It haseen a busy couple of weeks here for me. I was asked to pitch for a couple of Sky jobs but I didn't get them so I converted them into Library tracks. Nothing goes to waste! I've finally decided on speakers for the studio too so I'll be ordering the Klein + Hummel 0300Ds in the New Year. Got to have a plan Stan!

Jake is now officially very excited about Christmas. This past couple of weeks it has been freezing cold here in London, and as I look out of my window now I can see people in big coats and scarves making their way through the frosty mist to buy last minute gifts. I can't believe it's Christmas Eve tomorrow. Anyway, must go and hit the shops myself with Jakey.

Sunday 2nd December 2007

December???? How did that happen? There seems to be a lot of work looming at the moment so it looks like I'm going to go screaming into the New Year. Nice to have stuff on the horizon, especially as one year ends and another begins. I'm going to be making a definite decision on my Studio monitoring this week too because the speakers I have sitting here need to go back. I'm leaning very heavily towards the Klein + Hummels.

Jakey was off school for a couple of days last week with a bad cold but he has his first Nativity play on Tuesday so he needs to get better for that. I'm really looking forward to it actually and I'll be miking the children up so the parents can hear them.

Monday 26th November 2007

New guitar tracks added to MP3 section - Plank Spanker and Climb.

Sunday 25th November 2007

Couple more Library tracks under my belt this week so I feel pretty good even though I have yet to hear about the BBC Beijing Olympics track I submitted. I'm imagining that they might have one or two options to consider from various composers so I'm not holding my breath. Got some more carpentry to get done this coming week to house the computers so I need to get designing and crack on with that.

It hasn't snowed yet but some days it has felt cold enough that it might. Hang on, that sentence didn't sound like very good English but you know what I mean. Let me try again: It's been so cold recently on the odd day that I thought it might feel like snow. Nope, that didn't work either. Bugger. There have been days this last week when I thought it might have snowed ... no that wasn't right either. Sod it, I'm going to bed.

Wednesday 21st November 2007

Been a slow couple of days where I don't seem to have got anything done. Happens sometimes and there really isn't anything I can do about it. I submitted a track to the BBC on Friday for the upcoming Beijing Olympics but have yet to hear anything back. Early days yet though. I also checked all the Library tracks I have just submitted and they do sound damned fine. The other speakers turned up eventually and I had great fun auditioning them but the Klein + Hummels still have the edge, by quite a margin actually. I think they might be staying here.

Jakey has had a cold all week and as usual it looks like he has passed it on to me, which might explain my inability to get anything constructive done in the Studio this past couple of days. He seems happy enough though. Must be all the Calpol!

Sunday 11th November 2007

Finally finished all the Library stuff that I have been working on and I shall be sending it off tomorrow. Got loads more to work on though so it's going to be a busy time. The K+Hs are still burning in nicely although I notice they come in white as well as black, which is nice. The other speakers I want to audition didn't arrive this week but I am hopeful that they will turn up this coming week. Important to compare and be absolutely sure before splashing out thousands I think.

Jakey and I let off some rockets and sparklers in the garden on Nov 5th. Great fun as usual and he seems to be getting more used to them, which considering I am a pyromaniac is no bad thing!

Sunday 4th November 2007

The Klein + Hummel speakers turned up early this week and they are quite fabulous. Trouble is that because the tweeters are so far apart on the K+H I have had to make some adjustments to the newly finished console in order to position the speakers more closely together, nothing too serious but enough for me to pull everything out once again. This has been a good thing in a way because it has improved the soundstage and made me finish off the other odds and ends that needed looking at behind the console. I'm trying out some ATC SCM20s this week too but they'll have to go a long way to beat the K+Hs.

Jakey and I have been having a great time this week! First it was Halloween so we went Trick or Treating with Jake's friend Dan, which around our neighbourhood is a fantastic adventure since it would seem that every single child dresses up in costume and hits the streets. Nicola stayed at home to man the battlemetns from the hordes of ghouls and ghosts that would come knocking and she reported that there were around 120 children at the door over the course of the evening! The next night was our local Firework display for Guy Fawkes night and Jake was a star in his big green ear protectors. There were more Fireworks last night (which we watched from our loft) and we're off to another local display tonight. Tomorrow is the actual Guy Fawkes' night so we're having a few rockets and sparklers of our own in the garden. I love this time of year!

Monday 29th October 2007

We spent the weekend up at Andy's farm (Audio Network) where I presented some of my new Library pieces. Seemed to go down well although I do have a couple of mix issues that I need to resolve, probably as a result of my not being totally used to the new Studio. On the subject of mixing I'm a bit concerned that my Genelecs are frying my ears after extended periods in the Studio which may be resulting in poor mix decisions so I'm auditioning a pair of Klein + Hummel 0300s this week to see if there is a noticeable difference. Having tried some Adam S3As last week I am quite looking forward to it actually.

It's Halloween on Wednesday and Jakey is quite excited by the spookiness of it all. We are going Trick or Treating with his little friend Dan and I'm looking forward to it immensely!

Sunday 21st October 2007

My favourite Month seems to be flying by. Still not heard back on the American TV ad but one of my publishers called to say that a piece of my music is to be used extensively in the new series of X-Files and I also managed to land the launch of the new Philips WOW 3D TV, all recorded, edited and dubbed in four days. One extreme to the other really. Back on to Library Music again from tomorrow and I'm quite looking forward to it actually. This coming Friday I have a meeting with Audio Network where I shall be presenting a lot of the Library stuff I have been working on so I'm very keen to get it mixed and sounding all nice and sparkly.

I popped along to the Drummer Live event in London Docklands this afternoon where I just wandered around looking at all the shiny things. Bloody hell, drummers are noisy buggers! For a moment I thought I was in a tumble dryer with a couple of tons of metal rivets. The funny thing is that a lot of people seemed to know me, which is very flattering considering I've been out of the drummng picture for some years now. Very humbling, but very nice. Makes me wonder what might have happened had I stuck at it after the Plant tours but then retrospect is a wonderful thing.

Both Jakey and I have had quite bad colds this past week so we've not been on top form. I have found that a good remedy is a half hour work out on the new Hart electric drum kit. Good idea to sweat it out I think and it seems to work. No good for headaches though (unless you want one that is!)

Monday 8th October 2007

I played drums in the house band at a charity gig on Saturday night hosted by our local gym. Great fun, very hot and sweaty, and nice to play in front of an audience again for the first time in many years. Bit like riding a bike really, only without the punctures and funny hats. Had to hire a kit though as I don't have one, although I did use the wonderful snare drum that Ronn Dunnett sent me from the States (thanks Ronn!).

The latest word on the American TV commercial is that it is now between myself and a track by Ennio Morricone, which is nice. I should hear back on that one this week but in the meantime I shall be throwing myself back into loads of drummy Library Music for Boosey & Hawkes. And going to the gym. Definitely going to the gym. Oh yes. Need new trainers ...

Tuesday 3rd October 2007

So here we are at the beginning of my favourite Month. Not sure where this year has gone but I guess the Studio being out of action for so long didn't help matters. The commercial I was working on fell through but I am now busy with another so fingers crossed. I've also been incredibly productive with my Library Music and have been editing furiously for the past couple of days. Lots of new gear for me to audition too and it looks like I am pretty much there on the purchasing front, which will doubtless please my Bank Manager.

I completed the Boot Camp I was going to and actually got a certificate for "Boot Campee of the Month". Not sure what a Campee is but it sounds interesting. I've also been rehearsing for a Cancer Charity gig and it has been quite nice to get back behind the kit again after all this time.

Anyway, enough of this banter - back to work!

Sunday 16th September 2007

I've been working on a TV commercial this past week but it seems to have devolved into the all too common "let's see how many demos we can get together as we don't have a clue what we want" scenario. My demo limit is three and I hit that on Thursday. Any more than that and I start to hallucinate and run the risk of throwing vital pieces of equipment out of the window, which is not an altogether good thing to be doing since my Studio is on the first floor. Interestingly enough, during the Studio refit I did bung a couple of old monitor screens out of the window in true rock and roll fashion. Neither of them smashed.

Ronn Dunnett sent me a hand made white titanium snare drum last week from the States and it is absolutely beautiful! I can't wait to get into the Studio with it. If you are interested in drums in any way, shape or form then you really should check out his website.

Monday 10th September 2007

Busy couple of weeks ... the Studio is now running very smoothly so I have been able to work on a couple of TV jobs along with a stack of Library tracks. I have decided to complete another 50 library pieces before the end of the year and this goal seems very possible at the moment as my workflow with this new system is so much faster. The new Hart Pro kit is up and running too and has completely changed the way I work. Lovely to get behind the kit again! I've been busy this past few days auditioning mic/pre amps and have settled on the Tube Tech MEC1A. Very happy with this choice but it was up against stiff competition from Millenia (STT-1), SSL (E Signature) and Avalon (737). This final purchase marks the end of my Studio refit and I think I ought to celebrate the occassion with some bubbly!

I have also been fitness training three nights a week, outside in a field in all weathers with a bunch of other nutters. Great fun and it's starting to pay off but it really highlights how low my aerobic capacity has become since I stopped drumming. With this in mind I popped off and bought myself a Mountain Bike, quite a sensible decision in London as it turns out since I am often moving quicker than the traffic.

