, is incredible. I've learnt that although I may not be the most talented, intelligent or beautiful girl, and I may have quite a few extra pounds around my waist from binge eating due to stress, but what does it matter? I finally accept that I have a right to be just as happy as the next person, and if I want to be then I shouldn't care about these things. My unusual tastes make me more cultured, my looks don't matter compared to my nature and as long as I enjoy my hobbies that's all that matters.

And you know the ironic thing? I have more friends at college than any of those people who gave me problems at school.

I'd like to finish off this post by making a plea to anybody out there who feels victimized, worthless and suicidal. Tell somebody. Tell somebody who can do something. It's so difficult, but if you can talk about the way you feel then you're on the first step to finding your light and coming out of the darkness. Even if you want somebody else to do it for you and 'notice' to prove they care, you have to be the one to do it. You're the one in control, and you really are in control. One day, it could be you having come out of it all, stronger and better than the people who dragged you down and you're not alone. You never will truly be alone. Just remember how incredibly brave and amazing you are.

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Things That Bemuse Me #5: The Hipster and The Pastel Hair Craze

Don't get me wrong, I love pastel hair, I really do. See my picture of my poor fading hair below. I dip dyed my hair pink because it was something that I've wanted to do from the age of 6.

However, what I can't understand is how now that I've left school and it's no longer against the rules, it's been gradually becoming the fashion for the last year. I'm no hipster, but I hate being 'mainstream' and the same as everybody else purely because I feel like I want to express who I am and if that becomes fashion then people will look at me as if I'm a mindless clone, or a sheep who just goes along with the herd. This is not true to my personality or intention. However, I do undeniably have pastel passion from my days of being lolita so anybody who has pastel coloured hair is +100 on my respect list. 

Anyway, my rant was not supposed to be about how people perceive me, it was supposed to be an online rambling about a quandry which has been perplexing me for quite some time now, and I would love for somebody to discuss and perhaps enlighten me to the answer.

In English, I mean 'who the heck started this?!'

My guess is that it stems from Tumblr girls, because let's face it, the famous ones are hipster. Here is a step by step guide to my current theory:

1. Hipsters on Tumblr.

2. Non-hipsters join Tumblr and follow hipsters.

3. They realize that hipsters look pretty darn cool and draw 'inspiration'
4. They end up looking exactly like a hipster.
5. Non Tumblr people see these Tumblr people who are half-hipster, see so many, copy, and it becomes in fashion.

I don't doubt that celebrities have done it also, it's just to me everybody nowadays looks hipster, just not all have the attitude. Honestly, if you're going to be hipster, why not just act it too?

Note: Yes, I do think most hipsters have an incredible dress sense and I would wear similar things if I wouldn't find it utter hypocrisy and  a walking oxymoron.

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Music, Antics and World Domination

I caught up with the incredible York based folk band - Blackbeard's Tea Party, and asked them a few questions regarding performing as a group, plans for world domination and tips for those who want to busk.

+ How did you get together and form Blackbeard’s Tea Party?
The six of us were just knocking about in York with not much to do, playing in different bands for fun and busking together to earn some pocket-money. When we realised the six of us had some chemistry and were creating a bit of a following, we decided we ought to take it seriously. So, we went to a pub together and agreed we wouldn’t leave until the band had a name. When we stumbled out several hours later, we were Blackbeard’s Tea Party.

+ Did you all always aspire to be musicians, or did you have other plans?
We have always aspired to take over the world. Music is just a front.

+ What would you say is the best thing about your style of music?
Our style of music is hard to pin down. It’s a bit crazy, with elements of folk, rock, pop, world, gypsy, punk etc etc. The six of us each have very different tastes. Throw that into a pot and you get a very distinct sound. I think what sets us apart the most though is our energy and stage antics.

+ When it comes to arranging folk tunes, do you often have very different views on how something should sound or are you all roughly on the same wavelength?

We’re usually on totally different wavelengths! We spend hours and hours arguing – urm, I mean, ‘discussing’ – the tiniest section of one person’s part in a tune or song. We call these discussions “unspecified faffing time”.

But that’s all just par for the course. When the six of us are coming from such varied musical backgrounds we can’t all expect to agree all of the time. We respect each other’s musicianship enough to know that arranging has to be a democratic process. And from that compromise comes our unique sound.

+ What do you think is the most important thing to remember when you are performing live?
Enjoy yourself and give it some beans! We see so many buskers – and even bands on stage – who just look like they’re not excited to be there, or aren’t involved in what they’re playing.

+ At what kind of venues do you prefer to perform?
We’ll play anywhere! In a massive festival tent or a shed in someone’s garden. Because we have such a heavy, electric sound we go down well in the kind of venue where a mosh pit might get going. But of course, we’ve got a great following on the folk circuit, so we’re well seasoned in playing for a more restrained crowd too.

