Marty Meets: Lauren Derwent

http://www.myspace.com/laurenderwent

Stumbling across this woman’s talent is like discovering a secret that’s about to take the country by storm. Marty Meets up-and-coming singer-songwriter, Lauren Derwent.

Hi, Lauren. Would you like to introduce yourself?

No. hehe just kidding My name’s Lauren and I’m a singer/songwriter.

How would you describe your music?

I would describe my music as mainstream Pop, theatrical and very British! Thought provoking and meaningful songs with a message.

Who are your musical influences?

Well, I’ve been compared to Queen, Abba, The Carpenters, Kate Bush, Kate Nash, Lily Allen, Scouting For Girls, and Natasha Bedingfield! So I guess a mix of 70′s Pop and modern day British, with a hint of Jazz (since I have a love for Jazz).

You clearly have an amazing talent for song writing. What inspires you to write? Do you get your ideas from “modern life” or from personal experiences? Do you find yourself waking up in the small hours of the night with an idea or do you set aside time to write during the day?

Most of my songs stem from personal experience, the way the world today makes me feel, and my take on things. I’ve written songs in my sleep before! But usually an idea comes from emotion, and it could be some chords, a melody, or lyrics… then I expand on that emotion until it becomes pallitable for others.

“Wood For The Trees” has this fabulously quirky, upbeat feel to it. But then, in “Merry Go Round”, you switch seamlessly into haunting poetry. Then “Broke” comes along and takes things to yet another level. How do you decide on the “mood” of a song? In other words: how do you decide whether to make the song slow or upbeat, emotionally charged or funny and satirical?

Haha! Well, to be honest it normally just comes how it comes… I don’t try to make anything a certain way, it’s more of a natural process. I’m currently co-writing and sometimes when a song perhaps isn’t working in a certain style we experiment and try out each others suggestions… it’s great because the other person might have a different take on it to you, one you may never have thought of.

You were the leading vocalist and percussionist with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra for 5 years. How did you get involved with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and what was the experience of playing with them like?

I met a singer who used to sing with them years ago, and now lead the weekly vocal workshop, and she told me about them, encouraging me to go along. so one week I braved it, and the first experience was very daunting… standing in the middle of a 25 piece orchestra with all these talented musicians staring at you waiting for you to make a mistake! I left a couple of times due to losing my confidence, but I always went back, and worked hard to earn the vocal chair. The percussion kind of came by accident because we were invited to play on a Jazz cruise and tour Florida and only 20 members could go, so if you were a singer you needed to also play an instrument! So one day, the director called me up and said, “Lauren, you’re booked on all the gigs on percussion for the next year”… I already played congas and bongos etc but I had to learn how to play the vibraphone using 2 fingers on a piano!! It was a wonderful experience, giving me the opportunity to perform in some great venues, and on the bill with some of the Jazz greats. My vocal technique improved, as the songs were hard, as well as my confidence.

I like Jazz music a lot. I once stayed up all night in a hotel in Hyde Park watching a programme about Diana Krall on a German language channel. I had no idea what anyone was saying on the show but I loved the music. But I know a lot of young people might not think of jazz as being a fun or exciting musical genre. What sparked your interest in jazz music?

Diana Krall’s a great pianist! Yes, my dad’s always been into Jazz and my grandad was a Jazz musician in the 40′s, so I guess it’s partly in the blood. I love the spontinaity of Jazz, and the emotional outpore you can channel through improvising, losing all your inhibitions and communicating on a very special level with other musicians you’re performing with.

Which is better: recording tracks in a studio or playing live?

Hmm… I love both, but if I had to make a decision (wohoo!) it’d have to be live… you can’t beat the adrenalin and buzz you get from an audiences reaction to the music.

Which would you choose: number 1 single or critical acclaim?

Critical acclaim… for having a number 1 single hahahahaha!!

You teach singing and, from what I’ve read, you’ve done a lot to encourage people to become involved in music. But there’s been a lot in the news recently about poor quality music lessons in some schools. I played two brass instruments when I was at school and I enjoyed playing them but I stopped playing after I left school. What’s the best way to encourage children, young people or anybody else to develop a passion for music?

Yes, I think the danger can be a blanket approach to teaching, as all children are different and have different needs. Music can be wonderful therapy… I have some students for whom singing is just a hobby, an outlet, away from their day job, and others who lack confidence or focus. It’s important to give constructive criticism, but always follow with positive encouragement… it’s more important for them to learn and grow and enjoy the experience, than it is to get it right… they say the journey’s usually more important than the destination. Also to remember that everyone’s still learning… I can learn from my pupils just as they can learn from me.