Sunday 26th August 2007

Thursday was a day of getting things repaired. Firstly the Linn pre amp for our surround sound system in the TV room came back from repairs (we had been without music downstairs for two months), then the engineer turned up to fix the dryer in the utility room, and lastly my replacement Dangerous Monitor ST unit for the blown one in the studio arrived. This of course means that not only can we watch movies and get our clothes dried but that I can, at last, get on with making music again - hurrah, and in fact, hooray!

Sunday 19th August 2007

I was working on a few tracks this week until one of the new pieces of gear inexplicable stopped working. I'm awaiting a replacement from the USA via Germany. These things are bound to happen though and to be honest the installation has gone far better than I had hoped (there are usually all sorts of problems that you simply can't take into account). The only other casualty of the refit has been my trusty old Lexicon PCM90 which refuses to come on at all and needs to go in for repairs. Overall I'm very pleased with the sound of the new gear and I shall post some pictures once the walls are painted and it all looks fab and groovy.

Sunday 12th August 2007

The Studio is up and running! I still have lots of wiring to tidy up and I'll probably look at starting that later on today, but it's all working and sounding fabulous. My new Hart eDrum kit arrived yesterday too and I'm looking forward to setting that up as well to see what it can do. After all these weeks of silence it really is very nice to be able to go and make music again.

Thursday 8th August 2007

It was Nicola's birthday on Friday so we went away to Grayshott Spa for a few days of pampering. I had a couple of acupuncture sessions on my now decidedly dodgy right shoulder and I have to say that it really is a lot better. My favourite therapy of all is still La Stone though, involving hot volcanic rocks being laid onto your body at strategic points followed by a head massage and the inclusion of the occasional ice cold rock thrown into the mix which oddly feels hotter than the hot ones. I only managed to fit one of these in but it was, as usual, sheer bliss ...

There was actually music coming from my Studio yesterday as the first day of the install took shape. Bit of a relief I can tell you, although it sounds like I need to do a bit of room treatment as the sound is a little uncontrolled. The chap is in again tomorrow and Friday so it looks very much as if everything will be up and running by the end of the week. I then have the lovely task of tidying up all the wiring (I quite like doing that actually, slightly OCD you see!) and then back to work. Hurrah!

Wednesday 1st August 2007

It was Jake's 3rd birthday on Sunday so we had a party for him and his friends. The bouncy castle in the garden was a huge hit again (as it was last year) and luckily the weather was fantastic all day meaning that everyone could stay out in the garden. We gave him his first proper bicycle (bright red with a red cycle helmet!) and he seems to have taken to it straight away. Won't be long before the training wheels are off!

The Studio installation should be taking place on Monday ... ever the optimist, I should soon be able to get back to making music instead of pestering people on the telephone!

Thursday 26th July 2007

I had to fire the company that was supplying the gear for my Studio installation yesterday. One can only stand losing so many jobs before one snaps - and it does take a lot to make me snap - but they were taking too long and didn't seem able to grasp the concept that I needed everything here at the same time and that the odd ten day wait here and there for a piece of gear that should have been ordered weeks ago was quite alright. After a very successful meeting yesterday I have now appointed a new company (they have supplied similar systems to Air Studios recently) and they are sending a chap over today to check on my wiring. This is more positive action in two days than I received from the old company in two months! This of course means returning all the gear supplied so far by the old company but it will be worth the hassle I hope. I'm now looking forward to having a working system by the end of next week and should at last be able to get on with all the work that has been piling up! Huge relief all round I can tell you ...

Monday 23rd July 2007

We've just returned from 12 days in Portugal where we watched news reports of the flooding in the UK in complete disbelief. It's very surreal when you are in 32 degrees and not a cloud in the sky to be confronted with images of London and the Cotswolds flooding, especially seeing the photos showing darkness at midday due to the storms. Looks like we chose an excellent time to get away! Tilly was very happy to see us but I'm sure she had a good time. Beata (Jake's nanny) stayed at the house and looked after her whilst we were away but Tilly would have been alone for the big storms, something I am sure she wouldn't have liked! Jake and Tilly usually come up into our bed during storms and rain ...

The main concern here for me now that I am back is that my studio is still not up and running. This is very disappointing as I have loads of work to get on with and I'm actually losing jobs as a consequence. I am pestering the company supplying the gear but there are many complications. I guess this is what happens when you go for a complete new system and I am thankful that it's not something I have to endure too often.

Monday 9th July 2007

Been a while since my last news update so here goes ...

We took Tilly to the vet last week after finding two lumps on her chest. She was admitted for immediate surgery where the lumps were removed and on the Vet's recommendation she was spayed at the same time. Poor little girl was really poorly for a couple of days so I slept downstairs with her to make sure she was okay. The good news is that the lab test results showed the lumps were nothing serious and today she had her stitches out and is nearly back to her old self again.

There was an open air festival at our local park on Thursday and Bands included Lily Allen, Natasha Bedingfield, Jamie Cullum, The Magic Numbers and The Feeling. The Feeling are without doubt the best live band I have seen in a very long time with great songs, great stage presence, and they can actually play their instruments - quite a rarity these days I think. It really was a fab day despite the intermittent rain.

On Saturday we went to Wimbledon to see the Women's finals on Centre Court. Great seats again (seven back from the court and level with the baseline) and after all the rain we have been having and what with it being the first really sunny day in ages we both got burned! We saw Federer first and the Venus Williams vs Marion Bartoli. Great event Wimbledon and we look forward to it every year.

On the Studio front the console is now finished and I am awaiting the arrival of the gear, which worryingly is taking a long time to get together. Still, I'm using the downtime to get things just right here and I've taken a storage room at a lock up to bung all the old gear in while I work out how to sell it. Probably bung a lot of it on eBay I guess. At least I don't have to do any more painting for a while!

Wednesday 27th June 2007

I'm well into the Studio rebuild now and the console that will house the new gear is nearly finished. It has taken some planning and as is always the case with things like this it has been an evolving process. I'm now at the sanding down stage which is incredibly messy and has left a layer of dust everywhere in the house, but I need to get this bit out tof the way before the new gear arrives.

Needless to say I have not been producing any music whatsoever, although a of course a big job did come in (for FIFA) but I was able to send the music files over to a friend who is now working on it for me. At this rate I should be up and running by the end of next week.

Saturday 9th June 2007

Well I've spent the last few days pulling out all the gear from the Studio and being knee deep in cables, wires, dust and wood. Got busy with a hammer and smashed a lot of the old furniture up before slinging it out of the window into the front garden, which was nice. Jakey has been helping me with his toolbox but I think he enjoyed slinging stuff out of the window best. I've got a wiring chap coming over tomorrow and Monday to remove the rest of the cables and then it's on to the builders, the new floor, the new furniture and the new gear. Quite cathartic actually but the pile of stuff to sell is quite daunting.

Wednesday 6th June 2007

Jakey came into the Office this morning whilst I was playing some wake up music and started dancing around, headbanging and asking for more! Turns out he is a big fan of Mnemic and White Zombie. Who'd have thought it with me as his Father? :-)

Tuesday 5th June 2007

Blimey, I finished the BBC Paxman job in the nick of time. The wooden flooring for the Studio arrived today and is sitting in our hallway and I am due to start unpluging everything tomorrow. Still finalising the cabinets and furniture but I have a very good idea as to what I need now. Have also decided on a gear list bar one or two items that I need to try out, so all is well!

As I am more or less replacing everything it occurred to me that I will have an awful lot of gear to sell. I might post a list on here somewhere to see if anyone is interested. Bit of a long shot I know but you never know! When the Studio work does start I shan't be online for a while but keep checking back just in case.

Sunday 27th May 2007

A week of planning and drawing for the new studio. Can't decide how to lay the gear out which is driving me up the wall. I submitted two demos for the BBC job but neither went down too well unfortunately so I think I might try something else tonight. It's been raining all day today so Jakey and I went swimming this morning at our gym. He swims on his own now in his floaty jacket thing - a feat that he is very proud of - and went around telling everyone in the bar at lunch afterwards.

We're off to feed the neighbour's cat in a moment, and then off up the High Street in the drizzle with Tilly to order Jake a Big Boy's Bed. Then it's back to an open fire and a roast chicken dinner - lovely!

Tuesday 22nd May 2007

Booked the Builder, the flooring company and the engineer for the new Studio installation today. It all kicks off from the 10th May now with me officially unplugging everything so I guess I have a definite deadline to finish all my current projects. I'm currently working on a TV commercial and a pilot for a new BBC programme, along with the Library album, but I might try and delay the album so that the entire thing is completed on the new system as opposed to switching half way through. Sounds good to me.

Thursday 17th May 2007

New photos added in family album.

I'm thinking of trying my hand at running in the mornings. All those fit, healthy people bobbing around and nodding to each other before breakfast always seems so romantic and the idea of it really appeals to me. The trouble is that each time I decide to take it up I only manage to make it to the end of the road before doubling over, unable to breathe, and then have to stagger home. Not quite the dashing look I had in mind. I suppose if I got up early enough there wouldn't be anyone around to see me stumble and fall but then there is the problem of actually getting up early. Bugger.

Tuesday 15th May 2007

Jake's new hut arrived yesterday so I spent the afternoon building and screwing it all together. Great fun as it was raining and the more pieces I screwed together the drier I became. Had a breakfast meeting with my Agent this mornng in which we put the World to rights and began making plans for my Studio to be switched off for the refit. Looks like I have June to get it all finished but I know full well that as soon as I go in there with a hammer and start unplugging stuff a big job will come in.

