Interview: Kris Halpin
Fighting against disabling barriers for musicians of all ages, Kris Halpin is utilising the technology of the future to show that new pathways are possible, as Hattie Fisk discovers.
Hattie Fisk
I am a freelance music and theatre journalist; I work as Assistant Editor at Music Teacher magazine and Drama & Theatre magazine, where I write features, conduct interviews, review theatre and music, and sub-edit copy.
I am passionate about music journalism and am looking to further my experience in that field. I love investigating up-and-coming artists, as well as unpacking established bodies of work.
Feature: Music 4 Health for children in hospital
From processing difficult experiences to writing songs about pizza, pilot project Music 4 Health is helping children in hospital express themselves through music. Hattie Fisk meets access and inclusion development leader Nicola Tagoe to find out more.
Review: Til Death Do Us Part at Theatre503
'A humbling depiction of grief, mourning and the pressures of family'
We have all been confronted by death and the wake that it leaves behind, especially over the past two years. Despite this, in the UK we continue to skirt around the subject of loss, making Safaa Benson-Effiom’s debut full production Til Death Do Us Part all the more profound.
Feature: Ramps on the Moon's mission for representation
When was the last time you saw a mainstream theatre production with more than one deaf or disabled individual on the cast list? Hattie Fisk speaks to the director for change at Ramps on the Moon, Michèle Taylor, to see the brilliant work they are doing to tackle this inequality.
News: Music could be ‘suspended’ amid school staff shortages, suggests Ofqual chair
In the ‘case study’ Bauckham grouped music with PSHE and RSHE as subjects from which teachers can be redeployed.
*Article amended with a response from the DfE on 5 January.
Ofqual chair Ian Bauckham has suggested that schools establish ‘emergency timetable changes’ to help with staff shortages caused by the pandemic.
Bauckham states that suspending ‘specialist’ subjects, such as music, PSHE (personal, social, health and economic education), or RSHE (relationships, sex and health education), a
Interview: James
With widespread fame in the ’90s, it is a wonder that the Mancunian rockers James are still releasing promising new material. Younger generations are listening to hits like ‘Come Home’, ‘Sit Down’, ‘She’s a Star’ and ‘Laid’ for the first time on streaming services, joining James’ loyal fanbase for a new wave of vibrant popularity.
James’ longest-serving member and bassist Jim Glennie calls me from the highlands of Scotland in “the middle of nowhere”. He is in a music nook in his home, with a la
Interview: Ben Turner and the music teacher bias
Stormzy, Dua Lipa or Aitch might not be the first artists who come to mind when you think of music lessons. Hattie Fisk speaks to director of music at East London Arts and Music (ELAM) and Rap Club founder Ben Turner, who believes the passions of each student should be reflected in their music lessons, whatever the genre.
Feature: Playing with perspectives
Winner of the 2021 National Theatre New Views competition, 18-year-old Mackenzie Wellfare, is sharing his experiences as a young person with autism with audiences across the country. Hattie Fisk speaks to him about his writing process, and the importance of accurate representation on stage.
Review: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by The National Theatre
An iridescent wave of nostalgic fantasy – this adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novel can awake the dreaming child in us all.
When does childhood end and adulthood begin? What would happen if you knew the answer to everything in the universe? How does one coerce a parasitic greed-frenzied monster to return to another world through the hole in your heart? Just as these questions become increasingly fantastical, so does the stunning production that asks them.
Feature: Opera without the operatics – Scottish Opera's outreach team at 50
Celebrating 50 years of promoting opera in communities across Scotland, director of outreach and education Jane Davidson tells Hattie Fisk about Scottish Opera's ethos and their advice for bringing the classical art form into the classroom.
Feature: Striking the right note – Music and the Deaf and NCEM
I Can Play! is a fruitful collaborative project from Music and the Deaf and the NCEM designed to encourage young people with hearing loss to engage with music education. Hattie Fisk finds out more.
