PSA: Due to unforeseen circumstances, only a certain amount of guest video and audio was usable for this episode. As a result, the episode does end somewhat abrupt. Apologies, and enjoy the episode.

Lara is a violinist and composer/orchestrator originally from Liverpool, now based in London. Lara chats about her musical upbringing, deciding to learn the violin, life of a gigging musician & composer, and how she ended up in Abbey Road Studios with Rudamental and Nile Rodgers... at the same time.

Follow the podcast, Ben and the guest on social media:

Reaching The Crescendo Podcast:

https://www.instagram.com/reachingthecrescendopod/

https://www.tiktok.com/@reachingcrescendopod/

https://www.facebook.com/reachingthecrescendop0d/

Ben Mussell:

https://www.instagram.com/ben_mussell/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmussell/

Lara Simpson:

https://www.larasimpsonmusic.com/home2

https://www.instagram.com/larasimpsonmusic

https://www.tiktok.com/larasimpsonmusic

Simon Howard is an independent singer/songwriter and musician from Gosport. Originally, he though computer science was his calling. Then after it was too late to change, he decided to take himself to Texas, took his guitar with him and become a musician.

The rest is history…

Simon chats about his time in Texas, his song writing process, his popular single 'Cancellation' and about how he tries to maintain an online platform amongst other things.

Follow the podcast, Ben and the guest on socials:

Reaching The Crescendo Podcast:  

https://www.instagram.com/reachingthecrescendopod/

https://www.tiktok.com/@reachingcrescendopod/

https://www.facebook.com/reachingthecrescendop0d/

Ben Mussell:

https://www.instagram.com/ben_mussell/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmussell/

Simon Howard:

https://www.instagram.com/simonhowardmusic/

https://www.tiktok.com/@simonhowardhq/

https://www.facebook.com/simonhowardmusic/

https://www.lastminutemusicians.com/members/simonhoward.html

Elspeth McBain is back for a second chat. This time, we chat about everything Panto 2024, the financial reality of a touring production, and she gives a brief rundown of that is coming to the venue in 2024.

Find out what is on at Lighthouse Poole in 2025: https://www.lighthousepoole.co.uk/whats-on/

Follow the podcast, Ben and the guest on socials:

Reaching The Crescendo Podcast:  

https://www.instagram.com/reachingthecrescendopod/

https://www.tiktok.com/@reachingcrescendopod/

https://www.facebook.com/reachingthecrescendop0d/

Ben Mussell:

https://www.instagram.com/ben_mussell/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmussell/

Lighthouse Poole:

https://www.lighthousepoole.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/lighthousepoole/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/poole-arts-trust-limited/posts/

Joe Hayes started out as a full time accountant with a massive photography hobby. Several businesses later and and a network of over 3000 people, Joe now facilitates photography, videography and more recently podcasting for some of the biggest brands on the south coast and in the UK in general.

Joe chats about how his unique path led him to where he is today, where he thinks the direction of podcasting as an industry is going, along with some advice on building networks, tech and how to get started in the 'content' industry.

Follow the podcast and guest on social media using the links below:

Reaching The Crescendo Podcast

https://linktr.ee/reachingthecrescendopod

Joe Hayes aka Kindful Creative

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joefernandohayes/

https://www.kindfulcreative.co.uk/

'kindfulcreative' on Instagram

Jose Ramos wanted to work in the news industry since he was young and used his Mum's phone as a camera to film his version of The News, and all these years later he is doing exactly that as a newly senior reporter.

Jose speaks about his journey from his self news tape all the way to now reporting on both local and national news, meeting and almost meeting a lot of interesting people, and his stories that have featured in some major UK newspapers along the way.

Follow the podcast and guest on social media using the links below:

Reaching The Crescendo Podcast

https://linktr.ee/reachingthecrescendopod

Jose Ramos

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-ramos-28493319b/

https://x.com/journo_jose

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/author/profile/297715.Jose_Ramos/

David Catterall started his career as a drama teacher and then co-hosted Channel 4's third worst show of 2006. It wasn't until a friend of his introduced him to Photoshop and a chance encounter in a Food Hall that changed everything, and the rest as they say.... is history!

David chats about his unique journey to where he is today, how he turned his hobby into his job, and slightly peels back the curtain on his creative process in creating viral unofficial posters that have ended up on national television.

Follow the podcast and guest on social media using the links below:

Reaching The Crescendo Podcast

https://linktr.ee/reachingthecrescendopod

David Catterall

https://www.facebook.com/people/David-Catterall-Designs/100063850515860/

Tor Byrnes aka Tor Da Force has been an indie DJ for the last 15 years and over that time has become a staple of clubs, festivals and venues inbetween.

Her career as a DJ has since turned her into an events promoter with her company We Broke Free, making her a force to be reckoned with as a 'Good Time Dictator'.

Tor chats about how she got to where she is today, being a female DJ in a male dominated industry and her previous and present work at some of Europe's biggest festivals.

Follow the podcast and guest on social media using the links below:

Reaching The Crescendo Podcast

https://linktr.ee/reachingthecrescendopod

Tor Da Force

https://www.webrokefree.co.uk/

Will McNicol has been playing fingerstyle guitar since aged 6 and enjoyed it so much, he never stopped. It has taken him all over the world and counts his mentor Antonio Forcione as a friend.

Will chats about first picking up a guitar, his love of recording, his favourite gigs and his love of passing on his pearls of fingerstyle wisdom to his fellow guitar player through his workshops and online college.

Follow the podcast and guest on social media using the links below:

Reaching The Crescendo Podcast

https://linktr.ee/reachingthecrescendopod

Will McNicol

https://www.willmcnicol.co.uk/

https://www.willmcnicol.co.uk/teachingbooks

Elspeth McBain is the CEO of Lighthouse in Poole; the largest arts centre outside of London. However, if her parents had had their way, things would have been very different. So in true rebelious young adult fashion, she ended up at a holiday park in the Isle of Wight and the rest is history.

Elspeth speaks about her journey from the Isle of Wight - Croydon - London and ending up in Poole in 2009. She also details the behind the info on the year long preparation to put on a pantomime for young and old that runs for just 3 weeks.

Follow the podcast and guest on social media using the links below:

Reaching The Crescendo Podcast

https://linktr.ee/reachingthecrescendopod

Lighthouse, Poole website - https://www.lighthousepoole.co.uk/

Aladdin 2023 tickets - https://www.lighthousepoole.co.uk/event/aladdin/

Abi Logan started dancing lessons at age 3 and it all spiralled from there. The rest is history!

Abi chats about her beginnings at her local performing academy, getting the choreographer bug through the Rock Challenge competition, using the Covid lockdown as an excuse to start a dance troupe and now going full circle by choreographing her first panto (oh yes she is...)

Follow the podcast and guest on social media using the links below:

Reaching The Crescendo Podcast

https://linktr.ee/reachingthecrescendopod

Abi Logan

https://www.instagram.com/abilogann/

Tickets to Sleeping Beauty at South Hill Park - https://www.southhillpark.org.uk/shp-events/sleeping-beauty-2023-christmas-panto/