Friday 11th May 2007

Oops - been a while since I last updated this bit, sorry! I've been in the Studio working on a Library album interspersed with some heavy gardening, removing shrubs (well, small trees) to make space for Jake's Hut which should be arriving next week, and clearing the front garden for paving and general sprucing up. The finances have been approved for the new studio gear now and I am currently fine tuning my list before placing the order. The scary bit is that I will have to unplug the old gear and have some fairly hefty carpentry work done before the new gear can go in, effectively rendering me studioless. Worth it though. The new gear is amazing!

Tuesday 24th April 2007

Been working on a Library album all week, mainly drum based and all barking mad so right up my street. I'm also finalising the plans for my new Studio and hopefully should be trying some stuff out next week. The weather here in the UK has been absolutely fantastic this last couple of weeks (for April at any rate) so we have been living in the garden pretty much - lovely since first thing in the morning and last thing at night the scent from the Wisteria and Choisya in full bloom is incredible.

Tuesday 17th April 2007

For some reason Summer arrived in mid April over the weekend when it was so hot we could be found wandering about in shorts and sandals. Lovely day on Sunday to go the funfair though. Jakey inherited a slide for the garden from one of his friends which was a huge hit as well. It is essential during hot weather to drink lots of G&T as it is good for the skin. Probably. It seems to have cooled down again now though which is just as well as I am in the Studio working on some more Hollywood film trailer stuff.

Friday 13th April 2007

No work today. Still smarting from the loss of the other job. I have a massage this morning followed by a session at the gym and then into Town for a haircut. Bit of a physical overhaul really. It's royalty cheque month too so I am keeping an eagle eye out for the postman. Lots of nice things with Jake planned for the weekend though; spot of gardening, swimming at the gym, and the funfair is on the green!

Thursday 12th April 2007

Jake, Nicola and I jumped on a train this morning (first time in about 30 years for me) and visited the London Aquarium. Having been touted as one of London's premier attractions I was quite looking forward to this outing but when we got there I was a bit disappointed with how crap it was. Perhaps our visits to the Melbourne and Sydney Aquariums have raised my expectations a little high but I felt it was overpriced and, frankly, boring. Jake enjoyed the train though, as did I.

Wednesday 11th April 2007

Got a call from my agent today saying I didn't get the job. So that was Easter wasted then. What really annoys me though is the fact that I really nailed the brief, only to discover that the advertising agency creative dabbles with music and had :knocked something up' over the weekend! I despair ...

Oh well, more tracks to adapt for Library use I guess.

Tuesday 10th April 2007

Had to work all over the Easter weekend on the TV job. Initially they said they wanted everything in by Thursday evening but being realistic nobody was going to listen to it over the long weekend so they agreed on my getting everything to them first thing this morning. I worked really hard and got everything in on time but I've heard nothing from them all day! Typical though. Still, it's on air at the end of this week so they need to make a decision quite soon or there will be some dead air time.

In amongst all that hard grafting I did manage to get out of the studio for a bit on Sunday. Nic, Jake, Tilly and I went for a walk with friends in Richmond Park. We have been having some really beautiful weather this Easter and it was fantastic to escape outside for a while to clear my head.

Wednesday 4th April 2007

Sometimes the Universe shifts slightly and things happen in a strange way. I got a call from Charlie Jones yesterday saying he was coming up to London and would I like to go with him to see Loreena McKennitt at the Barbican. I said yes so we met up and after much hugging and helloing we popped along to the show. At the after show party we had a long chat which we continued into the early hours at a local club. He stayed the night and we had another long catch up over breakfast. Brilliant to see him.

And then today I popped into Town for a meeting at Boosey & Hawkes (where I picked up a couple of projects) and was on my way home and just about to turn into my road when I bumped into Nick Heyward on the High Street! More hugs and hellos after which he invited me along to his friend's book launch at the local Waterstones where we had a big catch up chat and vowed to work together again soon. Sometimes things happen for a reason I think.

We spent last weekend at our friend's Beach House on the South Coast, probably for the last time since it looks like she may have finally sold it. We had some beautiful weather though and once again Jake and Tilly had a fabulous time on the beach. Will post pics soon ...

Suddenly I seem to be bonkers busy again in the Studio working on several projects but it's all good fun.After having submitted a demo for a major TV commercial last week they completely changed the brief, edited the film, and had several other demos done. I heard today that they have ditched all the other ideas and want to pursue my original direction and it's needed by Tuesday morning. Typical.

Saturday 24th March 2007

A Saturday evening at the Blackwell's residence ...
Jakey was just about to sit down to his freshly cooked evening meal when for reasons best known to him he decided that this would be the best time to poo everywhere. Being out of nappies now this of course involved a massive clean-up operation culminating in him being bunged in the bath for a hose down. All clean and back downstairs to discover that Tilly had eaten his food so we had to start again.

Never work with children and animals ...

Thursday 22nd March 2007

Very excited to be nearing the final stages of planning the new studio. I am currently negotiating the rocky waters of finance companies, accountants and banks to ensure that they all think I am a fabulous person and will be falling over themselves in an effort to give me lots of money.

The weather has turned and we are faced with grey, damp skies and icy cold wind here in London, so cold in fact that it keeps trying to snow. I am so pleased that it wasn't like this the day we returned from Australia as that would have been far too depressing, but then again their seasons are backwards.

Monday 19th March 2007

How savagely remiss of me not to have maintained the up-to-datedness of my website, and I mean this in a not very fluffy way, I should be spanked. As you can probably tell I have been watching the newly released "A Bit of Fry and Laurie" on DVD and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who needs a good titter. Bloody marvellous stuff it is. Anyway, I'm having a bit of trouble getting back into the Studio for some reason and it has been a lovely distraction.

Monday 12th March 2007

It was my niece's 18th birthday party over the weekend (hi Jo!) so we set the Sat-Nav and pointed North up the M1 for Stockport. It isn't until you have children of your own that you become aware of your own mortality I think, I mean where did those 18 years go? Fun time had by all but freezing cold up there, although Jake didn't mind and insisted on seeking out the nearest swings.

Monday 5th March 2007

First day back in the Studio today and also my first day back at the gym ... I'm going to be sore tomorrow I just know it. Nice to stretch all that jet lag away though and nice to vent my frustrations at some inanimate objects like free weights and running machines (I have a lot of frustrations to vent).

To be fair the Studio did actually come back online quite easily. The gear is permanently left on and only gets turned off when we intend to go away for any length of time. When I do switch it off and turn it back on there is usually something that doesn't work or something that decides not to switch on leaving me with a hefty repair bill.

Wednesday 28th February 2007

I'm back! On January 29th we packed our bags and left for Australia, returning to London on Monday 26th February. It is of course Summer down under and we spent much of the time on the beach admiring the Big Sky, just as well really as the temperature often hit 38 and 40 degrees. I think that Heaven may be in Australia, certainly some of the beaches appear to be from another planet (as do the animals!). Jake was a nightmare on the outgoing flight but a real star on the return journey. We flew business class but 24 hours on a plane sitting down is not easy for anyone let alone a two and a half year old. The whole purpose of the trip was to introduce Jake to his Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins, and this made the times at the beach all the more special. I'll post some pics when I get over this damn jet lag.

First day back in London and I was sitting at some traffic lights in the rain in Knightsbridge thinking how small everything was over here when a bloody great lorry scraped right along the side of our lovely new Mercedes. Bugger. Took it in for a quote today and it's not a very nice welcome home present I can tell you. Still, I intend to take the rest of the week off and start back in the Studio on Monday, although as usual I expect there to be all sorts of problems when I turn the gear back on.

Monday 29th January 2007

After many late nights and all nighters I finally finished and submitted the RPO film trailer tracks along with several other tracks I have been working on. They sounded really good here and I am confident that they will get a lot of use and have a long life. Good to get them out of the way finally!

Jakey has not been very well this last week and has been on anti-biotics (although he is better today) and we are getting glimpses of the 'terrible twos' that people warn about, to the extent that Nicola almost fell out with a neighbour yesterday because of one of his tantrums. Oh well, all part of growing up and being British I suppose, although I could do without all that shrieking.

Monday 22nd January 2007

It was my Birthday on Saturday and Nicola and a couple of our good friends (hi Chris & Anitra!) took me to The Manoir aux Quait Saisons in Oxfordshire for the weekend. This place is run by chef Raymond Blanc and I have to say it was quite simply one of the best meals I have ever eaten. As a birthday gift our friends put us in the Lemongrass suite which resembled a James Bond set with fishtanks in the dividing wall, an 8 seater steam room in the bathroom, and TVs that came down out of the ceiling - marvellous! Will post some photos when I get some time as I am busy mixing the RPO stuff at the moment. All needs to be done and dusted by Monday so it's a bit of a rush panic. I need some camomile tea ...

Tuesday 16th January 2007

New films added to TV commercials page!

Monday 15th January 2007

I really hate being stuck between system updates ... I'm having a software nightmare. I really need 'Kontakt2' running 'StormDrum' for the new Library album I am working on but I can't load it onto the Studio Mac since it is running an earlier OS due to recent Pro Tools and Logic Pro updates (they won't talk to each other on more recent OS so I've had to keep running an older operating system until they sort it out). Trying to get hold of an earlier version of Kontakt2 from Native Instruments is proving to be remarkably difficult for some reason as they seem to be focused on providing updates rather than access to all versions. Hopefully I should get hold of a copy soon and be able to crack on with my project. This has simply highlighted my need to update the Studio as soon as possible.