Is there an album in the pipeline?

Yes, we’ve written the album and it will hopefully be for sale ‘in the making’ soon!

Finally, I’m coming to the end of a yearlong challenge to learn as many languages as possible. Can you speak a foreign language? What do you think of my language learning challenge?

Good for you… I think it’s a great idea! I wish I could speak another language fluently. I know some spanish… Mucho gusto Marty, bueno suertes en todos… vivo los suenos

Marty Meets: Rhona Foulis

Photo Credit: Fatimah Namdar

Rhona’s Spotlight Link

Sometimes, language learning can take you to exotic places and enrich other people’s lives as much as your own. Rhona Foulis tells her story:

Hi, Rhona. Would you like to introduce yourself?

I am an actress, English tutor and theatre reviewer. Having graduated with a First Class Honours degree in English and Drama, I worked in the theatre industry for four years before training as an actress.

Did you have a natural talent for language learning at school?

I find learning languages fairly easy because I’m fascinated by words and the ways in which we communicate with each other. I’m definitely an arts rather than a science person.

Has being able to speak more than one language helped you in your career?

I’m not sure whether my Spanish and French have directly helped me in my career. They probably would have proven more useful if I’d become fluent, but the acting took over after my A Levels.

Learning a language is no longer compulsory (in the UK) for schoolchildren once they reach the GCSE options stage. What are your views on this? Do you think children should be encouraged to learn a language at school? What can be done to make children enjoy learning a language?

It’s really sad that children aren’t encouraged to learn languages. We suffer from serious linguistic complacency in this country, assuming the universality of English, which is very ignorant. Undoubtedly, it’s easier for people to learn languages if it’s encouraged from a younger age; then learning language becomes synonymous with discovering the world, rather than a classroom lesson. Beyond childhood, visiting the host country is ultimately the best way to learn.

You taught English as a foreign language to children in South India. What was your experience of teaching in South India like and how did you get involved in teaching English as a foreign language?

Having graduated from university and undertaken several theatre internships, it felt as though I was at a turning point. I decided to make the most of not having any fixed responsibilities by travelling. In my last year at school, we were given a talk by a man who set up an orphanage in South India, the King’s World Trust for Children. Having lived in the Middle East and travelled extensively as a child, he whetted my appetite for an Indian adventure! I wanted to do some voluntary work and thought teaching English would be the best option for me. The tiny village school in Tamil Nadu was like nothing I’d ever seen before – almost like a mud hut – and there were very different methods of disciplining the children. The classrooms were pretty chaotic and full, but you soon learn ways to keep the children interested and engaged.

You’re an actress, an English and Drama tutor and a theatre reviewer. Where does you passion for the theatre come from?

I don’t know! I was hooked after my first performance during a school assembly, aged 10. My passion developed through further opportunities at school and Scottish Youth Theatre.

Have you ever directed a play?

I’ve never directed anything. However, it’s certainly something that I imagine doing in the future, once I’ve had more acting experience, feel more knowledgeable about the theatre and confident in my choices.

As a reviewer, is it hard to write critically about other actors and actresses work when you’ve got first hand experience of how hard the actors work and how much effort goes into staging a production?

No, I think it’s interesting to apply an actor’s perspective to a critical review of a performance, as long as that’s not your only perspective. A reviewer should also consider production values, direction, the writing etc.

Would you agree that Drama and the Theatre Arts are great tools for helping people to overcome the language barrier and communicate with each other? Can Drama and the Theatre bring different sections of the community together?

Absolutely. The structure of the theatre industry itself is traditionally elitist (unfeasibly high ticket prices) and the national curriculum doesn’t give nearly enough value or importance to the arts. However, drama itself is all about people, team work and communication – fantastic tools.

Which would you rather have: critical acclaim or fame?

Critical acclaim over fame. However, I don’t think that either is particularly important to me. What’s important is being able to do work that I enjoy and feel challenged by.

If someone wanted to hire you for English or Drama tuition, how could they do that?

I’m happy for anyone to email me at rhonafoulis@hotmail.com.

What are you working on career wise at the moment?

I’m performing in an exciting, improvisational performance with Fluxx Productions.  “Night, London” runs for the first three weeks in March at the Tristan Bates Theatre.

Finally, what do you think of my language learning challenge? Have I bitten off more than I can chew or is it really possible to learn many languages in just 1 year?

