Aine E. Laverty

(I grew up listening to Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton and The Dubliners).

My interest in music started when I got my first six-string guitar for Christmas when I was four. My aunt sketched out the basic chords on a sheet of A4 paper, which I still have-A, D and E. She continued to feed my hunger for music with handwritten song-sheets: 'Puff The Magic Dragon', Edelweiss', 'Country Roads', 'Crystal Chandeliers', 'One Day at a Time' etceteras, so the variety was vast.

Over the next few years the chord sheet grew to include 7^th's and then I progressed into the C, G and F chords. As an adult, looking back with that kind of hunger for music, it should have been fed, but being one of eight children, the money wasn't available for private lessons. The closest I ever got to lessons was my aunt visiting and showing me another few chords!

Music has always been part of my family life. My grandfather on my mother's side used to play the teapot! And my mother's father made and played his own instruments-namely, the banjo and mandolin. He also whistled, -and to this day, people have commented on his whistling whenever I mention where my mum lived, and who she was to her maiden name. My uncle used to play in various country-type show bands. He traveled and played a lot in Canada, and has settled there. He still plays guitar-but not for money-only pleasure now. His last band was Joe E. Hamilton and The High Chaparral. My aunt and her family had five-piece band-five harmony singers, and they performed around Ireland and England, but eventually gave up as exams and university loomed. Now and again they get together and perform at family occasions.

Growing up with that history, I never mentioned any names, as jealousy seems to me an awful affliction for those who suffer from it. For me-silence was the best option.

As I looked into that scene from the outside, I glad at that stage that I wasn't part of it: being picked up in a car (gear included), driving miles to play and perform in community halls and different venues around the country just didn't do it for me. The competition and rivalry seemed overwhelming between the two families for no apparent reason. We were driven by different motivators I guess looking back-and each of us has accomplished something totally different, as you'd expect-but the feeling you get as you grow up was that you would never be better than them.

As an adult (and wife and mother to three children), I have found myself to be in the position now to raise the proverbial two fingers and say 'Look at me now-here's where I'm at; I didn't tramp the roads, I didn't lose sleep. It may have taken me considerably longer to get where I wanted to go-but I'm here, it's where I've longed to be; I'm happy to be here; here's who I have been working with, whose expertise I've drawn from, this is where I want to go, and I'm now in one helluva position to get there! And thank you for the chance that I have been given by The Making Music Workshop and the Rural Development Council! Linley Hamilton, Nicky Scott, Clive Wills, John Wilson, Siobhan Pettit-who didn't push you anywhere that she didn't believe you should go vocally, and to the others who have instructed us in the uses and applications of the P.A. system-the inputs and outputs-a big thanks to you all-for me it has been the opportunity of a lifetime-and an even bigger thanks to my families for their support and sufferance!!

Over the years my father has been a stalwart and a silent support to me. He's bought me my musical instruments, my racer. I bought my first car off him; the list is endless. It's as if he's known all along that music means the world to me, and the look on his face when I played a recording that I'd written was thanks enough for me. Maybe my forte isn't in singing or playing guitar, or running a church choir, maybe it's in song writing, and having other big names sing my songs.

I grew up listening to country and western music, from Kenny Rogers to Dolly Parton. Folk/Irish traditional from the likes of the Fureys to The Dubliners. I don't know what style of music you would class Nana Mouskouri, Finbar McCormick-the list is endless! I've always loved The Platters, The Everley Brothers and Buddy Holly-music from the late 50's and 60's, and I suppose that along with the country and Irish music have played a part in 'my style' of music.

Graham Boyd

A mature musician, I was involved in a rock band back in my college days. I then went on to get a 'proper' job in industry for 16 years before being made redundant. During that time I maintained my interest in the guitar, playing for my own enjoyment, with the occasional public appearance.

Being in no hurry to return to industry, I have decided to have a go at pursuing a career in music. Having had some experience of the world of working bands, I concluded that it is easier to go solo, and have started to try to sell my wares on the local 'one-piece' circuit. Initial reaction has been good, and I am hopeful of getting more gigs.

The Making Music Workshop course has been very helpful in focusing my energy into the music, and especially singing, which was always a weak point. I found working with Siobhan Pettit an amazing experience. She has a wonderful ability to extract the best vocal performance from people, which has certainly helped my singing.

In the workshop, I played on the following pieces:

Covers

Angels-acoustic guitar

Have I Told You Lately-vocal, acoustic guitar, and lead guitar

Sweet Home Alabama-vocal, guitars

Originals

Your Stay-guitar

Sure You Wouldn't Be Without Them-guitar, backing vocals

Play For Time-vocals, guitar

Musical influences

David Gilmour, Mark Knopfler, Chris Rea, Tom Petty, Bruce Spingsteen, Albert Lee.