So until I can resolve this problem I've rented a Digi Beta machine and am spending the next couple of days updating and working on my showreel before I start making plans for another big push. Nice to have some current jobs to put on it. Once I have finished it I shall get it copied to DVD and also upload it to the showreel section of the site for your perusal!

Later ...
Bugger. They didn't send me any of the leads I asked for with the Digi Beta so I can't plug the bloody thing in! What a waste of a day. Have to do it all tomorrow now instead.

Wednesday 10th January 2007

Photos of RPO session posted today - click here!

Tuesday 9th January 2007

Yesterday was my first day with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra who are recording some of my stuff for Audio Network, specifically an album of film trailer music aimed at Hollywood. The RPO is often to be found lurking around Chelsea at the Cadogan Hall so we parked a mobile outside with the orchestra on stage in the hall. I was a bit of a spare part really since after composing the music one finds there is little else to do. I handed it over to an orchestrator who did her bit and then passed it on the the conductor and I sat back to and made sure it sounded the way I heard it in my head. Fabulous players and a real joy to watch them. Next stage is to record the choir but I need to write the choral parts first I guess!

Will post some photos when I get the chance.

I saw the Land Rover Freelander ad on TV over the weekend and they have made a good job of the dub. It will be on quite extensively throughout January according to the list they sent me. I'm popping in to Grand Central studios tomorrow morning to dub a version in surround sound for cinema which is something I really enjoy doing.

It was Jakey's first morning at nursery this morning and the house seemed very quiet and peaceful, just the way it was before he showed up. Everything changes ...

Wednesday 3rd January 2007

I heard from my agent today that the Land Rover ad will be running in Europe from Sunday, which is great news. After working all over New Year I submitted my demos (three of the buggers) for the other large TV campaign yesterday morning, and now I am on to composing a new album for Boosey & Hawkes. I got some great new soft synths (Atmosphere, Kontakt and Storm Drum) and these are making my life a lot easier in terms of total recall and workflow.

We had a phone call from Beata (Jake's nanny) this evening. She has broken her wrist ice skating and won't be able to get back to the UK for Monday, which is my first day in the studio with the orchestra. This is quite serious news as Nicola works on a Monday and apart from Mummy and Daddy Beata is the only other person who Jake will let put him to bed. Much scratching of heads tonight I think.

Friday 29th December 2006

We had a very quiet Christmas but now I am back on my head working on the final stages of the orchestral stuff for the session wuth the RPO on 8-9th of January. Exciting because the stuff sounds very big and quite mad. I'm also working on a TV commercial tonight and over the weekend as it needs to be at the agency for Jan 2nd. Basically this means that whilst they are nursing hangovers on Jan 1st I shall be locked in the studio beavering away. Oh well, looks like I shall be screaming at full tilt into the New Year with all guns blazing.

Jakey had a great Christmas but I think he got far too many presents. We'll have to take it down a notch or two next year I reckon as he nearly exploded this year. He's full on at the moment as Beata (his Nanny) has gone home to Czech for a couple of weeks over Christmas. To tell you the truth both Nicola and I are a little exhausted, but then again he does have the energy of a two and a half year old..

Christmas Eve, Sunday 24th December 2006

Guess what? I got the big TV ad! It's for the new Land Rover Freelander and will be running across the UK and Europe from early January. They told me the good news on Friday so I finished up all the edits and it's all approved and ready to go. Great stuff and a lovely way to finish the year. It's a very nice film too and means I will have something fresh and current on my showreel to start the New Year, which is a very good thing. Been working ridiculously hard recently so it is nice to finally switch off, unwind and enjoy the Christmas break.

I've also been asked to demo for another pan European TV campaign by January 2nd and to compose yet another album for Boosey & Hawkes (along with the one I am already working on) by the end of January, and as I am in the studio recording the orchestral stuff on January 8th and 9th for Audio Network next year looks like it's starting off very well.

Jakey really has got the idea now and is looking forward to Christmas day. Every time he sees somebody dressed in red and white he yells out "Father Christmas!" which is fine except he yelled it at a woman jogging in a red and white track suit in the park today.

Merry Christmas everyone! CB xx

Wednesday 20th December 2006

Been working on a rather large TV commercial this past couple of days and it is going right down to the wire. The signs are good though but you can never really tell these days. The orchestral stuff is more or less finished now apart from a bit of tweaking so I'm just waiting for the orchestrator to get back from New York and that I can pass it over for notation.

We did our Christmas shopping on Monday this week. Great fun. It seems to be party season for Jakey and he really has got the idea now and is looking forward to Father Christmas bringing him presents. Mind you, so am I.

Sunday 10th December 2006

Went to my agent's Christmas party at BAFTA on Friday night and met up with all her other composers. Great to meet everyone at last and have a good chat. I think there may have been a few sore heads on Saturday morning though.

We bought our Christmas trees this afternoon and I decorated them tonight so Jakey will het a big surprise in the morning. He helped me clear the leaves from the garden and put away the garden furniture over the weekend too. I've got a busy week this coming week so it was good to get it done and out of the way.

Sunday 3rd December 2006

Well it's Christmas once again so we took Jakey to the ice skating rink outside the Natural History Museum yesterday evening. If ever you want to experience London the way it is portrayed in films like 'Love Actually' and 'Notting Hill' then this is the place and the time of year to go. Absolutely magical. We're off to Kew Gardens nearer to Christmas as they have carol singers and Christmas lights in amongst the bushes. The carol singers are quite tame though by all accounts but they don't recommend feeding them in case they turn nasty. You never can tell with carol singers.

On Friday I found myself at the BBC Worldwide Music Publishing Composer's Christmas Party (phew!) which once again was great fun. Brilliant to be in a room with a bunch of people who do exactly the same thing as you and with the same stories of success and failure. Kind of reassuring really. Next year is a big year for me in terms of where my career is going so it was a good place to reaffirm my intentions. And to get a bit drunk. Actually I didn't drink that much as we went to a neighbour's annual Wine Tasting evening later that day at which ten of us got through a mgnum of champagne and eight bottles of good wine so I had to pace myself.

Saturday 25th November 2006

Been working on the Orchestral stuff for the session at Abbey Road in January and it's all coming together quite nicely, as well as trying to keep ahead of this damn cold I seem to have picked up. Just as well I'm busy really since our central heating boiler packed up today and I'm going to need lots of money because we need a new one. When else would a boiler pack up though other than November, just before Christmas, and when I have a cold! The trouble is we have no heating now apart from our open fires, which is pretty romantic but a trifle inconvenient considering it's not what one would call tropical here at the moment. Bugger.

Monday 20th November 2006

New Library track entitled Surfwax finished and uploaded today!
New family photos added too.

Tuesday 14th November 2006

Very busy with Library stuff at the moment (working on two albums and some individual tracks) but I may have to drop everything at any moment because there is a major TV ad lurking. I am waiting for the Batphone to ring and I am on it. In the meantime I am seriously considering a complete reworking of my Studio which means ripping pretty much everything out and starting again. It's amazing to think that when the studio was first installed I really needed all that stuff. Now I can do far more within the computer, and quicker too! Quite looking forward to freeing up some space in there actually, and besides I really do suffer from 'New Toy Syndrome' so it will be good for my creativity!

Monday 6th November 2006

We had a small firework party last night and Jake had one of his little friends over. Jakey wasn't sure about all the bangs and whizzes at first but by the end of the evening he was quite excited by it all and has spent much of today telling eveyone about it. Tilly just takes it all in her stride these days of course. A fun evening!

Tuesday 31st October 2006 (Halloween)

I took Jakey out tonight on his first ever trick or treat. He started off a bit warily but as soon as he worked out that people gave him sweets and stuff to put in his bucket when he knocked on their door he was hooked! Best of all he laughed at all the spooky costumes and scary masks. Perfect evening for it too - cloudless sky, bright Moon, and not too cold. I just took a peek in his bucket and it brought a tear to my eye to think that he picked all the stuff that's in there. Great stuff!

Tuesday 24th October 2006

I'm getting a bit worried about one of the jobs I've been working on for the last 9 months as I am nearing the end of the project and can't get hold of anyone. They seem to have disappeared. Oh well, bugger it. We're off to make Spooky Cakes at a local cake shop.

Sunday 22nd October 2006

Been working on Helen's album again this week and finishing off the move from the old office Mac to this new one which has given me a good reason to update my old database. This has pinpointed loads of tracks of mine that don't as yet have homes so I have a lot of work to do in extending and editing them and getting them out there to pay for Jake's schooling!

I do love this time of year. The changing of the seasons fascinates me and I don't think any change is as marked as the move from Summer to Autumn. We took Jake to Kew Gardens yesterday to see the Pumpkins (they have this whole Halloween thing going on over there and he loves Halloween. Funny that) and we ate apples and looked at fish. Brilliant day. I'm taking him again next weekend to go on the train that takes you all around the grounds and I am amazed that we don't spend more time there, being about 5 minutes from our doorstep.

Talking of Halloween - we have a few spooky parties coming up this week and of course All Hallows Eve itself on the 31st. Jake and I are going trick-or-treating with some of his little friends and he wants to dress as Spiderman (his hero). I can't wait to carve the pumpkin with him!

Wednesday 11th October 2006

Bought myself a lovely new 24" Intel iMac for the Office as the old Office Mac was just about ready to fall over. I must say the new Macs are truly wonderful creatures with huge screens (well, 24" to be precise) which basically gives me more room to waffle. You have been warned ...