Feature: Tapping into the next generation – BBC Young Musician 2020
After a year-long postponement and a spectacular grand final, BBC Young Musician 2020 was awarded to marimba-led percussionist Fang Zhang. Hattie Fisk speaks to him and finalists Annemarie Federle and Ewan Millar about the competition.
Interview: Wolf Alice
Wolf Alice seem to have the broadest fanbase possible, flicking between genres like channels on a TV. After reaching number 2 on the charts with My Love Is Cool (2015), grabbing a Grammy nomination for ‘Mona Lisa Smile’, and winning the Mercury Prize for Visions Of A Life (2018), fans have been patiently awaiting the four-piece’s latest release, Blue Weekend. In the wake of their global tours and support slots for the Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age and Liam Gallagher, the COVID-19 pandemi
5 Swansea Music Talents to Watch in 2021
Admit it–you’ve been dreaming about being back at The Bunkhouse* with your arms slung around some mates, proudly stumbling home with sore throats and beer drenched Doc Martins.
Finally, the end of this house-bound madness is in sight, so why not brush up on the lyrics of the best tunes in town? I give you 5 of Swansea’s finest musicians to keep your eye on in 2021. Iechyd da!
*If you’re not from Swansea insert epic gig venue here
Album review: Another Night, Another Town // Shed Seven
The national Christmas wish for a live gig has been answered with Shed Seven’s live album: Another Night, Another Town. This release is like time-travelling back a year, fostering a true sense of community and wistful nostalgia through an awesome soundscape. Whilst the band’s collection of hits is enough to keep you engaged, the electric atmosphere from shouting punters is the icing on the cake. Who would have thought we’d miss the hecklers?
Despite being the band’s fifth live album, this is th
Track review: Bitches Be Witches // Starbenders
Starbenders’ spellbinding single ‘Bitches Be Witches’ is a “celebration of the dark and different”. Accompanied by a gothic video, the hypnotic number is part of their Love Potions album and will leave you pleading to join their coven.
Atlanta’s glam punk rock stars Starbenders have entranced listeners this year with a slew of songs from their critically-acclaimed album Love Potions – and this single is no exception. ‘Bitches Be Witches’ is a captivating track containing seductive lyrics, a pun
Track review: I Am The Resurrection // AJ Gallagher
The title ‘I Am The Resurrection’ conjures up images of Madchester mosh-pits, Ian Brown’s cheeky smile and acid house raves in The Hacienda. All of which feature in AJ Gallagher’s new music video.
The covered track however, is a hypnotic ode to those raving mad times. With delicate guitar strums, Gallagher plucks his way through one of the most influential songs of the early 90s. After learning it was put together as a lullaby to soothe his newly born son, it is hard not to love the dulcet tone
Theatre review: Plymouth Point // Swamp Motel
Meet the progressive new company combining live-streamed theatre and Zoom meetings. Swamp Motel have embraced the current social climate and produced a guilt-free immersive mystery that you can embrace from your living room sofa.
As detectives, you must piece together what has happened to a missing girl named Ivy, sleuthing your way through social media platforms and password-locked webpages. This escape-room-esque adventure involves audience participation from the outset, with an amazing story
Interview: Lucky Iris
Lucky Iris are a new breed of pop-duo, producing didactic tunes in their new electrically threaded EP, Turns Out We Should Have Stayed At Home. With Maeve on vocals, and Jasper on virtually everything else, the bubbly duo not only have an amazing connection in their music, but almost speak as one entity in everyday life too. The duo videocalled me from their living room in Leeds where they are isolating together.
News: Andrew Lloyd Webber To Test New Methods For Virus-Safe Performances
The father of musicals, Andrew Lloyd Webber, claims that he has viewed a new government report that may limit singing in future theatre shows. In response, Webber has scheduled a trial of live performances in July, to find a solution.
Utilising one of his many properties, the London Palladium will house the first tests. Choosing a venue that seats 2300 people, Webber is ambitious, stressing that his aim is “to prove that [theatres] can reopen”.
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