In the latest in the “Marty Meets” interview series, Marty meets an exciting new talent and star-in-the making from Coventry, Kristy Gallacher.
Hi Kristy, would you like to introduce yourself?
I’m Kristy Gallacher. I’m 22 and a female musician from Coventry.
Where does your passion for music come from?
I have always had it as far as I can remember. I started playing guitar at the age of seven and it really grew from there. Music was always playing in the house when I was growing up. Everything I heard and liked I wanted to learn to play.
Who are your musical influences?
Shawn Colvin, Tori Amos, Joni Mitchell, John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, Polly Paulusma, Madeleine Peyroux, Carole King, Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan and many more.
How would you describe your music?
Acoustic songs of life.
You’re a very talented singer/songwriter. What inspires you to write? Do you keep a notebook close by to jot down ideas as they come to you or do you set aside a specific time in your day to work on ideas?
It changes due to what else is going on in life. Since finishing university I have a lot more time to write. I generally do it when the mood takes me or if something specific has happened. Setting time aside to write never works for me, I find being pressured and forced to write does not produce good material. Sometimes i can write a few days in a row and then nothing for a few days, it’s all due to other circumstances.
How does an idea become a song? Do you work on the lyrics first and then the music or is the music the starting point? Or is it all much less structured than that?
I often write guitar parts and lyrics separately. Normally I tend to write the guitar parts first and then the melody and lyrics come together. Sometimes I’ll have lyrics already written and I’ll use those and as the song starts to take shape, more lyrics then get written along side the song.
You’ve supported some amazing artists (including: Nerina Pallot, Scott Mathews and Polly Paulusma). What’s the experience of being a support act like? Has it helped your career and/or helped you promote your music?
Being a support is really interesting. Glynn Tilbrook sticks out in my mind it was a really great experience. Glynn has built up his fan base from a long lasting career from his time with squeeze and his solo work, his fans were very welcoming and it really was an honour to get to play.
Scott Matthews was a good gig too. I’m a huge Tori Amos fan and last week I went to see her at the Savoy theatre in London. When I got there I saw Scott Matthews was the support so that was a lovely surprise.
Support slots have helped my career as they provide a stage to let me play to an audience that will not have heard of me before. The venues for support slots are normally at larger venues and its all good experience.
In 2008, you graduated from Coventry University with a Musical Composition degree. How has what you learned on your degree course and the whole experience of studying influenced your music?
My degree course gave me time to find my feet. At 19 when I went to University I knew music was what I wanted to do but not in which form or where I was going to go with it. During the three years there it gave me time to grow and learn where I want to come from and the type of music I wanted to write.
I was exposed to different types of music while I was studying that I perhaps would not have studied in such depth, I got to meet people I wouldn’t necessarily have met – good and bad, it’s all life experience. When I left at 22 I knew composing singer songwriter material and performing was what I wanted to do. Also those three years let my writing mature in guitar style and lyrically.
The Coventry Evening Telegraph called you: “Brilliant” and you’re applauded by a lot of local media. How has Coventry influenced your music?
Well, I have been born and raised in Coventry so the roots of my personal influences have come from here. I do love the city, it’s where home is and there is a great music scene at the heart of it. I have been very fortunate to have received really invaluable support from the Telegraph and BBC Coventry and Warks.
I think The Specials reunion of late and local bands such as The enemy and The Ripps give the city music credibility and something to be proud of in the success they have achieved.
Which would you rather have: a number 1 single or critical acclaim?
Without doubt critical acclaim. I’m more interested in making music that I believe in and number one singles seem to be quite transient without longevity.
Which do you prefer: recording an EP or album or playing live?
I really enjoyed recording the Album. I have a fantastic producer – Clive Layton, who I love working with. However, for me I love playing live there is nothing that compares to it. I love playing solo shows and the ones with the band too. Nothing can beat the connection you can get with a receptive audience.
I’ve just come to the end of my challenge to learn as many languages as possible in just 1 year. Can you speak any languages other than English? What do you think of my language learning challenge?
I take my hat off to you! English is enough for me at the moment.
What would you most like to have achieved by this time next year?
I would like to still be playing music and enjoying it. We are starting to record the new album in the summer and are hoping for a March release date so would like to be touring the album round.