The library album I have been working on for the last couple of months came out this week, entitled 'Pop Rock Euphoria' through Boosey & Hawkes. I'm currently working on some tracks for Helen Jane Long, a new signing to Warner Bros. It's a piano album due to be released in November and I'm adding some drums to a couple of the tracks. Come to think of it that means that I'll have two albums coming out in November, Helen's and Robert Plant's. Nice. I didn't get the Barclaycard TV commercial apparently as I saw it last night and it wasn't my music, and I'm still waiting to hear back on the BUPA TV ad but they are taking their time for some reason. Oh well.

Autumn is well and truly here now which is lovely but Tilly really does get very muddy and wet and the new car has beige carpets. Bugger.

Wednesday 4th October 2006

October. How did that happen then? It'll be Halloween before you know it at this rate! Mind you I love this time of year so I'm not complaining. Been busy working on a new UK TV and radio commercial for Pizza Hut (which I got) and finishing off some work for an overseas client. Took part in a photo shoot yesterday for Audio Network - bloody cold but I think I managed to look cool (quite literally probably).

It's our anniversary today, and that means that Nicola and I have been together for 15 years. Time flies when your having fun. I love you sweetie! CB x

Monday 25th September 2006

Last week the Studio computer decided that enough was enough and packed up completely so I had to get a man in to take a look at it. Turned out to be a fabulous guy from Gearbox who was able to locate the problem almost immediately. One of the interfaces had indeed snuffed it, so after replacing it and updating some of my software everything came back online - great relief!

The Pedigree commercial I did recently is now on air across the UK and every time it comes on Jakey yells out 'Daddy music!', which indeed it is. Today and tomorrow I am working on a TV commercial for BUPA and trying to balance a whole bunch of other jobs that seem to have piled up in the days that the computer wasn't working. Still, at least I am back on track at last.

Jake's nanny is leaving us at the end of this week which is very sad. Pavla has been with us for 18 months and I think Jakey will miss her lots. We have found a replacement for her though, a friend of Pavla's called Beata, and Jake seemed to take to her straight away. I wonder what Jake will do when she pops her head over his cot on Monday morning?

Thursday 14th September 2006

Bugger. Just bought a new 60gig iPod for the car (told you it was a posh car) and then Apple go and bring out a new 80-gig one on Tuesday! Good old John Lewis are going to replace it for me though, but even so. And there was a power cut this morning in our area, just a short one, but the power surge caused when the juice came back on took out one of the amps in our TV room. This means yet another costly repair bill for yet another black box. Oh well, at least the BBC job I was working on has been accepted and there are some royalties due this month. I'm just a bit fed up with taking a cheque with one hand and giving one out with the other.

Friday 8th September 2006

Looks like an expensive problem developing in the Studio ... I foolishly turned all the gear off before we went away for our short holiday and ever since turning it on again I am unable to record or edit any audio files. Looks like one of the I/O converters has gone for a burton and needs replacing. Trouble is I am going to replace the entire system in November anyway and these old units are incompatible with the new stuff so I'll be spending all that money for two months usage! Bugger.

Tuesday 5th September 2006

Just uploaded the BBC job to my server and now it's time for TV and a take away.

Saturday 2nd September 2006

Nicola is away for four days on a Tennis holiday in France so I am looking after Jakey and Tilly at the moment. We all just returned from a lovely holiday on the South Coast of England where the weather wasn't always as sunny as it might have been but the house was right on the beach so Jakey and Tilly were in their element. Still, Nicola is in the South of France now so the weather is fab for her. Will post pics when I have some time. I picked up our new car yesterday so Jake and I have been doing a lot of driving around posing in the Merc. He laughs when the car talks to him!

The Library Album is at last finished and mastered and is being pressed next week so I'm now working on a BBC job and comopsing for the orchestral album. I'm also in talks about a further album so I should be keeping fairly busy over the next few months!

Wednesday 16th August 2006

I'm finishing the final edits on the last two tracks of the Boosey & Hawkes Library album I've been working on for the past couple of Months and I shall be presenting it tomorrow. I'd forgotten just how much work is involved in putting one of these albums together but I shall be straight off of this one and onto an orchestral album next week. Each track consists of a full version, a 60sec, 30sec, a sting or two, and a music bed, sometimes ten versions of each track. That's a lot of editing and it's a bit like putting a jigsaw puzzle together trying to make them fit into the alloted time slots. Great fun though. I've been trying out different bits and pieces in the Studio and generally messing about with new toys. I like doing this when working on Library material since it keeps my interest up. The weather has changed here in the UK too which has made it a lot easier for me to concentrate in the Studio.

Received some paperwork regarding the upcoming Robert Plant boxed set entitled 'Nine Lives' which I was heavily involved in and I'm looking forward to its release this Autumn.

Monday 31st July 2006

Wow, sorry for the long gap between updates! I mean it isn't as if there has been a lot happening or anything to stop me from writing this stuff. Oh well ... There are a couple more jobs floating around at the moment so I just need to sit tight to see if they come to anything. There is still no word on one of the big jobs I demoed for a couple of months ago so in reality I've written it off. I'm also in the final stages of the Library Album with just one more track to go and then the edits (the fun bit!).

It was Jake's second birthday on Saturday so we had a garden party for him and ten of his little friends. He had great weather for it too, which was just as well since we rented a bouncy castle. The castle was a huge hit and helped tire them all out and keep them amused while the parents slowly sipped on Pimms. It's Nicola's birthday this week so I shall be manning the barbecue again on Friday. I will post some pics from Jake's party if I ever get round to it!

Sunday 16th July 2006

I drove up to rural Essex for a meeting with Andy at Audio Network on Friday afternoon. Lovely sunny day so I put the top down and set off. Driving a convertible through the countryside on a sunny day is one of life's huge pleasures I think. The meeting was to discuss tracks that I shall be writing for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, to be recorded at Abbey Road studios in October. After the meeting there was an AudioNet barbecue to shich many of the composers were invited. Great to see everyone again. It's a lonely life being locked away in your studio day after day and it's good to be let out for good behaviour once in a while to mingle with society.

On the work front there is a particularly large job I finished last Month that has been in research for four weeks and I still don't know if I've got it or not. I almost forgot about it until the other day when I was going through my database. I wonder if I'll hear anything this week? Am finishing the WImbledon 2006 DVD as well as working on the new Library Album for Boosey. And I guess I'll need to start composing the orchestral tracks soon as well ...

Wednesday 12th July 2006

I'm still finishing off some tracks for the Singapore job. Seems to have gone on forever this one and I'll be glad when it's finally over and put to bed. Steph Benavente is coming over tomorrow to put some vocals on a track that I haven't written yet for the Wimbledon DVD so I suppose I'd better crack on with it really. The Library Album I'm working on is going great and sounding like it might get a lot of usage as they are already pitching tracks from it even though it isn't finished yet, and I have a meeting with Audio Network up at Andy's place in the country on Friday to discuss some more orchestral stuff, this time with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Great stuff, I love working with orchestras!

Monday 10th July 2006

We spent most of yesterday at Wimbledon watching the Men's Final between Roger Federer and Raphael Nadal. It had rained most of the night and was very overcast in the morning so we thought it might be rained off, but the weather held and Federer went on to win his fourth Wimbledon title. It really is an incredibly English experience and if you ever get the chance to go you should jump at it. After the match we were invited up to the BBC Press area to see some interviews. Brilliant day!

Today I am finishing off the music for the WImbledon DVD I have been working on and later on will be popping in to the edit suite to see the rushes from yesterday.

Saturday 1st July 2006

Today was yet another scorching hot day here in London. Bad news is that England are out of the World Cup but the good news is that Murray beat Roddick to go through at Wimbledon. We are having a new patio area laid in the garden and it is looking fab so I've spent most of the day trying to work out our garden lighting and humping bricks around. Great fun though! Back in the Studio for most of next week so I'm making the most of these cool evenings and chilling with a G&T and a good book on the new patio before I get back on my head.

Monday 26th June 2006

You can tell it's the first day of Wimbledon today because it rained all night last night and the weather looks very overcast this morning. Typical. Oh, and I keep seeing those bloody Ford ads that I didn't get on TV, my office phone is now working properly (it broke down again last week), my watch will be another 4 weeks in Switzerland for its service, and the rain leak stain on my Office ceiling is getting bigger.

Saturday 24th June 2006

The big Ford job didn't come off (I didn't think it would) but I've been working on the Wimbledon music this week along with finishing off tracks for a new library album, both very nice things to have been working on in this weather actually. We have tickets for the Men's Final at Wimbledon this year too so I feel quite a part of it. And Nicola is a tennis nut. Not seen my new Pedigree ad on TV yet but I know it's running in Europe. I think they are fiddling with the UK voice over.

Summer is really here in London. We went to Roehampton Tennis Club yesterday to watch some of the players warm up before Wimbledon. Lots of Pimm's and a short doze in the sun on the grass. Work started in our garden this morning on a new patio area, and this afternoon we took Tilly to a local charity Dog Show where she won first prize! Funny thing is we had no intention of going and went at the last moment, walked onto the green and heard the final call for entries, entered her, and she won, all in the space of about 15mins! She's a champ!

Monday 19th June 2006

Still not heard a word on that recurring big job. The other big job is still in research and I won't know for another couple of weeks. I'm busy with the music for the Wimbledon coverage at the moment and finalising some music for an Asian TV channel so I'm not dwelling on it too much.

Jake went to his friend Josh's 2nd birthday party yesterday. His parents (hi Corrie and Trevor!) always throw a good bash so of course Jakey had a great time. Josh's party always seems to fall on Father's Day here in the UK and it's great for all the Dads to get out and have some Pimms.

