Welcome back to the podcast! (Welcome back Davina, that is)Producer/arranger/multi-instrumentalist/composer/cat lover Fred Thomas is my guest this episode. We spoke about his musical journey, which includes growing up in a household of a forme

Episode 54: Bethany Norman ”You‘re always learning”

Oct 19th, 2021 33m 46s

We're back! Episode 54 features flute player, pianist, teacher, musician Bethany Norman. We chatted about her anti-climactic graduation from music college mid-pandemic, the challenges of being a recent music grad in the current climate, being v

Episode 53: George Wakerley aka Confidential 'Give yourself something to look forward to'

Jul 27th, 2021 41m 56s

George Wakerley aka Confidential joins me for Episode 53. He's a producer of lo-fi hip-hop beats and shared with me the story of his musical journey, struggles with his mental health, as well as being a role model for his son.Content warning:

Episode 52: Sarah Nicolls and Maja Bugge "Empowered by change"

Jun 18th, 2021 35m 44s

Pianist Sarah Nicolls and cellist Maja Bugge spoke to me about raising awareness of the climate crisis via their show “Ballad of a Changing World.” Listen to how they collaborated during the pandemic and how they’re able to push the limits of t

Episode 51: Ellie Consta from Her Ensemble "I'm open to change"

Jun 8th, 2021 39m 27s

Ellie Consta from Her Ensemble joins me for Episode 51. We spoke about how working with pop musicians opened her eyes to the many gender imbalances in the classical music world. Realising the various injustices, she set up Her Ensemble, the UK’

Episode 50: Sonja Schebeck "Curiosity is the main factor"

May 28th, 2021 41m 52s

Sonja Schebeck joins me for this milestone episode. She’s an Australian violinist based in Vienna, who is also a fire performer as well as the founder and artistic director of The Freestyle Orchestra – an ensemble that combine their skills as c

Episode 49: Channa Malkin "Trust whatever comes along"

May 18th, 2021 36m 12s

Soprano and Spice Girls fan Channa Malkin joins me for this episode. We spoke about her experiences of motherhood, which has influenced her freshly released album “This is not a lullaby.” Find out which Spice Girl Channa wished she could be, as

Episode 48: Katharine Carter "You pick yourself up and off you go again"

May 7th, 2021 53m 49s

Flute player and food blogger Katharine Carter joins me for Episode 48. The parallels between music and food are endless, as you will hear from our chat we had in-person (outdoors, in my garden). We chatted about the types of recipes that get K

Episode 47: Charles Owen "That's our duty and destiny"

Apr 27th, 2021 40m 46s

Taking time out of his busy schedule of being a UK Ambassador for Steinway and Professor of Piano at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, concert pianist Charles Owen had a chat with me on the one-year anniversary of the UK lockdown. Charles re

Episode 46: Tine Thing Helseth "I love the result"

Apr 16th, 2021 36m 58s

Join me and trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth for Episode 46, where we explore topics such as the wonderful world of Norwegian traditional instruments and the language, attempting to stay motivated during a pandemic and acting our age, whatever that

Episode 45: Urška and Helena from Duo Furioso "Stay in touch"

Mar 30th, 2021 45m 9s

Episode 45 features three cellists in the room! Two of which, Urška Horvat and Helena Švigelj perform collectively as Duo Furioso. We chatted about having to embody a whole string quartet within the instrumentation of two cellos, POPPER (yep),

Episode 44: Anna Tsybuleva "Save your power"

Mar 19th, 2021 40m 12s

Episode 44 features international piano superstar Anna Tsybuleva. We chatted about her attachment to nature and the cosmos, recent motherhood, as well as her preparation for Leeds International Piano competition which she won in 2015 with her p

Episode 43: Oliver Davis "Make your own voice heard"

Mar 9th, 2021 36m 52s

Composer Oliver Davis joins me for Episode 43 to chat about finding his own compositional voice (via 1980s synthesisers), writing for ballet choreography, and the absolute mission of writing, recording and producing his new album Solace during

