Budgie Goodbye Day

Today is both a very sad and happy day. My Budgie, Bobbie, is going to move house! (That's the sad part) But on the upside, he is going to go and live in an Aviary with lots of other birds. I will be so sad to see him go because he is beautiful, but I know he will have a lovely life in the Aviary. 

Trentham Gardens

First thing I saw in
the Gardens!

The other day, I took a trip to Trentham Gardens on my day off from college. I had found a Two for One Voucher from the Visit-Stoke website, so that was really useful. Before I went into the gardens, I had a look around the Shopping Village; the little wooden shops are so cute!

My favourite shops were The Yankee Candle Shop - I bought some wax tarts from there for my mum, they have such a wide range of fragrances it is unreal! Then the 'GooMoo' shop, it sells little gift-type items such as Mosaic Coaster Sets, bowls/dishes made from moulded Beatles' records (These were so cool), rings made from Scrabble Tiles and lots of other little interesting things - it is great for Stocking fillers for Christmas or Secret Santa, or even just for a gift that is a little bit different! I love the selection of incense sticks they sell there (especially 'The Moon', they smell amazing) and the burners which they well are so intricately detailed plus, they are only about £1.50! What a bargain! 

The Garden Centre at Trentham has already been transformed into a Christmas Wonderland! With trees and decorations dotted around, it really got me into the Christmas Spirit! After a little window shopping, I finally went into the Gardens, and I am not a plant expert but from an aesthetic point of view, the Gardens are gorgeous, bursting with colour and a sense of organised chaos. Truly amazing. 

Very Muddy Feet!

The main reason I wanted to go to Trentham was to go on the Barefoot Walk. I am not going to lie, it was painful in places and I am so glad that I didn't go into the mud because, with me being small, I would of gotten filthy! However, it was really fun, it was like a free foot massage and there were some really interesting and contrasting textured to walk on, such as hay, pebbles, wooden logs and slate to name a few.  it was definitely worth the visit. 

I also spent some time in the Show Gardens, which was very interesting. It is a collaboration of gardens put together by different people and institutions such as Girl Guides, Reaseheath College and Clive Mollart. As you walk through it is like a journey of inspiration. My favourite section was the Sound Garden by Clive Mollart. It had a series of Touch Pads in alcoves which generated different sounds as you touch them, creating a symphony of sound as you touch different ones. It felt really personal and unique. 

One of the Show Gardens

The atmosphere around the Gardens was very relaxed and calming, they also have excellent disabled access which means that everyone can comfortably enjoy the magic of the gardens. it is definitely worth checking it out and if you visit the website, http://www.trentham.co.uk/trentham-gardens you can find out about their special events such as Open Air Movie Nights, Firework Nights and Carnivals. 

You can also download the Two for One voucher I used here, it is a great day out, whatever your age! 

Molly x

Burslem College Gig

16th October 2012

Daz, Rosie and Jake

The Performing Musicians of Stoke-on-Trent college are moments away from their first gig of the year. Nerves are running high and the pressure is on. For some, this is their first gig, but for others, getting on that stage is just like second nature. I spoke to some of the performers before they went on about song choices, rehearsals and pre-gig jitters. 

Nicole O’Brien, 20, Level 3 Performing Musician

Nicole before the gig

What songs are you going to be performing tonight?

I’m going to be performing Blackheart by Stooshe, Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton, and Next to me by Emilie Sande. I’m singing and then I have a band performing with me too, Nathan, Maz and Rob.

How did you prepare for the gig tonight?
Well we have had six weeks of rehearsals leading up to this, but to be honest I am still not sure of the lyrics, I have them on a sheet here! I might have to put them on the stage with me.

I’m sure you will be fine! So how did you choose the songs for tonight?
well we started by choosing a song each but the song that the guitarist chose didn’t really work too well, so I chose the last song (Blackheart).

What have you enjoyed most about the build-up to tonight?
Just rehearsing with the band, I love to sing.

Have you played at any events like this before?
I have done lots of college gigs last year, a couple of event openings, stoke pride and then I also sang at Hyde Park for the Olympics to 30,000 people, that was amazing.

