Do you reflect on how familar spaces, people, events shape you over time? Do you ever think about how these situations affect you positively/negatively, internally/externally? How can we build better 'nests' to nurture ourselves and others, allowing the discovery and development of our real abilities and talents?

Big questions for a Monday morning! But don't let that put you off. Join me and Lucy Huzzard - Sheffield based singer/songwriter, musician, folk dancer & educator - for a comforting romp through some stuff we both wanted to air out with you all.

And we FINALLY get to announce an exciting new venture that we're both collaborating on next summer...

Lucy's Links:

Instagram | Lucy & Hazel IG | Lucy & Hazel FB | Lucy & Hazel website

Replay Lucy's Melinar: Melodeon Friendly Swedish Tune - Frejas Hymne Polska:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/114442049

Sign up to the mailing list to hear more about 'The Out Crowd' event in Castleton, Derbyshire, 14-18 July 2025:

https://pages.melbiggsmusic.co.uk/fsuf83bapj

INFO Beginner/Improver melodeon workshop with Mel 10-3pm The Stables, Milton Keynes, November 23rd 2024:

https://stables.org/workshops

INFO Mel's Festive Melodeon workshop & concert Birmingham Accordion Centre 7th December 2024:

https://accordioncentre.com/acb/whats-on/

Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:

www.patreon.com/melbiggsmusic

Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:

www.melbiggsmusic.co.uk

Intro & outro music:

'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.

Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':

www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com

Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk

Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:

YouTube | Instagram | Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How does one dance and play at the same time with a 6kg instrument strapped to them? How many jobs can one switch with Tim Van Eyken? Why should everyone try Morris dancing at least once in their lifetime? And how do you leave a job with AstraZeneca in a blaze of glory to become a full-time musician?

... this, and many more questions answered in this month's Very Lovely Chat!

Saul Rose is an English folk singer, Morris dancer, and diatonic accordion player. He is known for his work with Eliza Carthy, Waterson:Carthy, Faustus, Maclaine Colston duo, James Delarre duo, and the eminent ceilidh band Whapweasel, amongst many others. He took over the actor-musician role of 'Songman' in War Horse at The National Theatre. Saul has danced and played with many Morris sides over the years, including Hexham Morris (Cotswold), Chiltern Hundreds (North West), and Newcastle Kingsmen (Rapper).

CW Saul talks about the circumstances of Paul Sartin's death from 33:50 to 35:36.

Saul's Links:

Saul Rose & James Delarre Bandcamp | Saul's Facebook Page

Replay Saul's Melinar on Total Melodeon - how to get everything you want out of your instrument:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/110971161

INFO Weedon Balfolk (nr. Northampton) 1/2 day dance/music workshop & evening bal September 21st 2024:

https://www.weedonbalfolk.co.uk/

Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:

www.patreon.com/melbiggsmusic

Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:

www.melbiggsmusic.co.uk

Intro & outro music:

'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.

Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':

www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com

Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk

Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:

YouTube | Instagram | Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever considered what it's like to grow up as a woman on the English folk scene? How can you evolve as an artist and learn to own your artistic voice? How can we collectively empower other women and young girls to take up leading roles in creative careers? And why are good reels so hard to find for the melodeon?!

My guest this month is singer, songwriter and multi instrumentalist Hazel Askew. She's one third of full throttle fempowered folk band Lady Maisery, works with her sister Emily Askew, has won several music awards including Best Album for 2017 folk supergroup Songs of Separation, and appears with Awake Arise - a collaboration between Lady Maisery and Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith - for their midwinter tour, and leads regular music workshops for the EFDSS and other regional organisations.

Our conversation flows through influences in younger self, to balancing time for education projects and perfomance opportunities, working in film, TV and theatre, including Fisherman's Friends: The Musical where we both shared the stage.

Hazel's links:

Website | Facebook Page | Instagram

Replay Hazel's Melinar tutorial on accompanying songs:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/108784848

VLOG: 1 YEAR WITH MY CASTAGNARI HANDRY - Theatre update:

https://youtu.be/4zq3VpbnZlQ?si=TsA5I7q4NLd5d_1N

VLOG: WHAT IT WAS REALLY LIKE WORKING IN MUSICAL THEATRE | First Time Actor-Muso:

https://youtu.be/Q9_p2UtqTTw?si=JEgj6KJbr3OMEdMp

VLOG: English Folky's First French Festival - Le Son Continu 2023:

https://youtu.be/PuY3pK4a6xs?si=ee_0fHnfz5Ya2mFY

Join my PATREON for extended podcast episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:

www.patreon.com/melbiggsmusic

Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:

www.melbiggsmusic.co.uk

Intro & outro music:

'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.

Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':

www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com

Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk

Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:

YouTube | Instagram | Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you know that silent movies are still a thing? And who knew that diatonic accordion works so well in Baroque music?! And what's this about a Belgian footbass?

