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Chatterbox with Mel Biggs


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  • 14. Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne: From Spice Girls To Folk Revivalists

    01:01:09||Season 1, Ep. 14
    Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne is well known on the English folk scene for his work with the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominated trio ‘Granny’s Attic’ and as a soloist. Originally from Birmingham, Cohen developed a keen love for melodeons and concertinas while still at primary school. Cohen’s main passion is for English traditional music and song, but his musical interests run broader than that, into Baroque music, ragtime, and Victorian popular music and he has been known to throw all of these into his performances and teaching.Join me this month as I sit down to chat with Cohen about his route into English folk music, how his journey through the education system all the way up to Leeds University School of Music has shaped his approach to the work, the evolution of Granny's Attic and the working relationship with Lewis and George, how he developed his distinctive style of singing and playing, and the importance of Black Music acknowledgement in the history of English folk music, and the influences that go between cultures. Cohen's Links:Website | Facebook | Instagram | BandcampJoin my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:www.patreon.com/melbiggsmusicMel's Improver melodeon workshop at The Stables, Milton Keynes Mar 1st 2025:https://stables.org/workshopsFolk Unbound: The Gathering 2025 - Applications open 14th Feb!www.melbiggsmusic.co.uk/folkunboundVisit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:www.melbiggsmusic.co.ukIntro & outro music:'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.comGet in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.ukDon't forget to like/subscribe/follow:YouTube | Instagram 

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  • 13. John Spiers: My OG Melodeon Hero

    01:08:38||Season 1, Ep. 13
    John Spiers is famously one of the busiest and most unavailable box players on the English folk music circuit. Most well known for his long-term collaboration with Jon Boden in Spiers & Boden, and together co-founding their multi-award winning global phenomenon big band Bellowhead, John can also be seen playing with Steeleye Span's Peter Knight as a duo, Peter's Gigspanner Big Band, and Saltlines, as well as in duo with fiddler & vocalist Jackie Oates. Join me this month as I get to fangirl my original melodeon hero - the reason I picked up a box in the first place - and find out more about his journey into folk music and what a wild ride it's been to experience such a monumentous career trajectory from the quaint, rural Oxfordshire villages he sessioned in as a young adult, to the bright lights of Bellowhead's reign.John's Links:Website | YouTube | BlueskyMel's melodeon workshops at The Stables, Milton Keynes Jan & Mar 2025:https://stables.org/workshopsJoin my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:www.patreon.com/melbiggsmusicVisit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:www.melbiggsmusic.co.ukIntro & outro music:'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.comGet in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.ukDon't forget to like/subscribe/follow:YouTube | Instagram | Facebook  
  • 12. Martin Ellison: Sessions, Socials & Stage Fright

    01:08:30||Season 1, Ep. 12
    Martin Ellison is a gem of the traditional English folk music scene. Hailing from Leyland in the industrial North West of England, he's had an affinity with Southern English Country Music since his early teens. Growing up through the revival of the late 60s and 70s he was exposed to a variety of influential folkies including Bernard Wrigley "The Bolton Bullfrog", Shirley and Dolly Collins, Mike Harding, John Kirkpatrick, Reg Hall, Roger Edwards, Oscar Woods, Bob Cann among many others. He went on to form his ceilidh band Ran Tan Band and played for The Threlfall Sisters.Join us for a cosy, wholesome conversation between two generations of traditional English folk musicians comparing notes on session etiquette, the positives and negatives of sharing on social media, and opening up about our personal battles with mental health and performance anxiety.Martin's Links:YouTube | FacebookReplay Martin's Melinar: A Masterclass With The Maestro:https://www.patreon.com/posts/116906019Mel's Festive Melodeon workshop & concert Birmingham Accordion Centre 7th December 2024:https://accordioncentre.com/acb/whats-on/Mel's melodeon workshops at The Stables, Milton Keynes Jan & Mar 2025:https://stables.org/workshopsSign up to the Folk Unbound mailing list for more information about mine & Lucy's folk camp in July 2025:https://pages.melbiggsmusic.co.uk/fsuf83bapjJoin my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:www.patreon.com/melbiggsmusicVisit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:www.melbiggsmusic.co.ukIntro & outro music:'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.comGet in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.ukDon't forget to like/subscribe/follow:YouTube | Instagram | Facebook  
  • 11. Lucy Huzzard: Invite Yourself To The Table