Saturday 10th June 2006

Well I turned the job around on time but as expected I haven't heard a word from them since. Very frustrating. All these sudden bursts of seemingly unplanned activity leading to me working all through the night and then you don't hear anything. Hmm ... Luckily the a/c in my studio is working fine as I'm still very busy in there at the moment.

The weather here in the UK is now warmer than it was on our recent trip to Portugal. It was 30c today and is expected to be hotter tomorrow. We went to our local Summer Fair on the Green this morning and returned home in time to watch England's first match in the World Cup. Nice day!

Oh, and here's a joke:

Man to waiter: "I'd like a Tarka Tikka please".
Waiter: "A Tarka Tikka? What's that?"
Man: "It's like a Chicken Tikka only a little otter".

Tuesday 6th June 2006

I'm suffering from deja vu. Just when you think things are settled the phone rings and you find yourself back where you were before you went on holiday. Got a call this afternoon from the agency dealing with one of the big jobs that I didn't get last month saying that it's all on again and could I take another look at the music I submitted! This is great news apart from the fact that they want it by tomorrow afternoon and it's suddenly turned into two different pieces of music. Honestly, they spend months on post producing the film and then allow less than 24 hours for the music. Ho hum.

Wednesday 31st May 2006

Studio phone working again - hurrah!

Tuesday 30th May 2006

We've just returned from ten days at a friend's villa in the Algarve, Portugal, part of a complex of villas and apartments near Carvoeiro called Rocha Brava. Lots of sun and swimming and general recharging of batteries. I feel a lot better now, although I could do with another holiday straight away. We had blue skies and 85 degrees every day and of course I managed to get sunstroke. Jake had a great time in the pool and on the beach but I think he loved the flying the most!

The good thing is that I completely forgot to take my mobile with me and Nic wouldn't let me turn the taxi around to get it either. This was a good thing since I really had to switch off for the holiday, and it's the first time I have been really uncontactable - a strange yet nice feeling.

I have returned to a very busy schedule here in the studio with lots of jobs outstanding and lots of loose ends to tie up. One big job in particular is still hanging around from since before we left and is proving difficult to nail down. Then of course there is the fact that my studio phone broke down whilst we were away so the engineers are coming in to fix it, and a damp patch has appeared on my Office ceiling. Back to normality!

Wednesday 17th May 2006

Must get out ... must contact my squadron. Got shot down by an enemy advertising agency and been in my studio/bunker for days now. Routine mission but they came out of the sun. Am shell shocked. The constant screaming of guitars ringing in my ears threatens to tear my head apart. Am totally surrounded. No way out. Red lights and faders are all I can see, taunting me with their low wattage glow. It's hell.

On a lighter note, Jakey has learned to say sausage.

. Monday 8th May 2006

Starting work on quite a big TV commercial today that needs a female vocal so I'm sitting in a quiet room and trying to think something up. It's pouring with rain outside but I've sent everybody out so that I can get some peace and clear my head. They'll thank me if I get the job though! Needs to be finished by Wednesday evening so I should be okay, although my brain is empty at the moment.

Jake and I got hold of a couple of hammers and we demolished an old brick built barbecue in the garden on Saturday, and then yesterday he had some of his little friends over for playtime. Thing is, I think he may have got himself a girlfriend. They were chasing each other around the garden and giggling like mad all afternoon which was lovely to see. She doesn't speak much English (she's French) but they seemed to be communicating just fine.

Wednesday 3rd May 2006

At last some good news! I've nailed a pan-European TV campaign for Pedigree after about two months of waiting to hear. Excellent! Also pitched for a British Airways campaign today but I won't know about that for a while I shouldn't think. That should keep Jake in nappies for a bit!

I'm sitting here in my office watching our good friends and neighbours move out of their flat opposite. They're only moving around the corner (they bought the house behind us in fact) but all morning the removal men have been loading up the truck with boxes and beds. I can't help thinking it would have been a lot quicker to hump the furniture round on foot as the new place is literally a 2min walk! Jake had a good time running around in the back of the truck though.

Monday 1st May 2006

I packed Nicola off to Henlow Grange Health Farm for the long weekend and I got to look after Jake. The fact that I am writing this means that I survived the experience! We did loads of boy things like eating pizza and sausages and visiting the Steam Museum and riding on Steam Engines, which was the best fun. Today we took him to the park with Tilly and managed to lose Tilly for a terrifying 2 mins. I haven't felt that pit of the stomach fear in a long while. She had run out of the park and into the road to look for us but luckily knew not to run too far because she came when I called her first time. I'm not sure who was more relieved, her or me, and she's been glued to me ever since!

I'm back in the studio tomorrow after a nice long weekend break and I must say I am quite looking forward to it. Lots of things I need to finish off and lots of music to adapt. I need to do some cleaning in there first though. Oh, and I'm still smarting over the Ford thing.

Friday 28th April 2006

I didn't get the big job. I just don't know what you have to do to get a job through anymore, I really don't. I came up with one of the best pieces of music I've written in ages, absolutely perfect for the film, but even after being told by the agency that my track was 'perfect' and the one they would be pushing to the client, and the track actually being dubbed with the SFX, the client decided to go with a Chemical Brothers track, mainly (I think) because it had been used as a temp track for editing and they had got used to hearing it. The job was a TV commercial for the new Ford S-Max, due to play out across Europe and drive me mad every time it is on. It's not so much the financial disappointment (although that is not inconsiderable), it's more that it is a really nice ad and I would have been proud to have had it out there. I think they made a mistake.

Tuesday 25th April 2006

I can hardly stand the suspense. I still haven't heard about either the Pedigree job or the more recent huge job that I have been working on! They keep putting weekends in the way and things like that, which normally would be fine but when you are waiting to hear if you can go celebrate or not can be a bit of a nuisance. Oh bugger. Anyway, I expect to hear something this week. Either that or I shall have to start chewing the neighbour's nails off as I've chewed every fingernail in this house!

Saturday 22nd April 2006

New photos added.

Sorry for the long gap between updates but we went away for a few days over Easter and I've been tied up in the studio since we got back (not literally of course because that would be silly). We stayed at a friend's house on the South Coast, right on the beach. Jake and Tilly had the best time of course, running in and out of the ocean, and the weather was really quite good.

I've been working on a very big job this last few days and I'm really not too sure where I am with it. We dubbed the music yesterday at Grand Central and the creatives were all raving about it and saying how much they liked it, but as I was leaving I was told there were two other pieces of music under consideration as well! Always the way these days though, and it's very hard to read these situations. So I am spending the weekend not knowing if I have got it or not. It's a roller coaster!

Jake fell out of his buggy the other day and banged his head on the pavement (the pavement won) so he has a cartoon egg-shaped bump on his forehead! Quite amazing really, dark purple coloured and very pronounced. We took him to the Doctor but she said there was nothing to worry about. Anyway I expect he'll get a few more of those over the years!

Tuesday 11th April 2006

The 'big job' that I didn't get (Rexona) is now on air. I saw it three times over the weekend without really looking for it. One of the inescapable facts about working to picture is that when you spend so long staring at a screen writing music to a particular film it becomes so ingrained in your brain and burned into your retinas that when you see it on air with different music it just doesn't look right. Of course being Rexona and being themed around the World Cup this one will be on all the bloody time so I suppose I will get used to it eventually!

Still annoying though.

Saturday 8th April 2006

Just finished and uploaded the music for a TV channel in Singapore. A lot of work for not much dosh, but then I agreed to do it so I shouldn't complain really. The Pedigree ad is in research and seems to be going down very well. I should know about that the week after next hopefully.

We took Jakey to the local green this morning to see the funfair. Great fun except he cried every time the rides came to an end. I took hin on the Ghost Train but it didn't go down as well as I expected. Lovely sunny weather her in London today though so I'm planning and drawing sketches for the new garden studio. Quite exciting!

Thursday 30th March 2006

I'm not sure why I do this to myself but I am now planning a complete Studio rebuild consisting of all new gear housed in a purpose built building at the end of the garden. The upside of this is that I can keep working in my old studio whilst the new one is being built. We've talked about it for some time but now that Jake just wants to come in and play with Daddy all day I think it is time that I moved out of the house. It's a daunting prospect but I am in talks with a couple of comapnies who have extensive experience in this field, and it is quite exciting deciding where the walls should go and what colour blinds I want!

Monday 27th March 2006

My nephew Matt and his girlfriend Helen stayed with us over the weekend. Matt's a drummer too and hopes to go pro one day. Made me think of how I was at 18 and how it never even crossed my mind that I wouldn't succeed. Perhaps that's why I did well though - important to have that feeling of immortality when you are starting out I think. Mind you I've still got it and Matt seems to have some of it too. There are far too many people ready to tell you that you are wasting your time and to 'get a proper job' and so on. If you are good then it's a waste of your time listening to them.

During the meanwhilst I am cracking on with this Library album and having quite a giggle. Got some tedious and bloody boring paperwork to do today though but once it's out of the way I can carry on with my Prodigy soundalike track! Hurrah!

Thursday 23rd March 2006

Blimey, I've been busy! Pitched for a Nike commercial but they binned the campaign so nobody got it in the end. Also pitched for a Renault Clio ad but that went away too. Bugger. Makes a good Library track though. And it's looking like I didn't get the big job after all that work over the past month, although apparently I might still be in the running. They want to go with a track by The Bees but have just found out that it's being used on another campaign in France, which is why they should go with my music since nobody else will be using it! Fools. I'm just going to forget about it. Turned into a fiasco actually since half the agency left during the job and we couldn't get in touch with anyone to find out what was happening.

