Music advisors
Paul Bream
Murray Buchanan
Kenna Campbell
Paul Cardow
Marie Fielding
Vic Galloway
Helen Jamieson
Hugh Macdonald
Gill Maxwell
Richard Michael
Susan Nickalls
Graham Stephen
Originally from London, but a Newcastle resident now since 1974, Paul Bream spent his working life as a librarian before taking early retirement. At that point, having been a jazz enthusiast since school days, he decided it was time 'to give something back to the music I love', and threw himself into organising gigs in the Tyneside area.
He now works with three local promoters, covering the spectrum from mainstream to free improvisation, and regularly booking Scottish musicians to play in Newcastle. He also organises the international ‘On the Outside’ Festival of free jazz, runs a weekly email jazz information service covering the whole of North East England, and serves on the Jazz Services Touring Panel.
'Unlike a lot of jazz fans of my generation, I find that the older I get the more open I am to new sounds and new approaches. My core belief is that, as an improvised music, progress and development are at the heart of jazz.'
Murray Buchanan is an acknowledged expert in IP Rights and in all aspects of law relating to the music industry. He studied law and trained to be a solicitor in private practice in his native Glasgow. He then moved to London where he was in-house legal adviser with the leading international media and entertainment companies Warner Bros, BMG Entertainment (now Sony BMG) and the Virgin Group. Murray then returned to Glasgow where he spent six years as a specialist consultant to a leading national law firm. During that time he built up a niche practice advising clients in the media, entertainment and creative industries and in the field of intellectual property. In January 2007 Murray set up his own Glasgow-based practice, Murray Buchanan & Co, which saw his niche practice grow to include advising clients on a range of personal and commercial matters. While many of his clients are new and established talent in entertainment, media, the arts and the creative industries they also include individuals, businesses, entrepreneurs, not-for-profit organisations, registered charities, universities and a variety of public bodies. Murray is a non-executive director of Scottish Opera and the Scottish Music Centre. He is frequently asked to lecture on intellectual property in the media and entertainment industries and now teaches Honours Media Law at the School of Law within the University of Glasgow.
Kenna has a lifetime’s experience of working in education and performing at a high level, the combination of which has afforded her a broad, practical perspective on arts development and support. Working within her own cultural background as a Gael, she has been involved in many initiatives which have required creative imagination, political awareness, practical administration and an ability to deliver on clear financial targets. Her involvement in the early evolution of the Fèisean movement, especially at the inception of the first fèis, Fèis Bharraigh, was an invaluable experience in project development.
Kenna also has an interest in classical music as a performer, and this combination of musical backgrounds has given her an overview which would be of particular benefit to the assessment of musical initiatives within the complex arts world in Scotland, with its competing and complementary genres.
Her experience as an educationalist has also proven to be vital in the broader roles she has played as teacher, participant in and developer of community arts, giving her an understanding of the principles that underpin artistic endeavours that incorporate educational aims and objectives.
Kenna remains very involved in music and the arts today as a performer, as principal tutor of Gaelic song at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and as an advocate and campaigner for the development of Gaelic arts in particular, through her directorships of An Lòchran and Pròiseact nan Ealan.
Paul Cardow began promoting bands and artists and managing venues 19 year ago, specialising in mostly American grunge acts including Nirvana, Hole, Lemonheads and Dinosaur JR, but quickly branched out to include major international artists such as Oasis, The Verve, Bjork and Leftfield. During this time Paul has also been the indie buyer for 23rd Precinct, scout for two major labels, artist manager with both major and independent deals, and involved in the development and running of several venues/nightclubs including The Garage, Cathouse and ABC in Glasgow.
He is currently director of PCL, promoters for artists including Oasis, Arcade Fire, White Stripes, Franz Ferdinand, Fratellis, Foo Fighters and Green Day amongst others.
Marie Fielding is a freelance fiddle player and composer and has a particular interest and extensive experience in performance, playing for dancing, recording, teaching, t.v and radio. Marie is also an Early Years Expert in Education, Creativity and Colourstrings and teaches fiddle at The Tolbooth.
