Zoom For Thought

Our In Conversation series features soprano, Rachel Nicholls, reflecting on her career, the challenge of singing Wagner, combining teaching with performing, and moments when, expecting to be in the audience, Rachel has suddenly found herself performing on-stage...

Theme: JS Bach: Partita no.2 in D minor. Olivia Harris-Harding, violin

Image: David Shoukry

http://rachelnicholls.com

From Biosciences to Netflix...!

The first in a new series of episodes features alumna from the University of Kent, Catriona Bradley. Graduating from the School of Biosciences in 2017, Catriona went on to study costume design at RADA, and worked as a Trainee Costume Designer on the period drama Bridgerton, currently taking Netflix by storm.

In this episode, Catriona reflects on moving from science to the creative industries, how her studies equipped her with transferable skills which are vital to working in her field; the importance of referencing her Biology degree on her CV when applying for jobs in the creative sector; and compares the experience of studying at Kent with her time at RADA.

Theme: JS Bach: Partita no.2 in D minor. Olivia Harris-Harding, violin.

This week's episode features a conversation with Dr Francesca Bernardi, founder and chair of the UK Gramsci Society, RSA Fellow and independent researcher into children's right, dis/abilities and accessibility and the arts. Francesca reflects on new creative opportunities afforded by teaching art lessons over Skype; the importance of creating your own working environment for Zoom meetings; engaging with other academics in new ways; and new online support networks which have emerged as a means of supporting people during lockdown.

http://twitter.com/frabeart

Music: Allemande from Partita no.2 in D minor by JS Bach, Olivia Harris-Harding, violin

This week's episode features Michelle Harris, a freelance mezzo-soprano and singing teacher at Canterbury Christ Church University and Senior and Junior King's School.

Michelle reflects on the technological requirements of adapting to teaching singing online, some unexpectedly positive aspects arising from recording singing lessons that allow them to become her own tool for self-evaluation, and the joys of teaching pupils from Canterbury to Belarusse and China - without having to leave her home.  She also considers the environmental and financial benefits of working from home, and how marshalling resources for online teaching has helped both teacher and pupil.

https://singingfreedom.music.blog/

Music: Allemande from Partita no.2 for solo violin by JS Bach. Olivia Harris-Harding, violin

This week's episode features an interview with composer and performer, Anna Phoebe.

Anna has toured the world as a solo violinist, as well as with bands such as Roxy Music and Jethro Tull, in venues from the Royal Albert Hall and the Montreux Jazz Festival to the Moth Club. She reflects on the change from leading a busy life of touring, performing, composing and recording to adjusting to lockdown, and the new creative possibilities it affords. From missing live music, anxiety at the lack of government support, her search for a new equilibrium and writing music in response to her own fears and uncertainties, this is a remarkably candid and emotionally honest conversation from a fiercely creative musician.

Music: By The Sea by Anna Phoebe.

www.annaphoebe.com

The series examining the impact of lockdown on teaching and learning, and music and performance, this week features Dr Oliver Double, Head of Popular Performance and Stand-Up Comedy in the School of Arts at the University of Kent.

Olly talks about the particular challenges faced in teaching stand-up comedy online and the relationship between performer and audience, the historical connections linking stand-up comedy with jazz and Dave Brubeck, and compering a comedy night online from home in the face of his sternest critic - his son, wielding the camera...

Olly's book, 'Alternative Comedy: 1979 and the reinvention of British Stand-up' was published by Bloomsbury in April.

Music: Allemande from Partita no.2 in D minor for solo violin; Olivia Harris-Harding, violin.

The second episode in the series features as its guest Ian Swatman, clarinettist, saxophonist, lifelong Hull City fan, and Head of Performance at St Edmund's School in Canterbury.

Ian talks about the challenges faced in making the transition from face-to-face teaching to online delivery as lockdown began; three gigs that inspired his love of music and desire to perform (and how he nearly didn't get to the first one); his experiences of doing the live music circuit in Scandinavia; and similarities between music and football.

Music: 'Allemande' from Partita no.2 in D minor by JS Bach; Olivia Harris-Harding, violin.

The first episode features a conversation with Bob Newport, Emeritus Professor of Materials Physics at the University of Kent.

In which we talk about finding creative ways of continuing to explore physics at home, engaging listeners during lockdown in both science and music, finding teaching tools within the home and grappling with the exciting unpredictably of a dodgy wifi signal...

"I'm an experimental scientist, after all: I should be good at putting odd things together,"

Having retired from teaching at the University of Kent, Bob now teaches for the University of the Third Age in a series of blog articles and videos here.

Since lockdown, Dan has been engaging the community of musicians at the university through the Virtual Music Project, creating a series of recordings of music by Vivaldi and Mozart from recordings made in isolation: you can find out more here.

Theme: 'Allemande' from Partita no.2 in D minor for solo violin; Olivia-Harris Harding, violin