The good news is that a Pedigree commercial I am working on has now gone out to research so I should know in a couple of weeks. Should be fine though. I shall buy Tilly some Pedigree to celebrate.

I'm now well down the road with the new Library Album and it really is great fun. It's all guitar, bass and drums so I'm getting down with my bad self and rocking out. Man. Or something.

Friday 10th March 2006

I picked up another couple of TV commercials yesterday so it looks like I shall be very busy over the weekend. Mind you, the 'big job' is turning into a nightmare. Spent all day yesterday and well into the night preparing urgent mixes for a dub that was supposed to be at 10am this morning, but by mid day they still hadn't even listened to the tracks! It's meant to be on air this Monday but I can't see that happening either somehow. And now of course the weekend is in the way again, meaning I shall have to chew my already well chewed fingernails once more until Monday.

Maybe I'll chew Nicola's ...

Wednesday 8th March 2006

The music for the 2006 Budget is all done and dusted so I uploaded it to my ftp server for the dub this morning. Usual thing; opening titles, closing titles, a couple of beds and a few stings. I'm straight into another project now before cracking on with the Library Album I was commissioned for a couple of weeks ago.

On a side note, the agency involved in the 'big job' I was working on (the one I thought I'd lost) called my agent today and asked 'if I was around' as they might need me to make a couple of changes! Just goes to show you doesn't it, you move on and forget about something and then it comes back and taps you on the shoulder! Of course this might not mean anything but at least I'm in with a shout!

Monday 6th March 2006

Started work on another commission for the BBC today (The Budget). The producer is coming over tomorrow to hear what I have done so far, but as I type there isn't much to hear (well nothing actually) since I had a bit of writer's block today. I'm rather hoping that tomorrow morning in the magic shower will sort me out, otherwise I shall have to postpone our meeting.

Have also started work on an album for Boosey & Hawkes which looks like keeping me busy for a while. Nice to get my teeth into an entire project as these rarely come up nowadays, a lot of Library albums being compilations from various composers. Oh, and Doug Boyle is cracking on with his solo album and has asked me to lay down some drum tracks for him, which is nice!

Friday 24th February 2006

Still not heard a word regarding either the big job or the TFL ad. Things are not looking good. This either means that they love it, have already dubbed it and want to pay me lots of money, or they hate it and are too embarrassed to call me to tell me how dreadful they think it is and how terrible a person I am for daring to write something so awful. Still, they'll make good Library tracks I suppose. I'm starting work on a Renalt Clio short over the weekend so it's not all doom and gloom, unless of course I don't get that one either in which case I shall seriously consider a career as a Ginger Beer salesman.

It's tough out there people ...

Thursday 16th February 2006

Had a great meeting yesterday morning concerning the big job I'm working on and I basically got the go ahead to take it to the next level. Need to finish by Tuesday so I'll be quite busy for the next few days. Not heard regarding the TFL commercial yet though. All a bit tense. I had another meeting in the afternoon at Boosey & Hawkes where I took a brief for a new Library Album that will keep me occupied throughout March. Good oppurtunity to try out some new kit, particularly Hart drums.

Whilst in Town a nice lady asked me directions to the London Eye, and it was only after she set off in the direction I pointed her in that I realised it was completely the wrong way. I felt very guilty about it afterwards and tried to mingle with the crowds in case she came after me with her umbrella ...

It was Valentine's Day on Tuesday 14th of course so a bunch of us went to see The Counterfeit Stones, a Rolling Stones tribute band, who were brilliant as usual. If you ever see them advertised do yourself a favour and book tickets. Great stuff!

Monday 13th February 2006

Charlie (Jones) was in town with Goldfrapp over the weekend so he popped in to see us on Saturday. He's like a brother and it's always good to see him. He invited us along to one of the London gigs last night and it was fabulous as usual. We sat behind the sound desk which is I think the best place to be at a gig. Charlie has been playing bass with Goldfrapp for a couple of years now and it's great to see him having a good time.

Things are looking good for the 'big job' that I pitched for too. After a couple of weeks of silence I've got a meeting with the agency on Wednesday morning to discuss the final music. They have blown out the other avenues they were persuing and the T/X date is looming, both good signs! Am working on a TFL commercial today and tomorrow, so a busy week all round! Think I might book a massage and floatation session for the end of the week to calm down a bit ...

Thursday 9th February 2006

I cooked pork chops last night and it would appear that I have given both Nicola and myself food poisoning. Bugger. Not sure I should leave the house today ... I've just picked up a rush job for Transport for London, a 30sec TV commercial edited from a 3min film about cycling. Nice to have something to concentrate on other than the lavatory!

Monday 6th February 2006

I got the BBC World Winter Olympics job! I'm waiting for the final film to arrive this week so that I can tweak it to picture. Won't see it here in the UK though unfortunately. Had a couple of meetings last week too for other projects, and I'm still waiting on news of the big one. Today is a day of phone calls, paperwork and boring stuff unfortunately, but I might try and knock out a Library track a bit later on as I have a couple of decent unused demos lurking around from the Olympics. Shame to waste them!

Wednesday 1st February 2006

Stand by your beds - Showreel section now up and running!

Still no word on the big job ... time to concentrate on something else I think. As luck would have it I'm working on the music for the BBC World coverage of the Winter Olympics today so I shall be wearing my ski suit, salopettes and goggles to get into the vibe. Probably not though as we have a plumber coming first thing to fix the top shower. Maybe I'll just wear the ski boots.

Thursday 26th January 2006

Still waiting to hear back from the big pitch I was working on last week. They needed it urgently for Friday but despite my calling twice I have yet to hear anything. My fingernails are looking quite bad. Been spending a lot of time on my new showreel and website updates, both looking good now and the showreel is just about ready for pressing up onto DVD. I'm also updating my details on the Blaze Music website so it really does feel like the start of a new year!

Sunday 22nd January 2006

The FILM page is now up and running.

It was my birthday on Friday so I took the day off. Nicola surprised me in the evening with a trip to a restaurant that we hadn't tried before so I had a lovely day! I'm currently working into the night on a job for Monday and it seems to be going very well at the moment. Perhaps it's bedtime now though as it's 1am on Sunday morning and I'm on Jake duty at 7.30am.

Wednesday 18th January 2006

Been working on music for the African Cup of Nations for the BBC and finished last night, and also working on the music for a major TV campaign. As for the website you can see major updates to the TV Themes and TV ads pages, including the addition of the Sony PSP commercial. I'm still working on the Film page and I have decided to do away with the Library section altogether in favour of a Showreel page, which makes more sense to me really since I can point clients at it. Busy ripping films today and then back in the studio on Thursday and Friday to finish off some music.

Friday 13th January 2006

I'm not really one for superstition but I tend not to go out on Friday the 13th. Oh, and I don't walk under ladders. Or open umbrellas indoors. Or put new shoes on a table. Actually it would seem that I am quite superstitious after all. Anyway, I've been working on a full-on drummy job yesterday and today and I've just emailed it off to the agency. Once again, this is the nail bitingly anxious bit. I've also been fixing up meetings with Music Libraries and sorting out files on the Studio Mac - boring but essential so that when you are working fast you know where everything is!

Monday 9th January 2006

My first day back in the studio went okay except that after a couple of hours I felt like I needed to go and take a lie down. The client was with me though so I couldn't, and even if he'd felt like a lie down too I'm just not that kind of guy. Anyway, the job is sounding good. It's the theme tune and incidental music for the 'African Cup of Nations' football on the BBC so there is quite a bit of it to do.Today I had a meeting on the south coast so I took Tilly along for the day trip. She took several dips in the sea, which was very brave of her considering the temperature at the moment. I didn't join her but watched from the safety of my North Face Parka.

Wenesday 4th January 2006

I'm due back in the studio this Friday, working on a job that I started before Christmas. This will be my first time in the Studio for a couple of weeks so it should be fun!

I'm finally getting the new sections of this site together in preperation for the start of my Big New Showreel push. You will find that the TV Ads and TV Themes sections look a lot different than they did, and I'm hoping to get hold of a Beta machine so that I can transfer some more film and bung it up here too, particularly the new Sony PSP ad and stuff for the Films and Library sections.

Sunday 1st January 2006

Happy New Year! Just got back from a few days in the Country at Andy's place (Audio Network). Six inches of snow and ponies and ducks for Jake to point at and fields for Tilly to run in. Great time had by all. Onwards and upwards into the New Year!

Wednesday 28th December 2005

Family photo page updated!

Hope you all had a great Christmas! Nicola took me to Prague for a couple of days before Christmas. If you have never been I really recommend it! Incredibly Gothic and Medieval, Prague does the Christmas thing like no other place. We had a great time but missed Jakey and Tilly. Then on Christmas Eve we accidentally stepped into a Richard Curtis film. We took Jake to the Natural History Museum Ice Rink just as it was getting dark. I thought that as it was Christmas Eve it would be packed, but instead we parked right outside and walked in. There were around a hundred skaters doing their thing on a spotlit rink with the wonderfully Gothic backdrop of the Museum behind them, and after watching for a bit we wandered off into the Christmas market where the man on the Hot Dog stall gave Jake a free Hot Dog! We spent another half an hour wandering around and then returned home via the Christmas lights in town, a fabulously Christmassy experience that didn't cost us a penny! Perhaps we will book tickets and go on the ice next year.