Benjamin Macke is a French accordionist, composer, teacher and Belgian basse au pied revivalist living in Belgium. His musical style is rather blended, having started out as a classical percussionist, jazz drummer and trombonist, he plays with a variety of musicians including his partner Birgit Bournauw, Flemish & Baroque bagpiper.

As well as Duo Macke-Bournauw, he is known for his playing with Balfolk band Shillelagh, various theatre & ensemble projects for audiences of all ages, and his solo movie-concert project Le Ciné-concert de Poche where he writes and performs sound tracks for silent movies.

Tune in this month for conversations about making connections with ourselves, our instruments, our audiences and our students and fellow musicians, and why this is so important not just in music, but in being part of a community.

Benjamin's links:

Website | Facebook Page | YouTube

Replay Benjamin's Melinar tutorial on fingering, phrasing & accents:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/106977278

VLOG When I met Benjamin at Halsway Manor Melodeon Study week:

https://youtu.be/TpjtG0qFoVY

VLOG I Blame Benjamin Macke for this:

https://youtu.be/M3m5nsP_pB0

Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:

www.patreon.com/melbiggsmusic

Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:

www.melbiggsmusic.co.uk

Intro & outro music:

'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.

Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':

www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com

Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk

Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:

YouTube | Instagram | Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wondered what the record is for how many tunes someone can compose in a day?! Well, I'm not sure of the official answer to that, but I'm sure Toon could give the winner a run for their money! His iconic melodies have travelled far and wide across the Euro-dance music scene over the last two decades and more.

Toon Van Mierlo is a Belgian musician of many talents including diatonic accordion, bagpipes, saxophone and whistles. He is best known for his work with multi award winning folk duo Naragonia, and for his playing with Hot Griselda, Novar and Duo Decombel-Van Mierlo, among many others.

In this episode, we discover how a life-long fascination with biology and the natural world has lead to the birth of many tunes and projects for Toon over the years, both musically and otherwise. Join me this month as I sit down with a very good friend to get to know them and their outlook on music and life a little better.

Naragonia's links:

Website | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram

Watch Toon's Composing In Real-Time Melinar on my Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/104719753

TurboBal UK Tour June 2024:

https://melbiggsmusic.co.uk/turbobal-uk-tour-2024/

Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:

www.patreon.com/melbiggsmusic

Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:

www.melbiggsmusic.co.uk

Intro & outro music:

'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.

Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':

www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com

Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk

Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:

YouTube | Instagram | Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everyone has a comfort zone - even the multi-talented musicians who you might assume are impervious to such things. How can we challenge ourselves to overcome our uncertainties and nervousness to take a risk and break free of the pigeon holes we put ourselves in? Are you motivated by feeling the joy music brings to others?

Pascale Rubens is a composer, singer, teacher and diatonic accordionist best known as one half of multi award winning Belgian folk duo Naragonia. This month's conversation takes a relaxed route, finding many commonalities along the way. Through talk of finding vs making time for creativity amongst everything else life entails, drastic career changes and finding the accordion later in life, and getting geeky over our shared passion for teaching and being a part of our student's successes. Also, I get nosey about how Naragonia's secret sauce is made...

A thoroughly lovely chat in which you get to hear two friends deepen their acquaintance, and mutual appreciation of each other's work.

Naragonia's links:

Website | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram

Watch Pascale's Rhythmical Accompaniment for Dance Melinar on my Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/103145730

Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:

www.patreon.com/melbiggsmusic

Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:

www.melbiggsmusic.co.uk

Intro & outro music:

'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.

Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':

www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com

Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk

Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:

YouTube | Instagram | Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What makes a hard-working, award-winning melodeon legend? How do you turn a terrible idea into a musical triumph without falling out with other people? And what's the strategy for remembering SEVEN current repertoires at once?!

Andy Cutting is an internationally renknowned diatonic accordion player from England. He works extensively across genres (and borders) in duos, trios and bigger line ups as a dance musician, session player, & accompanist. His current bands include Blowzabella, Topette!, Leveret, Niepold:Cutting, Gudrun Walther & Andy Cutting, and Martin Simpson's band. Join me this month as I sit down in conversation with him to chat about his long career in folk music and beyond, how he works with other people, and how he has become internationally recognised his characteristic sound and style.

Andy's links:

Tour Dates Facebook Group

Leveret

Blowzabella

Topette!

Niepold:Cutting Duo

Gudrun Walther & Andy Cutting

Andy's Playing With Other People Melinar on my Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/101033499

Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:

www.patreon.com/melbiggsmusic

Visit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:

www.melbiggsmusic.co.uk

Intro & outro music:

'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.

Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':

www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.com

Get in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.uk

Don't forget to like/subscribe/follow:

YouTube | Instagram | Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.