HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
What’s the likelihood of a tuition agency boss topping the music charts? Almost none at all, especially if he’s getting on a bit. However, there is a local music chart run by Open Sounds, a ‘not for profit’ organisation, where, with just a click from you it could be very easily done. Milton Keynes has its own music charts where the songs are ranked simply by the number of people who listen to them on line. There is no money involved; you don’t pay to hear them and no money is received the other end. It’s simply there to promote interest in local music.
I submitted a song I recorded with Debbie Murray, with whom I present a radio show every Thursday. It’s an old fashioned blues, and therefore the most unlikely record to chart this century. There is no orchestration or production, just her voice and my guitar; no effects of any kind. With a click from you we could do what I enjoy doing best; defying convention and proving that life outside the box is possible. I’m inviting you to join forces with Debbie and me in a campaign which challenges the convention that for music to be popular it has to be performed by meticulously groomed young people, with electronic effects such as techno-dubbing and multi tracking, and produced by such moguls as Simon Cowell.
It could also result in more work for the agency, as unlikely events are more likely to make the press than reports of The Mayor opening a car boot sale! Any publicity which promotes the agency can only be a good thing. To listen to our track log onto www.soundcloud.com/mkchart
click on ‘New chart entries,’ and scroll till you see “You Released the Blues In Me, Debbie Murray & Andy Gilbert.” You have to play the whole track for it to register.
Our radio show is broadcast every Thursday at 8.00pm on 87.7FM, or if you’re outside the Milton Keynes area log onto www.secklowsounds.org and click ‘Listen Live.’ This week’s show (Jan. 5th) features a very interesting interview with band leader and peace activist Marcus Armstrong, whom I will be asking about his occasional imprisonment and bullet-dodging travels in order to stand up for his ideals.
Saving fuel
I don’t normally pass on emails of this nature but a letter containing useful information on how to save petrol has reached me. Most of our tutors travel to their students, and the cost of fuel is a major issue for them. I won’t simply paste the information as it contains too much waffle, but here is the essence.
1) If possible, buy petrol early in the morning when the ground temperature is still cold, and the petrol is more dense. As it gets warmer, petrol expands and you get less for your money.
2) Don’t squeeze the trigger all the way. Filling slowly minimizes the vapours created by pumping. The vapours are sucked back into the underground storage, but you’re paying for them!
3) Fill up when your tank is half full. Petrol evaporates quickly, so the less air space in your tank, the less possibility there is for your fuel to evaporate (I’d like to hear from a science teacher as to how this weighs up against the argument that keeping your tank full means you’re paying to carry the extra weight).
4) If there is a petrol truck filling the storage tanks, shop elsewhere. The petrol is being stirred up as it’s delivered and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom.
If you’re a science teacher and would like to comment on any of the above please write in and I’ll publish it next month (provided your letter is polite!)
Showbiz stuff
It’s time for another show. I only do one every two months now, which makes them even more special than they were before. I’m sorry you got stuck with a music teacher for a boss which means you’re more likely to read about microphones than Maths, but if I were a Geology professor, how many parties would I be inviting you to? Yes, it’s a real invitation because it’s free. Under the umbrella, “One World Club,” I lead a team of devoted volunteers who, like me, want to make a difference to the lives of others. We stage a spectacular show every two months promoting cultural harmony through performance.
The next one is just around the corner: Monday 9th January. Doors open 6.30 for a 7.30 show; come early for the best seats.
It’s at our usual location: Cruck Barn, Milton Keynes Discovery Centre, Alston Drive, Bradwell Abbey, Milton Keynes, MK13 9AP.
That’s all for this month. Have a great New Year, and don’t forget to find me and say ‘hello’ if you come to the show on 9th January.
Andy
Categories: Newsletters
Posted on January 14, 2012 at 2:28 pm.
