Learning to love musicals
Hello folks – I hope you’re well and having a good time!
I’m writing this on Valentines Day, soaking up some Barry White. Actually that’s not completely true but it’s certainly a day for soulful music and I’m feeling good.
This week has been a good time for me as I’ve felt productive on the songwriting front and that largely comes down to feeling good. At least it does for me, when I feel good I tend to sing more and get things done, which is always good.
I’ve been in a great frame of mind recently, spending time at music classes at Centrestage in Kilmarnock.
They offer a wide range of classes which use movement and music to entertain and bring joy. The classes are nothing less than joyful and it’s been a pleasure to learn about what they do. Being invited to sit in on a few classes was a lovely experience, as I could see first hand how participating really does bring so much happiness and life to people. It’s remarkable and I can’t stress enough how important I think it is to bring music into people’s lives.
Having formed 10 years ago as a music theatre organisation, they now deliver music, dance and singing classes and shows which are inclusive, stressing the need to bring people together rather than exclude them based on ability or demographic. That arts for all approach really appeals to me.
I have to admit I grew up rather afraid of musicals and I’d put that fear down to a lack of experience and exposure more than anything.
I can appreciate any music as there are always positives to be had but musicals were something I would rather have ran away from than embraced. I sat through my first musical, Cats, last year as my girlfriend Kerry had taken me along to the Kings Theatre in Glasgow.
Although I was bemused for much of it, by the end I had dipped my toes in the musical world and it wasn’t so bad. On Saturday night I was exposed to more with The Magic of the Musicals at Centrestage.
I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who think Kilmarnock and musicals doesn’t sound like a plausible mix but it was quite superb.
With songs from a host of top musicals, my mind was blown by the fun of it. I’m not saying I’m going to be writing musicals over being a singer- songwriter but I can certainly appreciate the craft of it.
Well done to the performers and I’ll certainly look out for more shows at Centrestage.
I’ve decided to put on a gig at the Britannia Panopticon in Glasgow. I’ll be singing at the World’s Oldest Surviving Music Hallon Saturday, April 1, two days before flying to New York for Tartan Week.
It’s truly beautiful, probably closest to The Fruitmarket in Glasgow to give a comparison and it’s experienced a huge amount of history since opening almost 200 years ago.
Playing host to a huge number of variety performances, including the stage debut of a certain Stan Laurel in 1906, I am looking forward to this gig. Tickets are available now from little fire music. com. ‘ Til next week, @ littlefire