Songcatching

Songcatching

How to write a song: “I’d like to write songs, but I don’t know how to start. How do I choose a good songwriting course?” I have a family full of songwriters. My husband, Matthew, has been writing songs constantly since he was 18 years old. My mother, Sue, wrote...
I remember Yesterday

I remember Yesterday

This is where it all began: the old family copy of Abbey Road. I’ve put myself in the picture. I saw Richard Curtis and Danny Boyle’s film Yesterday last week. It gave me a sense of déjà vu. Because I can remember living in a world where The Beatles didn’t...
My fiddling journey

My fiddling journey

This is the story of how I became a fiddler. I’ve been fiddling for more than three decades. I’ve played fiddle across a wide range of genres. I’ve played in covers bands, bluegrass bands, folk groups and alternative rock bands, and bands that play Celtic music and...
Musical foremothers

Musical foremothers

This is a post celebrating some of the women who have inspired me to make music. Growing up, I didn’t see many women musicians. I spent a lot of time looking for role models and people to play with. Plenty of men have inspired me as well. But, identifying as a...
Fun new world

Fun new world

Niki Harre’s book Psychology for a Better World is about how to make sustainability sustainable. “The bottom line is that as change agents, if we don’t offer people happiness, they won’t be attracted to what we do, and they won’t stick with the activity we’re...