Every so often in life, you encounter a truly gifted, remarkable person and you end up being blessed by their friendship. I speak, of course, of Hannah Scott.
I’ve got a suspicion that, given how well Hannah writes, discovering her discarded shopping list must be akin to discovering a lost Shakespeare play. But I could spend all day using my talent as a writer to describe how good she is. Why should you take my word for it? The proof is in the music. The proof is in the album, EP and live gigs. Whether you watch footage of the live performances via Youtube or you go to one of the gigs, you get to see a great show and an up-and-coming star.
The song in the video above was inspired by the novel: The Time Traveler’s Wife. Personally, I’ve had a lot of those “haven’t I been here before?” moments. When I went to the open day at Bangor University, I got off the train and felt as if I already knew my way around the place. Indeed, some of you reading this post will be having a “hasn’t he written about Hannah Scott before?” moment. And you’re right, I have and you can read that interview here: Marty Meets: Hannah Scott.
The irony in all this is that once you’ve heard Hannah’s music, you realise you really haven’t heard anything like this before. But you’d love to hear more. And the good news is you can:
Latin is one of the most difficult languages to learn, especially in modern society. Most find that there is no longer a need for Latin unless you are in the medical field or the classics. This dead language is actually the cornerstone of our modern-day English language (even society) and therefore deserves to be studied more than it has been as of late. Latin is a beautiful language and is the building block upon which came Spanish, French, English, and most of the Western “Romance” languages.
The roots of many words are Latin
Unbeknownst to many in present-day society, most of our words derive from older, Latin words which were created centuries ago. For example, abdicate comes from the Latin word abdico, which also has different conjugations of abdicare, abdicavi, and abdicates. It is helpful to students of linguistics, or even students in general, to understand where certain vocabulary words come from, in order for them to grasp the full meaning and background of the word. When learning Latin, these cognate-type words are helpful in retaining more of the vocabulary.
Currency
Our forefathers were well-schooled in Latin, and therefore chose to use different phrases to place on the backs of coins as well as on bills in circulation. How many people know the story or correct definition of e pluribus unum or annuit coeptis? These are some of the lasting mottos of our country and every citizen should be approached to learn the full meanings of at least these phrases.
Quid Pro Quo
Phrases such as this have become increasingly mainstream in our communities and in order to determine what is being said, you need to have a basic understanding and history of the phrase. There are many such phrases that have wormed their way into common circulation around the country, and it is easier to comprehend these phrases once you have at least some knowledge of Latin engrained within. Graduation ceremonies contain many various Latin phrases, with the words in absentia used when a student does not attend, or magnum cum laude, which indicates a student of great honors.
Abbrevs.
Standard modern day abbreviations have their roots in Latin as well. Every mass-used abbreviation comes from a previous Latin phrase: etc. is “et cetera”, r.i.p. is “requiem in pace”, e.g. is “exempli gratia”, and so on. This is a part of everyday Latin usage which many people are unaware of. How many people know the true definition behind A.M. and P.M. (anti meridian and post meridian)? And how many people understand the meanings behind these definitions to mean before noon and after noon?
A good starter course in Latin would work wonders on any person in modern day society hoping to get ahead in the world. It is a language that transgresses time and has the ability to mold into any language as it remains the founding block for every “romance” language. A deeper understanding of Latin can even result in an easier grasp of all its sub-languages across Europe.
This post was contributed by Katie Wilson, who writes about theuniversities online. She welcomes your feedback at KatieWilson06 at gmail.com
Mittens! If you’re reading this (and let’s face it, you’re an intelligent cat so you just might be browsing these pages) I have some good news for you. That dream you have of getting a record deal might not be as difficult as we had previously thought.
This CD features 8 tracks which help you to relax, energise and improve your health and well being. You can even use the CD as background music for yoga and/or meditation. It’s basically the sound of cats purring.