+ Can you offer any tips for busking?
Each town has different rules, so make sure you check them out beforehand – you can sometimes find them on different council’s websites. You might need a license to busk, and there may be places where busking is restricted.

Stay friendly with other buskers. Agree to share spots if there is high demand, and see if they can share tips about the best places to busk.

Bounce around and don’t be afraid to make a spectacle of yourself!

+ Do shopkeepers generally react well to your music?
Some love it, but some hate it. From time to time shopkeepers ask us to move on. But usually we stay polite, smile and charm them into changing their minds.

+ I read briefly about your encounter back in September, how you all cornered down the thief in Marks and Spencer’s, can you explain about what happened, and how (if at all) has it affected your view to the people who pass by you?
It was a sweltering summer’s day. The sun was high in the sky. There we were, innocently selling our wares, when all of a sudden a young scamp rushed past, snatched a couple of notes from our pot, and dashed off into Marks and Spencer’s.

The boys heroically ran after him bellowing cries of ‘STOP THIEF!’ while Laura held our ground, boldly playing through the drama. The boys managed to corner the vagabond in the lingerie aisle and tackled him to the ground. We managed to restrain the thief until the police made it to the scene. Ever since, we’ve been busking by day, and fighting crime by night.

We don’t worry too much about it happening again. Dave’s pretty big and scary looking, so most people don’t mess.

+ Any up-and-coming events planned?
We’ve got a really busy summer ahead of us playing 12 folk festivals, including Shrewsbury, Sidmouth and Cambridge. We’ve also got a couple ore gigs coming up in York – a free gig in the Fulford Arms on 31st August, as well as a Halloween party on 31st October where we promise a few spooky suprises. Our website has details of all our upcoming gigs.

+ Where do you think you’ll be as a group in the future?
In the next five years, we expect to have:
1. An on-stage gospel choir.
2. A pyrotechnic budget.
3. Our own TV show.
4. A seat in parliament.

Thank you to Blackbeard's Tea Party for answering my questions. If you want to find out more about Blackbeard's, here are links to their Facebook, Twitter and website.

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I can't be bothered to practice! - 5 Useful Tips On Motivation

For some people instrument practice can be such a drag, especially for classically trained musicians. Scales, arpeggios, dominant and diminished sevenths, and if you're a lucky string player, octave scales and sixth scales etc. Practicing all of those theoretically vital gifts from the devil is generally enough to make you want to scream and definitely not pick up an instrument. Plus, even practicing pieces and tunes a musician of any level can go through a dry spell.

I've put some thought into my 10 years of musical experience and I've come up with a list of things that one can do to keep themselves motivated to play even dreary, boring things on an instrument.

1. Think about your goals on your instrument.
Not everybody wants to be a pro. In fact, many people take up an instrument purely for points to get into university. Evaluating what you actually want to get out of playing is a big help for time management. For example - is it vital that you practice scales for two hours every day, or can you give yourself a little bit of a breather? Some people say that you can never do too much practice, but I don't think that this is true. I have learnt from experience that over-practicing can lead to this dry spell and also to stress and anxiety relating to performance.

2. Stop practicing in big chunks!
Anything that you learn from practice needs to be retained in your long term memory. The chances are, if you are practicing solely for hours on end, you are not going to remember much from the beginning of your practice, you are going to get stressed and most likely agitated when things don't go your way. It works for some people, but not all. My teacher has always told me that short practices multiple times a day are the best, and I can honestly say that I believe this to be true. Half an hour here and there can soon add up to hours of practice without making you feel tired of playing.

3. Make a rough timetable.
Planning when you will practice what is a great idea to keep you on track. For example; certain scales and on certain days, or certain studies and techniques. For me, I like to practice all my scales and arpeggios earlier in the morning, my studies mid morning, my ukulele and vocals in the afternoon (both classically and jazz), and and other pieces for exams etc. in the evening.

4. Watch an inspirational video of a pro.
Needless to say, this is a very good way of motivating yourself if you wish to be just as good as them. Better, even. Always tell yourself that if you keep practicing you could become the best player in the world, and somebody that your muse looks up to, even. For me, I always find Mayuko Kamio's competition video from Tchaikovsky International makes me want to pick up my violin.

5. Give yourself a break.
If you've been working hard and find it impossible to motivate yourself, maybe you just need a break. Taking a day or two away from practice not only gives you space to breathe, relax and do what you want, but also can highlight the things that you are weaker on when you come back to practice, showing you what to work harder on. However, make sure to keep listening to music, as it might just motivate you to want to play.

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