In 2006, Marie featured on 6 albums including her debut solo album, Executive Club. She played for the Queen at Balmoral, and in 2007 participated in the Distil programme and was commissioned to write music as part of Distil Showcase 2007. She is currently putting together a Bhangra/folk recording project with world-renowned tabla player Kuljit Bhamra and working on two other commissions. As well as a Gaelic t.v series with Maggie MacInnes this year, Marie has also been filming and recording for VisitScotland with Kevin MacKenzie and the Finlay Macdonald Band.
Marie is studying the links between music and its effects on children’s art, stories, ideas, and emotions. BBC Scotland recently engaged Marie as a consultant for an educational/traditional music t.v programme. Marie is also about to start a new project in Perthshire, teaching traditional composition skills.
Although pipe music and Gaelic song/poetry have a huge influence on Marie, she is concentrating on her new interest in jazz, Indian influences and free improvisation. Other interests include abstract painting on canvas, photography, learning to play an Anglo concertina, reading, travelling, cooking and socialising.
After leaving school in 1990, Vic has played, recorded and performed music around the UK and Europe in various bands. He still makes his own music.
He has worked in the other side of the music industry - writing for fanzines; working as a venue lighting director; helping to set up and develop independent labels, and working as press and radio promoter.
Vic has been on BBC Radio 1 for nine years and BBC Radio Scotland for seven years. His current weekly shows are BBC Introducing in Scotland with Vic Galloway, Vic Galloway on BBC Radio Scotland and Vic’s Most Wanted on BBC Radio Scotland.
He has presented series of 'Mouthing Off', 'Vic & Bryan’s Big Scottish Adventure'; various documentary series including 'Indie-pendent Scotland'; 'Last of the Teen Idols' and 'The Banned History of Rock’n’Roll', as well as outside broadcasts from T in the Park, SXSW, Indian Summer and Live 8, all for BBC Radio Scotland.
Vic's forays into TV include BBC 1 and BBC 2’s T in the Park coverage, 'The Music Show' on BBC 2, 'Caledonia Dreaming' on BBC4 and Channel 4’s 'Transmission'.
He also DJ’s in clubs and student unions across the UK, and abroad including 7 gigs in 'Ibiza'! As a freelance journalist, he works for broadsheet papers, magazines and websites. Vic is also on myspace, if you’d like to contact him.
Helen Jamieson worked as Music Officer at the Scottish Arts Council until 2004, when she left to start her own business as a music consultant and project manager. She has set up and runs two annual events: a summer school for amateur musicians in Ullapool and a chamber music festival at Paxton House, Berwickshire and is in increasing demand as a consultant, working with a wide range of organisations.
Helen’s musical training led to a Licentiate Diploma of the Guildhall School of Music where she received the third prize (bronze medal) for piano performance as well as Napier University’s own Music Prize. Following this, she worked as part of the small management team at the Queen’s Hall until she joined the Scottish Arts Council in 1985.
Helen is a Board member of Enterprise Music Scotland and of St Mary’s Music School. She has served on juries for St Mary’s Music School Recital Prize (alongside distinguished musicians such as James Loughran and Garry Walker) and the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards.
Hugh Macdonald retired in 2006 after 20 years at BBC Scotland, 15 of them as Director of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. He is now a freelance music consultant, writer and lecturer. He is Chair of Edinburgh Contemporary Arts Trust, a director of Theatre Cryptic and the Scottish International Piano Competition, and a Visiting Professor at Strathclyde University. He studied music at the universities of Edinburgh and Amsterdam and at the Royal College of Music, and taught in universities in Hong Kong and Scotland for ten years.