I buy relaxation music. I’ve got recordings of whale music, dolphin sounds and even the sound of wolves. I like using music to help me relax. There are more things in heaven and earth than our dreamt of in my philosophy and each to their own. I also want to publicise this CD because purchasing this CD helps raise money for animal charities. I stayed up late last night to watch “My Weapon is a Dog” on BBC Three and I wish I hadn’t. The programme was brilliant but the images of dogs who had been used by the tiny minority of scum out there who use dogs as weapons and/or involve the animals in fights were enough to assault my values and my emotions. I had to exert a lot of control over myself to make sure I didn’t throw up and or cry my eyes out. I’m not exactly a “dog person”. I love dogs but I doubt I’d make a good dog owner. It just breaks my heart when animals who have done no harm to anyone are hurt and humiliated by the waste that humanity has tried to get rid of for years but can never quite scrape off the bottom of its shoe.
Don’t get me wrong. If you think that defending animals involves causing hurt, harm and/or humiliation to people or property, you and I share no common bond or ideology. Human beings have a responsibility not to cause harm and to promote peace, love and understanding. I know that makes me sound like I’ve swallowed the “new age pill” and you’ll soon find me sitting in a Wigwam in my back garden surrounded by oddly shaped pots, pans and- for some reason- a flute. But, grounded as I am in the rational world, I have my beliefs. I am one voice amongst millions and that is the way it should be. But that won’t stop me speaking. Speaking with honesty, power, determination and- above all- respect and understanding. Anything else is an example of a failed communication.
I’ve recently been blessed with a camera phone. I like taking pictures when I go travelling but I am always wary of accidentally taking pictures of complete strangers. I do my best to wait until there’s nobody around before taking the picture of the view or building I find inspiring. But here, on this photo, the inclusion of this random stranger seems to “make” this picture.
Image copyright Martin Drury/Join Martin/Beyond The Question/Return of The Polymath. 2009.
Sometimes, in horror films, you- the popcorn adorned viewer- glimpsed the frightened hero reach for their last resort and thrust a crucifix in the face of the fiend. The fiend would recoil in terror (or fall over slightly if you happen to be watching the “we made this nonsense for 20p” stuff on the Zone Horror channels on SKY), giving our hero vital seconds to either escape, strike the fiend or rescue the damsel from the clutches of darkness.
But why would a fiend conjured from the depths of the darkness be afraid of an inanimate object? The truth is: they never were. What they were afraid of was the faith of the person carrying the crucifix. Even outside the world of horror fiction, faith is a powerful force against the darkness. You’re going to think I’ve gone bonkers or signed a deal with Hallmark to write the soppy stuff in their greetings cards. But the only thing more powerful than faith is true love. I’m not necessarily talking about religion. There are no fixed guidelines as to what faith is or what one should have faith in. Faith in a person, faith in a culture, faith in a people, faith in a tradition, faith in a language.
Ok, so the culture of “wearing wristbands to show your support” has exploded to such an extent that people would probably buy a wristband to celebrate the opening of my downstairs toilet. But there is nothing wrong with wearing a badge, logo, emblem or with carrying a charm. So long as it means something to you. I carry a number of charms with me. Not because they necessarily have any power on their own. Because they mean something to me and symbolise things and people that are important to me. Indeed, a photo of a loved one is as much a charm as a cross or other religious symbol. Anything that means something to you can be a charm.
Above these words sits the Cornish flag on a badge. It’s a symbol and a charm. It represents something. It means something. It’s small and, most likely, it’ll fit in your pocket. But it is more powerful than the fiercest nuclear weapon or the biggest army this world can muster. It is not an emblem of war or conflict. It is a symbol of peace. Cornish is just as important as any other language.
I’ve spoken a lot on this blog about Scottish, Irish and Welsh. But please be assured: no language is excluded on the Join Martin Blog and the Join Martin Blog salutes the people of all cultures who sketch peace, compassion, love and tolerance in their actions and speech. And no, I haven’t been smoking anything and I’m not a “hippy”. I’m just a tad fed up of turning on my TV, watching the news and seeing people in this world doing their best to get rid of other people who have just as much right to live in this world as they do. I know, I know. The simple answer is simply to not watch the news. But I can’t do that. I’m no more a crusader than anyone else is and please do not get the impression that I have suddenly developed the delusion that I’m a prophet of peace. The best “message from on high” you’re likely to get out of me on a day-to-day basis is whether I want tea or coffee. I just want to point out that this blog’s motives are many. It’s not about me showing off as I become multilingual. It’s about languages bringing people together. You can be an individual and part of a community. After all, to begin with, we were all ourselves and part of our mothers.