Jake got far too many presents for Christmas of course, most of them music based by the way, so it looks like we are rearing another musician. Lots of parties and socialising too. I'm off for a mince pie and a G&T now before the next round - lovely!

Friday 23rd December 2005

Tilly and I just got back from our walk around the neighbourhood delivering Christmas Cards, which she thinks is the best fun. I finished my Christmas shopping yesterday, and tomorrow I just need to queue up for our turkey. Jakey knows something is up now and both he and Tilly are getting quite excited by the whole thing. Just need to wrap presents tomorrow night and that's it!

Wednesday 21st December 2005

This past week saw a rollercoaster of emotions for me. Arranging your Mum's funeral one morning and putting up Christmas trees the same afternoon is not fun. I also went up to Stockport for my nephew's 18th birthday party (hi Matt!) and then back to London again for Mum's funeral. Very strange ride. Mum had been very ill for some years with Alzheimer's and had suffered too long, and I needed the funeral so that I could finally move on. It was with great relief that we finished off the decorations yesterday and then popped off to the panto last night. I feel a great sense of releif and at last I feel Christmassy! Amongst all of this I have been working on the African Cup of Nations music so I've had very little time to think straight. Think I'll have a nice long G&T now ...

Thursday 15th December 2005

We've had some very sad family news this week so I shall keep this update short. The entire site was down for a couple of days (sorry) but normal service has finally been resumed. I am still in the process of sorting a couple of the sections out and I need to rent in a Digi-Beta machine so that I can import a few more recent TV Themes and Commercials to the site and update my DVD showreel.

Monday 5th December 2005

I got the BBC job (hurrah!) and sent over the final mix this afternoon. I'm now starting work on a new TV commercial so I downloaded the relevant reference tracks from iTunes to get into the vibe. Needs to be finished by tomorrow lunchtime so I should get my finger out I suppose. Had great fun at the BBC party at Momo's on Friday. Finally got to meet a lot of the people that I usually deal with on the phone, and it was good to meet other composers too. Writing music is a lonely life and it was nice to be able to talk to people that had shared almost identical experiences!

The website update is taking forever since I am suddenly so busy doing the stuff that means I get to have a website in the first place that I don't get the time. If you see what I mean ...

Thursday 1st December 2005

The Paul McKenna job is done and dusted and will be on air 4 times a week throughout January. Oh, and I picked up another BBC commission today and I start work on yet another TV commercial on Monday. Tomorrow I'm off to the BBC Christmas party to hang out with all the other Beeb composers, so that should be fun. They are usually good bashes so perhaps I'll leave the car at home!

Still working on the new showreel and updated website but I'm a bit busy and anyway there's no point hiking around a new reel until the New Year now. Gives me more time to get it right though.

Monday 28th November 2005

We saw my Sony PSP ads about ten times over the weekend so it's definitely kicked off with a bang. I'm composing the music for Paul McKenna's new show today. Paul is a famous hypnotist here in the UK so presumably he could hypnotize everyone that hears it into thinking that my music is brilliant, thus getting me loads more commissions. I'll have to mention that to him. I'm also doing a Chevrolet commercial as a favour for a Director's showreel (you need to keep in with the Directors you know) and new music for the African Cup of Nations on BBC3.

My new showreel is underway along with a major update to the MP3 section of this site, which I shall bung up quite soon. Watch this space!

Friday 25th November 2005

My new Sony PSP ads are due to start running on TV across Europe and the UK from today so I'm keeping a beady eye eye out for them. They've already been driving the Australians mad for the past couple of months but it's more fun to see your work on your own TV when you aren't expecting it. Today I'm working on some music for the Paul McKenna show - typical brief though as the job came in yesterday evening and they want to hear something by 4pm today. Guess I should be in the Studio and doing it really rather than typing this but there you go!

Long gap between updates due to my still having this damned cold - don't get too close!

Friday 18th November 2005

New photos added to Music and Family albums.

Wednesday 16th November 2005

Been a slow week but the Library stuff is coming on a treat. Jake has an ear and throat infection and is very bunged up, so he's keeping us awake at night. Consequently we are waking up in the morning and needing to go back to bed again making it difficult to concentrate in the studio. Oh well ...

Friday 11th November 2005

Been working on Library Music all week as there are no ads around. The Sony PSP campaign I did the music for starts here in the UK next week so perhaps that might generate something.

My bloody Gold Card got stolen last week by a greedy cashpoint machine (ATM) and I'm still waiting for the replacement. They guaranteed me it would be 4 days but that was 10 days ago. The thing is I never carry cash so I'm completely lost at the moment and have to keep raiding my pound jar for petrol money and coffee flavoured treats.

Monday 7th November 2005

As you may know, I am a pyromaniac when it comes to fireworks. I love 'em. This Guy Fawkes night I had to take it quite slow and gentle because I didn't want to freak the Jakester out and put him off the idea. I nipped out and bought Roman Candles and Sparklers, very 'ooh aah' instead of my usual End Of The World stuff. Anyway, he quite liked it I think, although he stayed indoors for most of it since nobody had told the rest of West London that we were taking it easy. Seems they had all bought the loudest and biggest fireworks known to man. Perhaps next year I can up the decibels a bit. Great fun as usual though, although it wasn't a big party like what we usually do like.

Thursday 3rd November 2005

Wasn't I supposed to be working on a feature film about now? Must make some reminder calls tomorrow and see what's happening ...

Tuesday 1st November 2005

It was Halloween last night so Jakey met his first witches and wizards. I estimate that we had around 100 children come to the door over the course of the evening, all in costume and all very much into the spirit of the thing. As is the case every Halloween, friends and neighbours turned up at 8pm for candlelit Cluedo (Nicola won!). Fabulously spooky evening. I'm now looking forward to introducing Jake to fireworks on Guy Fawkes this Saturday! We're going very low key with just sparklers and roman candles this year as I don't want to scare him, then next year we can get back to full-on pyromania and nuclear explosions.

Saturday 29th October 2005

Jakey fell on his head today and split it open. Blood everywhere so we spent the afternoon at Chelsea and Westminster A&E dept. Great people there and they sorted him out very quickly and with no tears whatsoever. He didn't need stitches but they taped his eyebrow together and he will have a manly scar to show to the girls when he's older. Of course he'll tell them he did it whilst skiing a treacherous black run or that he was attacked by a shark whilst surfing, at which point I shall produce the photo of him aged 15 months with sterile tape strips on his head and tell them no, actually he fell out of the door and onto a plant pot!

Wednesday 26th October 2005

Blimey, where did this year go? It's nearly Halloween again, and then it's Guy Fawkes night and fireworks and mulled wine. It still feels too warm here in the UK for all that roast chestnut type activity but I guess I'll give it a go. I love all that stuff anyway so any excuse. I'm off for another float this afternoon and then back into the studio to complete my Halloween Spooky Soundscape. Having great fun with thunder and lightning and scary scrapes and screams!

Monday 24th October 2005

Well I've been in bed with flu. Not sure where that came from but I've still got it and it's a bugger to get rid of. Don't think it's bird-flu though 'cos I'm a bloke. I didn't get the Yorkshire Brass Band job I pitched for, even though I felt I nailed it good and proper. Still, it'll make a couple of good Library tracks I guess. I had another session in the floatation tank this evening and I have another booked for Wednesday, plus I'm going to be spending the next couple of days preparing a spooky Halloween soundscape for Monday evening. Oh, and I nearly broke my bloody left big toe nail off yesterday too and now I can't get my sock and shoe on, which is not good news considering it's raining here in London at the moment. Nicola says I'm falling to pieces, which may very well be the case ...

Wednesday 12th October 2005

I've had great fun this past few days working on a TV ad needing a Yorkshire sounding brass band in the style of a 'Boy's Own' adventure film, so I nipped out and bought a copy of the original Flash Gordon on DVD (the 1934 one with 'Buster' Crabbe). Sent off the track this afternoon and now I wait again. The carpenters and decorators are finally out of the house too so we are out and about looking at carpets and sofas when I get the time, which will take my mind off things for a bit!

Thursday 6th October 2005

Well it just goes to show you. I really thought I had nailed that bloody job but they called yesterday to say they were 're-thinking' the whole campaign. In other words I didn't get the job. Bugger. Sometimes there is no rhyme or reason and it is impossible to second guess where these people are coming from. Never mind, I can make three tracks out of that demo so nothing is wasted. Shame though as I really liked that film ...

Monday 3rd October 2005

Spent all weekend on the orchestral job but I'm very pleased with the way it came out. I didn't have a clue how it went until I wrote it so it was a nice surprise to find that it was quite good. I sent it off to my agent this afternoon and now it is time to play the waiting game (again).

Saturday 1st October 2005

This weekend I am mostly demoing for a TV ad. Now I don't usually work over weekends these days but it's a big one and they need it for Monday afternoon so I guess I have to. Originally it was due on Tuesday but of course that changed. Lovely film too. They want an orchestral piece with a 'contemporary' beat, so I've put my orchestral hat on. My head's empty though which doesn't really help and it's getting hot indoors with a hat on. I shall suffer for my art.

Wednesday 28th September 2005

The screen eventually arrived and I was able to complete my job in the nick of time (who is this Nick bloke?). Amazing how much I missed GigaStudio considering I've only had it for about a year. This experience has made me rethink my entire studio layout, which sounds like it will be costly ... still, I spend all my days in there so it needs to be ergonomic and comfortable really. Am I convinced yet?

Tuesday 27th September 2005

In t