    01:02:45||Season 1, Ep. 11
    Do you reflect on how familar spaces, people, events shape you over time? Do you ever think about how these situations affect you positively/negatively, internally/externally? How can we build better 'nests' to nurture ourselves and others, allowing the discovery and development of our real abilities and talents?Big questions for a Monday morning! But don't let that put you off. Join me and Lucy Huzzard - Sheffield based singer/songwriter, musician, folk dancer & educator - for a comforting romp through some stuff we both wanted to air out with you all. And we FINALLY get to announce an exciting new venture that we're both collaborating on next summer...Lucy's Links:Instagram | Lucy & Hazel IG | Lucy & Hazel FB | Lucy & Hazel websiteReplay Lucy's Melinar: Melodeon Friendly Swedish Tune - Frejas Hymne Polska:https://www.patreon.com/posts/114442049Sign up to the mailing list to hear more about 'The Out Crowd' event in Castleton, Derbyshire, 14-18 July 2025:https://pages.melbiggsmusic.co.uk/fsuf83bapjINFO Beginner/Improver melodeon workshop with Mel 10-3pm The Stables, Milton Keynes, November 23rd 2024:https://stables.org/workshopsINFO Mel's Festive Melodeon workshop & concert Birmingham Accordion Centre 7th December 2024:https://accordioncentre.com/acb/whats-on/Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:www.patreon.com/melbiggsmusicVisit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:www.melbiggsmusic.co.ukIntro & outro music:'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.comGet in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.ukDon't forget to like/subscribe/follow:YouTube | Instagram | Facebook  
  • 10. Will Allen: Thinking Outside The Box

    01:02:05||Season 1, Ep. 10
    As a player of an instrument, have you ever thought to take musical inspiration from another? How would you go about doing that? Do beards make you a better bird watcher? How does Rapper dance culture differ from the rest of the Morris/English folk dance world? These questions and more covered in this month's episode!Will Allen is an English melodeon, fiddle, and banjo player. Having gained quite a solid reputation as one of England's busiest and most in demand folk musicians, he can turn his hand to most things dance including ceilidh, contra, Irish, Scottish, Morris, Rapper and more. He can be seen playing with duo Brown Boots with Martin Clarke on fiddle, Quebec inspired Club Débris, Contra/Set Dance duo WillPower with Will Chamberlain on keys, and his two solo English Fiddle albums, recorded with Rowan Piggot.A young head on old shoulders, this month's chat illuminates Will's approach to music and life, how he takes sanctuary in the Great Outdoors, and firmly believes in not boxing yourself into a culture corner when it comes to finding inspiration. I hope you find joy in his wisdom and enjoy listening!JARGON BUSTER:Border - a style of Morris dancing from the border counties of England & WalesRapper - Rapper Sword Dancing - lively trad. NE England dances with flexible steel 'rapper swords'DERT - Dancing England Rapper TournamentIrons/rubbers - the wooden sole of a NW Morris dancer's clogs are shod with iron or rubberWill's Links:Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | YouTube | Club Debris | Brown BootsReplay Will's Melinar: It's Not *Just* A Melodeon - how to take influence from other instruments:https://www.patreon.com/posts/112800836INFO Absolute Beginner Melodeon Workshop with Mel 10-3pm October 12th 2024 (hire boxes available):https://stables.org/workshopsJoin my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:www.patreon.com/melbiggsmusicVisit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:www.melbiggsmusic.co.ukIntro & outro music:'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.comGet in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.ukDon't forget to like/subscribe/follow:YouTube | Instagram | Facebook  
  • 9. Saul Rose: Folk & Drugs & Morris Dancing

