Holly Taymar
HOLLY Taymar is a singer, songwriter and guitarist, who has written and recorded five albums of original music and appeared with her husband Chris Bilton in their duo The Bronze. They live in York, with their three-year-old daughter Ripley.
I’m currently reading: A book called Big Magic – Creative Living Beyond Fear, by bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert. It’s not exactly self-help, but what it does do is to encourage its readers to embrace creativity without worrying about the judgment of others. It’s all about being fulfilled by your own creativity, in whichever field it may be. It’s semi-autobiographical in parts, and it’s also the sort of book that you can dip into at any time. It resonates with me on a personal level. My own philosophy is that it is far better to write or compose something every day – no matter how good or bad it may turn out to be, than not to write anything at all. You never know what you will produce.
As a child, I used to love a lot of the Jacqueline Wilson books. Ripley already loves reading, albeit that her books are about a dozen pages long, and there are a lot of pictures – she loves turning the pages. She’s really good at numbers, and the letters are, I think, now starting to make sense as well.
I’ve been listening to: All sorts of things. There’s quite a lot of ambient music at the moment, combined with something as different as Massive Attack. I’ve always been a huge fan of what I call the ‘classic’ Disney soundtracks, and for me, the one written for The Little Mermaid is absolutely the best. I’ve also enjoyed the soundtrack to Hamilton, the sung and rappedthrough musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who I think is a prodigious talent, both spellbinding and completely magical. I can sing along to anything he’s written (Encanto is a particular favourite) and it’s a superb vocal warm-up for me.
On TV, I’ve been watching: A lot of CBeebies, as you might well guess. But if I sit down to deliberately watch anything at all, it will be sport, and in particular gymnastics and athletics. I am so envious of what people can achieve by dedication, willpower and talent, especially when all those ingredients are put under the spotlight in a competition, and the eyes of millions are watching every tiny movement. I’m not sporty at all, and I was never interested at school. I shall never win a race, but when I watch those competitors, I am in awe, and I feel inspired by seeing people doing something that they are really good at, and when they are at the top of their game. I really love all the Strongest Man programmes, and I cannot wait for the Olympics later this year.
The live performance I’d recommend is:
When Ballet Black are touring up here, make a point of going and seeing them. We caught up with them at the Theatre Royal, here in York, and their artistry was sublime, breathtaking. It was my first time at a dance event,
and there were several sections to it, all very different and showcasing extraordinary skills. They are from all over the world, of black and Asian descent, and based in London. Apparently they’ll go anywhere to raise awareness of the diversity of dance, and they once even supported Stormzy at Glastonbury. Art and creativity bring so much joy.
My next box set will be (or my last boxed set was….):
It will be Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which I shall watch over and over again, and then, when Ripley is into her teens, around the age of 14 or so, I shall watch it with her, so that she can fully enjoy it as well. Fans of the series might just recognise the name of our duo, The Bronze. It’s the club in Buffy, and where they chill out and relax.
The app I couldn’t be without is:
Keep Notes, which is today’s equivalent of an oldfashioned notebook and pencil. But, instead of having to rummage around in a bag to find the book and something to write with, there it is on your phone. You can jot down anything – thoughts, lyrics, ideas for songs, whatever occurs to you. And the time that I use it most is when Ripley is taking a little nap on my lap. She is blissfully asleep, and mummy’s brain is whirring away. So, I can enjoy that gloriously warm experience and still get an idea registered. I still prefer good only pen and paper, of course, but you have to seize your opportunities where you can, and this is a lovely way of doing it.
What is right at the top of your ‘to do’ bucket list?: The sea, the coast, different shores. We haven’t, as yet, been able to get up to the Northumberland coast with Ripley, although that will, we hope, change this year – off and away to Alnwick, Bamburgh, and that wonderful walk to the majestic Dunstanburgh Castle.
Angeline Morrison and Holly Taymar are at NCEM, Thursday, February 29 at 7.30pm. ncem. co.uk