I bet you were nervous for that! Would you say playing at the college gigs helps to build your confidence?
Definitely, I don’t get as nervous as I used to, I feel more comfortable on stage but at the same time I feel like I have more to lose, people expect more of me.

Who has come to watch you tonight?
My mum is in the audience, she is my biggest fan and cries at every gig I do. I sang to her in the kitchen yesterday and she burst into tears, she was like “I just love you so much and I am so proud”

That’s lovely! What do you want to do after college?I’d love to get signed but realistically, I want to get more experience and just keep getting better.

Nathan James Bromley

Nathan Bromley, 19, Level 3 Performing Musician

What instrument are you playing tonight?
Well tonight I am going to play guitar but I also play the drums and a little bit of piano.

Impressive! How did you prepare for the gig tonight?
I practice a lot in my spare time and also at college with the rest of the band. I love playing guitar so I just pick it up and play every moment I can.

How did you choose what songs you were going to perform tonight?
Well you have to consider the ability of the band you are playing with. You also have to consider the style of the vocalist because the vocals are the things that get the most focus. So you have to choose songs to fit in with the vocalist.

What have you enjoyed most about the build-up to tonight?
That’s a really difficult question but I always enjoy the gig nights, there is a really nice atmosphere around.

That’s a nice answer. Do you think playing at these sorts of events helps to build your confidence?
Of course! Even if you gig in someone’s bedroom, it still counts, it is all experience.

Would you say you get nervous?
Well I don’t know, I feel warm in the face but I don’t know if that is down to nerves or just heat.

It is quite warm in here, what would you like to do in the long run then?
I really want to be a session musician that is my goal, even if it was for country and western music or Beyoncé, I would love it.

Great stuff, what music inspires you?My favourite music to listen to is Jazz but I think it is important to have a broad taste in music because then you can see where it all links in. Jazz, funk, blues and rock all influence my guitar style, but I love the drumming in jazz music, it is amazing.

Rosie Radford, 17, Level 3 Performing Musician

Rosie and Jake onstage

How are you feeling?
I feel great! I’m not nervous yet but I think I will be when I am about to go onstage but then as soon as I open my mouth I will have a huge adrenaline rush and I will be fine!

Well we are doing two original songs tonight, So Peaceful and In your Arms. We wrote them as a group, with Daz and Jake.

What is the inspiration behind your songs?
Well for ‘So Peaceful’ I got inspiration from my current relationship so that means a lot to me, I wrote the lyrics and Daz and Jake wrote the music that goes with it. We don’t have a drummer so we went for a softer feel for the song. I know Jake did’t think we would be ready, being as it has all been done in six weeks, but we want to show a different side to us, and show off what we can do as a band.

What made you decide to perform original songs tonight?
Well, the guys wanted to do a Hendrix song, but it didn’t feel right, so we had a few songs written by that point and just picked our two favourite, we would love some feedback on them too.

I’ll make sure I have a listen to them! So what do you want to do after college?I want to go to University to study Popular Music and then go on to do Music Therapy with special needs children, I think it would be really rewarding.

Daz Bowman

Mitch Booth, Lead singer of The Whiskey Dolls. Level 3 Performing Musician

How long have you been together as a band then?We have been together since the start of last year at college

Who are your biggest influences?I know Jack is influenced by Black Label Society but I would say I am influenced by Black Stone Cherry and then just rock music in general.

What songs are you playing tonight?We are doing four original songs tonight, we feel more comfortable doing our own songs, I think the only cover we have properly pulled off was ZZ Top, ‘Smart dressed Man’ we were thinking about doing a couple of covers but we just weren’t feeling it. We actually recorded an EP over the summer, so we are going to try and get that out there I think; we want to take the band further outside of college and now Ryan, our drummer has quit his other two bands so I think we can actually make that happen now.

That all sounds very exciting, do any of you get nervous?Not at all anymore, I feel like I have been here forever, I just like to get out there and enjoy it.

I will be catching up with all of the Performing Musicians at the next college gig on 4th December. All the bands were great, and I cannot wait to see them all perform again!

Molly x