    59:33||Season 1, Ep. 9
    How does one dance and play at the same time with a 6kg instrument strapped to them? How many jobs can one switch with Tim Van Eyken? Why should everyone try Morris dancing at least once in their lifetime? And how do you leave a job with AstraZeneca in a blaze of glory to become a full-time musician?... this, and many more questions answered in this month's Very Lovely Chat!Saul Rose is an English folk singer, Morris dancer, and diatonic accordion player. He is known for his work with Eliza Carthy, Waterson:Carthy, Faustus, Maclaine Colston duo, James Delarre duo, and the eminent ceilidh band Whapweasel, amongst many others. He took over the actor-musician role of 'Songman' in War Horse at The National Theatre. Saul has danced and played with many Morris sides over the years, including Hexham Morris (Cotswold), Chiltern Hundreds (North West), and Newcastle Kingsmen (Rapper).CW Saul talks about the circumstances of Paul Sartin's death from 33:50 to 35:36.Saul's Links:Saul Rose & James Delarre Bandcamp | Saul's Facebook PageReplay Saul's Melinar on Total Melodeon - how to get everything you want out of your instrument:https://www.patreon.com/posts/110971161INFO Weedon Balfolk (nr. Northampton) 1/2 day dance/music workshop & evening bal September 21st 2024:https://www.weedonbalfolk.co.uk/Join my PATREON for extended episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:www.patreon.com/melbiggsmusicVisit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:www.melbiggsmusic.co.ukIntro & outro music:'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.comGet in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.ukDon't forget to like/subscribe/follow:YouTube | Instagram | Facebook  
  • 8. Hazel Askew: Artistic Evolution & Empowerment

    01:00:48||Season 1, Ep. 8
    Have you ever considered what it's like to grow up as a woman on the English folk scene? How can you evolve as an artist and learn to own your artistic voice? How can we collectively empower other women and young girls to take up leading roles in creative careers? And why are good reels so hard to find for the melodeon?! My guest this month is singer, songwriter and multi instrumentalist Hazel Askew. She's one third of full throttle fempowered folk band Lady Maisery, works with her sister Emily Askew, has won several music awards including Best Album for 2017 folk supergroup Songs of Separation, and appears with Awake Arise - a collaboration between Lady Maisery and Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith - for their midwinter tour, and leads regular music workshops for the EFDSS and other regional organisations. Our conversation flows through influences in younger self, to balancing time for education projects and perfomance opportunities, working in film, TV and theatre, including Fisherman's Friends: The Musical where we both shared the stage.Hazel's links:Website | Facebook Page | InstagramReplay Hazel's Melinar tutorial on accompanying songs:https://www.patreon.com/posts/108784848VLOG: 1 YEAR WITH MY CASTAGNARI HANDRY - Theatre update:https://youtu.be/4zq3VpbnZlQ?si=TsA5I7q4NLd5d_1NVLOG: WHAT IT WAS REALLY LIKE WORKING IN MUSICAL THEATRE | First Time Actor-Muso:https://youtu.be/Q9_p2UtqTTw?si=JEgj6KJbr3OMEdMpVLOG: English Folky's First French Festival - Le Son Continu 2023:https://youtu.be/PuY3pK4a6xs?si=ee_0fHnfz5Ya2mFYJoin my PATREON for extended podcast episodes, guest tutor Melinars & learning resource archive:www.patreon.com/melbiggsmusicVisit my website for on demand classes, courses, live dates, merch & more:www.melbiggsmusic.co.ukIntro & outro music:'Dream Big' by Mel Biggs. All rights reserved.Listen to the full track on my album 'From Darkness Comes Light':www.melbiggsmusic.bandcamp.comGet in touch: chatterbox@melbiggsmusic.co.ukDon't forget to like/subscribe/follow:YouTube | Instagram | Facebook