Current employment

I now play solo, either just with acoustic guitar, or electric guitar and backing tracks.

My set is a carefully chosen mix of cover songs spanning the 60's to the 00's by many popular artists.

My ambitions

I intend to be successful in the local one-piece circuit, but would be interested in getting a job as a guitarist with backing vocals.

Ryan T. McManus

Singing, from an early age, has always been a great passion of mine. Always learning and forever exploring has opened many opportunities.

My first insight in to live band music was playing guitar; it was at a period in my life when music and playing was something that I strongly wanted to do, but didn't quite know how to go about it. We gigged locally in Swansea, where I lived for a year, where there was a prominent music scene, which for a budding musician drove inspiration.

It wasn't a serious proposition, but I learnt a lot while doing these things.

When I came home, I set about trying to set up a band, with next to no resources. It took about six months of advertising and inquiring about fellow musicians. The band is set up at the minute, and we are doing local gigs and generally trying to sort out our style of music. The band is called 'The Birth of Tragedy', and we have played around six gigs so far: in Kilkeel, Downpatrick, Warrenpoint and Belfast. It has given us excellent insight into potential equipment problems, general set-up, communication and production. 

I am the vocalist in the band, and returning to the beginning points, I have been writing music and lyrics since I was 13 years of age.  I have around two hundred songs written, from love to loss, from hate to disgrace; everything for me is a potential source for writing and creating.

I find my lyrics are also a great frame when it comes to painting and poetry. I sell my own work in local shops and restaurants and I have two books written of poems currently published (Anchor Books).

Life itself is a blank canvas waiting to be created in whatever media suits you.

I play guitar, drums, bass, and sing-I love trying my hand at everything…

I've had insight into recording as well when I spent a day working with Billy Anderson, an American producer. He was recording a band called Mighty Atom, and I got the chance to see how such things work. I have also been recording with my own set-up, trying to put down ideas for possible ventures.

I have recorded in correlation with other musicians on different projects and at the moment I am working alongside two other musicians a new track that we hope will do well.

In the future I hope to 'make it' with a band, and would like a publishing deal. At the moment I am working a number of side projects and I am setting about trying to get equipment for a second band I intend to front. Music for me is something that my life extends around and I can never do enough, whether it be writing, playing or recording. I can sing a range, from grunge, i.e.: Pearl Jam to Black Metal, Type O Negative, and Cradle of Filth. Anyone with similar interests should get in contact with me, whether it be writing or playing together, or to create new ideas.

If anyone from possible publishers to fellow musicians can help me, please feel free to contact me.

I think a thank-you is due to all the tutors who took part and gave their time to this course: John, Nicky, Clive, Linley, Siobhan and everyone else that I am too absent-minded to remember!

It was an excellent course and I'm really glad that I took part in it; I learnt a lot and had a good time. It's always hard to know how to go about putting yourself out there and getting recognised-but the tutors showed that it is more than possible-I wish them all the best in their ventures.

Keep groovin', oh yeah!!

Dee Hawkins

From the age of three, I've been on the stage, acting and dancing in venues all over Northern Ireland. I was part of the Shimna School of Irish Dancing for 16 years, and acted in productions  produced by a local theatre group 'The Glee Singers', where I performed as different characters in productions of plays and musicals, such as Willie Russell's 'Blood Brothers', and Brian Friel's 'Philadelphia, here I come'.

I choreographed most of the dancing for the plays that I performed in, in styles which included: modern contemporary ballet, salsa, jazz, disco, tap and Irish traditional. I have won over 500 medals and many trophies in Irish dancing competitions, and that led to me securing a role in a famous global world music video for the hugely successful gospel singer, Carmen. I was required to dance, act and sing harmony vocals in this production, which has since been screened world-wide and was especially successful in America.

After that I taught Irish dancing for three years, and co-ordinated displays at various arts events throughout Northern Ireland.

Following this period, I did a two-year Performing Arts course in Belfast, for which I was awarded an HND in Acting, Dancing, Music and Arts Administration. I learnt how to record my own compositions, how to play the guitar, film acting techniques, and staged many acting and dancing shows for the public at 'Tower Street Theatre'.

On completion of my studies, I joined the National Dance Company of Ireland production of 'Rhythm of the Dance-which involved dancing in many varied styles-and the show toured all around Europe, including a music and film awards ceremony in Warsaw, Poland which was screened worldwide and won an award.

My next endeavour involved teaching Dancing and Drama in Secondary Schools After-schools Studies Groups, in Shimna Integrated College, Newcastle and St Colman's High School, Ballinahinch, in Northern Ireland.

I have written seven volumes of poetry, one of which is soon to be published by Forward Press Limited, copies of which I expect to receive in June 2004. I have been writing poetry since I was twelve years old, but had only submitted my work to be published recently.