In some ways, the more languages you learn, the easier they are to learn. You can begin to make connections between languages and common grammatical rules. But there’s a danger of mixing them up in brain overload!

See the Marty Meets: Rhona Foulis interview on the Up & Coming Talent Blog.

He’s Coming…

He’s Coming… One of the first people to wish me good luck on my language learning challenge was author and learning expert, Tony Buzan.

Interviewing Tony was an amazing experience. Way back in 2000, I astonished my A Level teachers by achieving much higher grades than they had predicted and getting into my first choice university. Do my achievements belong to Tony as I used his techniques and ideas? No. The achievements are my own. I used techniques and ideas but I sat the exam and I am responsible for my learning. There really is no quick fix in this life and some things work better for some people than others. But Tony’s approach to learning is refreshing, exciting and energising and I know that his techniques and ideas helped me learn so much.

If you’re not willing to invest in your learning then you’re not willing to invest in yourself and you won’t get much out of the experience of learning. But if you are willing to put in the time and the effort then Tony’s techniques, ideas and products will help you. You have to decide what you want to get out of your learning experience and you have to decide what you use to enhance your learning experience. It is, after all, your mind. But please keep an open, educated, informed mind about things because there are so many good things out there than can help you achieve a great deal. They help, you achieve.

For various reasons (not least the insect infestations, the horror of living where I lived last year and the fact that I had to move house in a hurry), I have not published my interview with Tony Buzan but that interview will be published on this blog soon as part of the “Marty Meets” interview series. Stay tuned and keep your eyes peeled.

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School music lessons ‘inadequate’

Photo copyright BBC News Online 2009. (As far as I am aware.)

The headline to this article is slightly misleading. According to a recent report, only half of music lessons in schools are “good enough” which means that the other half aren’t good enough. Therefore, the headline should have read: “some music lessons in schools are inadequate”.

However, the article is interesting. Despite writing one of the worst songs ever and contributing to a terrible rap about my local town centre, I enjoyed music lessons at school. Yes, ok, we had one teacher who was in two minds so often she’d have an argument with herself and I didn’t enjoy carrying the brass instrument I was learning to school every week  or enduring the catcalls of builders and the like who were all too eager to shout: ” Ere, mate. Go on give us a tune!” at me. Also, try getting a very large brass instrument in its case up the steps and onto a school bus. Not easy. That said, I enjoyed the music lessons.

The report says that many schools and teachers are unaware of available funding and current educational initiatives relevant to their subject. Well, let me tell you why that is.  Here in the UK, the government pulls an educational initiative out of its bum every couple of months and the schools simply cannot keep track of what they are supposed to be doing, how they are supposed to be doing it and why they’re supposed to be doing it. That is not to say that any schools is clueless. For the most part, schools are run by hard working and under paid professionals who put their own lives on hold a lot of the time in order to do their best for children who probably don’t give them or their learning experience a second thought. The government reacts but doesn’t act. It changes its mind, changes the details and adds new things to the pot so many times that you begin to feel nobody’s actually got a plan. Dear Gordon Brown, what exactly is your vision for Britain and when, exactly, are you going to put it into action?

The other interesting thing about the article is the response of the education union interviewed. According to them, the current inadequacy of music lessons is the fault of the previous Tory administration (we’d call it a government but I’ve helped our American readers out- many of whom may not understand British politics- by calling it an administration. In essence, it is. One party is the government and other parties oppose the government but only one party is the official opposition).

Perhaps they are correct in this view? After all. they know more about teaching and education than I do. But the current Labour government/administration has been in power for over a decade now. They have made their own mistakes and it is revealing to read about a  union that is not quite ready to throw the knives at a Labour government (for those who don’t know, Labour in the UK receives a lot of its funding from the trade unions). How long will it be before the unions are ready to throw the knives? At the moment, the UK is experiencing a few wildcat strikes at oil refineries in protest at the apparent influx of foreign workers (personally, I think the strikes have some merit and their concerns are valid but this an invitation for the nutters on the far right and the lunatics in UKIP to come along, vent their 17th century inspired nonsense and appear a lot more coherent and important than they actually are). We’re not at a winter of discontent point yet. Far from it. But how long can this government of the UK keep a hold on the trade unions?

Ok, so why is this post about music lessons appearing on a blog about language learning? Music lessons aren’t the only things suffering in schools. And, without an understanding and appreciation of music, learning about languages and culture becomes very difficult indeed.

