Seychelles - "PARADISE and WORK"

In an industry and business as precarious as music it is always surprising when new ventures are muted and offered to you. Teaching and coaching is something that I enjoy doing and to be modest for one moment, I am actually rather good! To those of you who might be reading this and have had the fortune to have been guided in the odd coaching session by me then I hope that you will agree. Just because I am not in the limelight at one of the established conservatoires, you will be surprised what goes on elsewhere - check out the South-Western Music School for instance - a school set up in the South West for all those young people who show talent at an early stage.

The National Choir in the Seychelles is a choir of mixed ability but never the less full of colour and enthusiasm for choral singing. With my attachment to the International Festival of music, on the Island, it was with great pleasure that I took up the post of choral advisor and mentor to these wonderful people. My role does not just stop there as the music school in the capitol, Victoria, is a thriving hub of musical sounds with staff and students, alike, working hard to achieve the next goal that they are striving for.

My commitment to this school and choir are total and I hope that by putting some information on my website about what we have been doing over the last year might show this. I hope that some of you might be in the fortunate position to witness this creation and possibly attend the International festival. Fifteen days of wonderful music in an idyllic setting with some of the cream of today's soloists - vocal and instrumental.

I have tried to give the flavour of what goes on in sessions by photographs as well as some DVD footage that I hope will be going live in the very near future. The offering of knowledge in later life is always rewarding and very refreshing and I hope that the Seychelloise agree. We work hard in a hot, tropical climate and gain results. My individual singing students are amazed as they walk out 45 minutes later feeling that they can actually sing - it's a tough job out there but someone has to do it!

Enjoy. Perhaps one day you might have the chance to be in one of my classes - a piano and whiteboard on one side - a view of the Indian Ocean and a deep orange spherical setting sun on the other!

SEYCHELLES