He joined BBC Scotland as a music producer in 1985, working for Radio 3 and Radio Scotland on a wide range of programmes, from chamber and orchestral music to traditional music and piping. He was made Head of Music in 1991, then Director of the BBC SSO when it became a separate department in 1996. During that time the orchestra acquired an international reputation as one of the UK’s most innovative ensembles, leading to two Gramophone Awards, a Grammy nomination, and the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society orchestral award in 2001. Hugh developed the orchestra’s reputation for new music performance and led its growth in size from 65 to 76 members. After many years of planning, Hugh saw his long-held vision for the orchestra to move permanently to Glasgow City Halls realised when it gave its first concerts in the newly restored building in January 2006.
Gill Maxwell has over 30 years’ experience in the music industry in Scotland and internationally. Her long and varied career began as a student promoter at Glasgow’s QMU, and after a short stint at BBC Scotland’s Film Dept in the early 80s, she moved into artist management and international tour management, working with the biggest names in Scottish contemporary music, most notably the multi-million selling Deacon Blue, from their major label signing in 1986 until their split in 1993. Gill then moved into freelance event management and programming, working at the foremost Scottish venues, events and festivals.
During the 90s, combining motherhood with new challenges in her career, Gill spent six years heading up government's New Deal for Musicians mentoring programme in Scotland, and moved on to become MD of the new Scottish Music Centre in 2005, whilst also clocking up 14 years on the T in the Park event management team. Gill is also a long-standing member of the Showcase Scotland steering group.
She lives in Glasgow’s West End with her partner of 22 years, sound engineer David Pringle, and their teenage daughter Holly.
Richard is one of Scotland’s most versatile musicians, who has influenced a generation of teachers and students with his innovative methods of teaching improvisation through thirty years work with Fife Youth Jazz Orchestra and a career as composer, performer and workshop leader.
As a composer, Richard has written for artistes as diverse as Colin Currie, Georgie Fame, Annie Ross and Guy Barker. His many works for Fife Youth Jazz Orchestra have been recorded and broadcast and a documentary programme for BBC 2’s Young Musician of the Year in 1996 brought his teaching methods to a wider audience.
As a pianist and organist, Richard gives recitals on The Art of Improvisation. As Radio Scotland's 'Jazz Jargonbuster', he can improvise in any style at the merest hint of a theme! He is the author of Jazz Beginnings, Creative Jazz Education and Small Band Jazz for the Classroom, and a frequent contributor to Music Teacher Magazine. For the Wigmore Hall he has produced a CD ROM on how to improvise in Jazz and Baroque grooves.
His most recent work is 'Listen Up', a new Young Persons Guide to the instruments of the Orchestra, Big Band, Folk Group and Rock Band based on Jeremiah Clarke’s famous Trumpet Tune.
After 35 years working in the formal and informal education sectors, Richard is now increasingly in demand as a freelance consultant, musician, broadcaster and educator.
Susan Nickalls is an Edinburgh-based freelance journalist, music critic and film producer. Over the past twenty-five years she has developed a successful career as a freelance journalist, researcher and editor in newspapers, magazines radio and television. In 2005 she produced two award-winning short films through her company Brazen Hussies Ltd.
Susan currently writes for a number of specialist publications including Classical Music Magazine and is a music critic for The Scotsman. She has a passion for a variety of music but in particular early and new music, particularly contemporary work by living composers.
Graham is a guitarist, singer and songwriter based in north-east Scotland, where he plays solo and with a variety of bands. His main musical style in recent years has been traditional, although he was previously involved in pop, rock and musical theatre.
Graham is a board member of SCAT (Scottish Culture & Traditions), and has been a tutor with SCAT, Skirlin & Birlin, Fèis, Community Arts and various Youth Music Initiative projects. Over the last two years he has been involved with Burnsong’s Burns and Rivers initiative encouraging schools to create songs inspired by environmental issues.
Graham has sound engineering and recording knowledge, and is a freelance writer and reviewer. He also has many years of graphic design and printing experience.
He is presently involved in setting up and running a new Social Enterprise for Aberdeen Cyrenians called Iceberg Arts which aims to help those affected by homelessness to develop their creative talents and gain essential business and work experience. |