Learn Spanish- part 2-Video Learning

Teach Yourself Spainish

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Vote Now! The wonderful people at Poll Now! have launched a “Which Language Would You Like To Learn?” poll.

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Language Learning: Your Experiences: Melissa Ruby

Note: This image is copyright protected. Copyright Melissa Ruby 2008.

Language Learning: Your Experiences: Melissa Ruby.

Amazingly talented writer and creator of the “A Life In Literature” Blog, Melissa Ruby “guest-blogs” on Join Martin and shares her language learning experiences:

“My love of language began early. As a child I much preferred to read Nancy Drew or The Indian in The Cupboard than go to sleep at bedtime, hiding under the covers with a flashlight, only to be yelled at repeatedly by my parents to stop reading and go to sleep. (I think they secretly loved it though.) I have always been fascinated by the way words could transform my world, and perhaps my ambition to learn new languages feeds that childlike desire I still have, in my post-adolescent idealism, to make my world anew all the time.

When I turned 25, my birthday present to myself was a promise. (I think it was also a bottle of vodka, but in this case that is beside the point.) I promised myself I would learn five new languages before turning 35, figuring ten years would be ample time to achieve this goal. My five languages were chosen for a variety of reasons.

1) Spanish: I have studied it for years, in high school and college, but still do not have a fluent, conversational grasp on it other than the basics.

2) Portuguese: My father grew up in Rio de Janeiro, and his first language is Portuguese, but since my mother doesn’t speak it, my sister and I never learned. Although I do understand some of it, it is surprisingly different, in proper pronunciation and sometimes also in conjugation, from Spanish.

3 & 4) French and Italian: I just happen to think they are beautiful languages. And when I visit those countries I don’t want to be that annoying American tourist who relies on the assumption that someone will speak English no matter where I travel. I hate those people.

And 5) Latin: Because regardless of the fact that no one uses Latin conversationally in our world, it is the basis for most modern and romance languages, and it is still widely used in science, law, popular culture, et cetera. (Pardon the pun!)

I am now 27 (and a half) and have yet to successfully become fluent in any of these languages. It is my belief that to do so requires much more than studying and practicing by oneself… occasionally. (Yes, I admit it! I have been remiss in keeping my promise to myself. I could apply more time and energy into this endeavor but the procrastinator on my shoulder with devil horns and a red pitchfork reassures me I’ve still got eight years, or, uh, seven and a half to go. Plenty of time! Right? Gulp.) I also believe one has to immerse oneself into the language, and the best way to do this is by spending a good chunk of time in a part of the world where the language is spoken. So, if I have to travel all over the world to learn new languages, well, so be it. In the meantime, I will keep up my studies, and plan those travels, and read and write and get tattoos of Latin phrases.

Regardless of the fact that I am still not quite multi-lingual yet, I will not give up. I may let the years pass and then when I turn 33 scramble to buy five versions of Rosetta Stone, or start stalking some cute Italian guy so I can pick up the accent properly, but I will guarantee you that if you come see me in seven and a half years, and want to have a conversation in French or Portuguese, I just might say “Sorry, Latine loqui coactus sum hodie!”

Cheers to all of you for your interest in learning new languages, and sláinte to Marty for sharing his language-learning experience with the world! Muchas gracias, Marty, for inviting me to be a guest writer on the Join Martin blog! Saúde!”

Read A Life In Literature Blog here.

Text copyright Melissa Ruby 2008.  A Life In Literature featured on Join Martin recently as a “Featured Blog”. See the article here. Read about freelance journalist, Vicky Baker’s Language learning experiences here.

Language Learning: Your Experiences

Language Learning: Your Experiences: Join Martin isn’t just about my challenge. It’s also about you and your language learning experiences.  Freelance travel journalist, Vicky Baker shares her experience of learning Spanish.

“I’ve just spent a week in Santiago, living with a friend of mine, hanging out with her mates and generally getting a feel for Chilean life. People would pay a lot of money for that sort of language immersion. But for me, it was free. Xili was a contact from Couchsurfing.com……” CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.

Note: Text and image copyrighted to Vicky Baker. Vicky’s blog is called: Going Local.

Congratulations to Coffee Break Spanish

Spanish Phrases

Warning: An intermediate to advanced level of Spanish is recommended before viewing this video.

This video contains the Spanish for phrases to do with makeup and plastic surgery. I’m not exactly sure when the ordinary traveller will need the phrase “I am allergic to the eye-liner” but you never know and I guess it is always good to be prepared.