Episode 42: Dwight Pile-Gray "Just put your toe in the water"

Feb 26th, 2021 38m 20s

As a commentary on the times we currently live in, in preparation for some work this week, my nostrils have well and truly been penetrated.Horn player, conductor, researcher and fellow podcaster Dwight Pile-Gray is my guest for Episode 42. He’

Episode 41: Leah Broad "A completely new way of thinking about music"

Feb 16th, 2021 37m 58s

I had a chat with music researcher Leah Broad recently, about her journey into academia, the thrill of finding new music, and her upcoming book shining a light on four composers: Ethel Smyth, Rebecca Clarke, Dorothy Howell and Doreen Carwithen.

Episode 40: Southbank Sinfonia's Alec and George "Walk away with a new skill"

Feb 5th, 2021 45m 55s

This episode is all about Southbank Sinfonia, the one-year orchestral fellowship where 33 musicians from around the world come together to embark on a journey of professional development and creative fulfilment. I’m joined by two members of the

Episode 39: Peter Riley "Taking the risks"

Jan 26th, 2021 45m 11s

Stop! Tax time! Doing your tax return for 2019-20 is a retrospective into another world...Episode 39 features composer, arranger and orchestrator Peter Riley. We met up in person in early-December (back when you could) for an al fresco park po

Episode 38: Lucy Drever "Stay open"

Jan 15th, 2021 35m 34s

Welcome to the January slump, 2021 edition!My guest for Episode 38 is Lucy Drever. She’s a workshop leader and presenter who heads up musicianship at the Benedetti Foundation. We chatted in December 2020 about how she got into community-based

Episode 37: Joe Di Fiore "I just kept going with it"

Jan 5th, 2021 37m 22s

Joe Di Fiore kicks things off for 2021. He’s an American sax and wind player who also composes and arranges. In a fantastic American accent, he shares some helpful tips about setting your home studio for remote recording (seeing as this is the

Episode 36: Shimpski Christmas Extravaganza

Dec 25th, 2020 54m 57s

Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Bass player Mark Lipski joins me for this Christmassy, mince pie and mulled wine fuelled conversation. He also happens to be in my household bubble as he is my husband; collectively, we are known as “The Shim

Episode 35: Egīls Šēfers "This is part of who we are"

Dec 15th, 2020 39m 45s

Egīls Šēfers is my guest for Episode 35. He joined me from his home in Riga to chat to me about performing with the Carion quintet during the pandemic, his musical journey growing up behind the Iron Curtain, how global travel broadens one's mus

Episode 34: Jen Lang "Joining the dots"

Dec 4th, 2020 59m 11s

Jen Lang is my guest for Episode 34. As well as recent motherhood, we chat about what led her to her role as Senior Manager for learning, engagement and innovation at Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, as well being a new mother in one of the longes

Episode 33: Sarah Watkins "Keep those connections happening"

Nov 24th, 2020 45m 18s

Pianist Sarah Watkins is my guest for this episode. She spoke to me from post-Covid New Zealand, where she's been busy working and performing (remember that foreign concept?) Along with violinist Andrew Beer, she's the winner of the Aotearoa Mu

Episode 32: Violeta Vicci "It's our duty to transport people to a different world"

Nov 13th, 2020 50m 17s

Episode 32: brought to you from the throes of Lockdown 2.0! Before said lockdown, I chatted with Violeta Vicci in the garden about her livestream performances in nature, interacting with a scenic backdrop through music, and the challenges of se

Episode 31: Daniel Rainey "The most important skills you'll probably ever have"

Oct 30th, 2020 48m 25s

This episode’s guest is Daniel Rainey, an artist manager for Keynote Artist Management. We talk about how his training as a violinist informs his job, what an artist manager does, how the atmosphere of live music can never replace an online con