Tag Archives: Leaving the comfort zone

It’s just another day

I had a really good night out listening to Albert Lee & Hogans Heroes at the Castle in NW11. It was a mind bending gig. I have of course seen Albert Lee on TV and youtube, so I knew it was going to be good and it was.  It takes a lot to get me going but this gig was really great. Fantastic guitar playing, and a few surprises in the set list too, like ‘The world is waiting for the sunrise’, it couldn’t have been more varied and entertaining. Also the live sound is one of the best I have heard in any venue.

Albert Lee on stage Photo by Pete Mariosa
Albert Lee on stage Photo by Pete Mariosa
Diana Vicky & Albert Pic by Pete Mariosa
Diana Vicky & Albert Pic by Pete Mariosa

I was privileged to play there a week or so back with Elephant Shelf to a small but perfectly formed audience and prior to that I saw Georgie Fame, which was also a great gig. So that’s the good stuff and it doesn’t get any better than that. Unfortunately the venue like many others is under pressure and is struggling to continue which is a great shame as its one of the really great places to listen to or play live music. Â If you do see a gig advertised there its well worth the trip. They also offered me a job behind the bar 🙂 LOL. I don’t think I would be terribly good at it to be honest, (though there are a few people I know who’s personal fantasy is exactly that, bet lynch eat your heart out) and I might be tempted to drink the profits. They do Real Ales and good food to so that would have been OK.

Today has been mostly involved in working on some web stuff (which I find incredibly tedious these days to be honest) and  running through some stuff on the piano and violin and a bit of tidying up. I am also getting used to using a video camera after a gap of a few years as I intend to start including video as part of this blog too. The camera is a bit flaky at the moment but its starting to behave  so I might be able to start using it properly in a week or too with luck.

I have applied for 8 jobs in 2 days

I wonder if I will get any interviews?

It’s been a long time since I was in an office (2 years now) and 14 years since I had a job interview so if I do actually get as far as attending one its going to be a pretty weird experience.  My real problem is I am rubbish at phone calls, I much prefer emailing because it gives me time to think about what I am saying as I suspect that there are times when I don’t make as  much sense verbally as I should. I am going for everything from admin to IT work  and of course including government temping too.  Being 52 now is not going to help either I suspect. Having a long term depressive illness is a bit of  a drag too, as at the moment I am feeling reasonably well, but it tends to creep up on me when I least expect it. My finances are pretty dire now too. To give a rough analogy I am 2000 miles out over the Atlantic but but I only have 500 miles worth of fuel left so I am not going to reach NY… even with a very fair wind

What skills have I got ?

IT consultant/Developer:

Web and programming skills including the following:
php asp VB 6 Java SQL Perl C# and Html XML JavaScript  Ajax. UNIX LINUX Vba for MS Office
Photo-shop & Flash ActionScript
Ecommerce sites >
Click  >>Here for an example using php and Smarty with full paypal integration

Web hosting
Prince11 project management.
10 years commercial experience, central government projects, including managing ITC for 300 users at the Parole Board for England and Wales.

Office admin:
Case working,  minute taking,  HR , reporting, diary organising,  file management, scanning photocopying, photocopier maintenance, preparing reports for audit & bla.

Musician Composer

PRS member ,Published composer

Radio play for solo material and for Band & Duo National and local
Cabaret Performer Music & Comedy

Previously performances at:

Kings head Theatre Islington, The Bull and Gate, Purple Turtle Camden Jazz after Dark Soho  The Celler Door  Covent Garden  The Joogleberry Theatre Brighton  Dingwalls  The Bull Barnes Neils Chain of music venues.  The Abbey & After Office Hours Bullet at Kentish town Oliver’s Jazz Bar Greenwich The Crown & The Cock Tavern Kilburn & the Music Palace.

My Solo Album is available as to buy as download on Amazon E Music Rhapsody ITunes & Napster Selling but very slowly.

I have a CD ready and mastered but I can’t afford to press it at the moment, partly due to my car blowing up.

I am a performing composer and musician playing Piano Violin & Guitar and Bass and some vocals though my voice is somewhat unusual. I regularly gig with the Rock/Roots band Elephant Shelf and also the Delta Ladies duo which mix roots acoustic music and electronica and comedy.
I have a solo project band called Glass Cage.I read, but my sight reading is not that fast.
Musical styles rang from Rock to Blues Jazz Folk and world Music also electronica.

I compose in a variety of styles from pop to rock to jazz and classical oeuvres. I am also expert in multi-media recording and music production. I have a full studio setup which allows me to produce from demo to master recordings.

Maybe I should teach Music?

I could do that at a beginners level for adults I think. OK that sounds like a plan.

So why am I going broke?  !!! ***$%^$%^$^%$***!!!

 

Somewhere over the Rainbow
Somewhere over the Rainbow