I have also written a lot of lyrics, and would like to get a publishing deal, so that I can present my work to other recording artists. Stylistically, they vary a great deal, but are mainly in the rock genre, concerning subject matter in the realms of philosophy, metaphor, and knowledge psychology and life experiences in general, but all have a significant meaning. None of my lyrics relate to personal matters; I like the idea of relating to other people.

I also have a keen interest in art and photography. I paint and draw landscapes and portraits on canvas and am currently working on presenting an exhibition of my work in a gallery in Newcastle Library in August 2004. Most of my visual works are in an abstract style, drawn from dreams and personal experiences. I also work from photographs of beautiful scenery-like a sunrise at five a.m.

Musically, I have been involved in rock bands since I was fourteen. I was formerly lead vocalist with a five-piece band called 'Mentalpiece', which was very successful, performing in many Northern Irish venues. Our repertoire was mostly cover songs, ranging from old 1960s' to 1990s' rock covers. We also performed three original songs, one of which I wholly composed, and recorded them all on a four-track recorder.

Following on from this, I joined 'Malkuth', as lead vocalist and occasional rhythm guitarist, for which I composed all of the song lyrics and most of the melodies. We were one of the first bands to play a gig for the 'Distortion Project', which is still very successful. We performed at the 'Best of Belfast Bands' competition two years running, and had a sponsorship deal with 'Bacardi Breezer' when we gigged in two Belfast venues, 'Katy Daly's' and 'Auntie Annie's'. We also performed in The Temple Bar Music Centre in Dublin. We recorded a CD collection of six songs in Central Studios, Belfast for sale at our gigs; we had a band website in the Distortion Project Archives, and filmed a promotional video in Cavehill, Belfast, for our song 'Silver Screams'.

Our songs got airplay on Downtown Radio and Cool FM, and were well known and advertised in Belfast due to constant gigging.

I recorded with a local Newcastle, County Down project, 'Astromech', which has enjoyed considerable radio airplay and currently negotiating a record deal. One of the songs to which I contributed lyrics and the vocal melody-'Deep Sleep'-was played on The John Peel Show, and got the 'thumbs-up' from Sara Cox's Radio Show, and is still enjoying regular airtime.

Astromech's musical style is very different to what I would normally listen to, being quite a dancey 'auterchre' style, whereas my interest lies more in rock music. It was a challenge, and opened my eyes up to various musical styles.

I moved to London in 2000, and reformed Malkuth. We gigged in various London venues, including 'The Underworld' and 'The Borderline'. Real World were interested in us and sent different people to our gigs. We were being given promises but nothing materialised, so the sadly the band split up after two years and we went our separate ways.

On my return to Ireland, I got back into song writing. I currently record with different people. Would very much like to get back into a new band as a lead vocalist, and get back to performing, and also recording my own original material.

Brendan Scullion

Among the many instruments that I can play, it all started when I went to my local church because my mum was the leader of the church choir, so I've been singing since I was small. I never once thought music would be so important in my life when I was that age, this is because music runs through my family so much that I took it for granted.

My three older brothers who have greatly influenced my life all played in local rock groups and play a multitude of instruments to a high level. I've been playing the tin whistle since I was seven and Irish Traditional music is one of the greatest influences in my life. I began to play the classical flute when I was eleven and the Irish wooden flute when I was thirteen. At this stage I never saw music as such an important talent. My eyes were opened on my 13th birthday when my folks bought me a drum-kit (after much coaxing from my siblings), I immediately fell in love with hitting things with sticks. I then asked a good friend of mine to maybe buy a bass guitar and to start a band, so in the summer of 2000 my friend and I fooled around with music and got nowhere, back then it was just fun.

After layiong in many bands and with many local musicians I found that I didn't really gel that well with a lot of them. Currently my band "The Deal", is just at its beginnings, with the bass player aforementioned Colman Trainor from Ballynahinch and Cahal Og O'Hare on guitar and vocals, he's from Castlewellan. Heavily influenced by the Dave Mathews Band, Deep Purple, Jeff Buckley, Led Zeppelin, Pearl Jam, Alanis Morissett, Paul Brady and to all the people I ahve ever had the pleasure of playing with, being around or listening to.

Mainly I am a drummer/percussionist but I also hold reasonable bearings in guitar playing and bass playong, I even have limited knowledge in the banjo, the mandolin and piano. If anyone reading this website wants to contact me please do so, I'm up for any sort of music on this planet, from Irish Traditional to grunge, from metal to blues and pop.

There have been many accolades I have received over the years, by myself and with my fellow musicians, but I don't want to name them all, it'll make me sound big headed!!!

There are a few certain people I needed to especially mention and that is John Wilson who ROCKS, Clive Wills, Nicky Scott, Linley Hamilton, Siobhan Petit, amongst others and the making music workshop whose names I can't spell or remember.