Well … What a month. As per usual I’m left wondering where it’s gone. My new niece decided she had had enough of her Mum painting doors and consequently popped herself out 12 days early within a labour period of 3 hours (‘had had’ - bad English I presume? I’ll never proclaim to be a writer. At best I’m a note taker). I heard second childbirth is meant to be easier…but seriously….that much easier?!

We’ve been short listed for a Music and Sound Award for best musical composition in our short film ‘Artificio Conceal’. I never thought much of award ceremonies to be honest. Should I be declaring such flippant beliefs on a blog? It’s like a lottery ticket. You pay for hope which ultimately results in disappointment so essentially you’re paying for yourself to endure a day of misery whilst trying to console yourself that yet again, you have lost …. Or another way to see it, not won. Either way you’re a loser……drama queen?

So squirrels ….. One chilly, blue-sky, crisp winter morning, I was waiting at Denmark Hill Station and had the pleasure of watching a pair of squirrels. Chasing each other around a tree trunk, I stepped on my train with a grin on my face, highly amused. A few days later I had the pleasure of watching another pair being chased by a dog. The dog evidently found as much amusement from this as the observer. Have you ever noticed how squirrels are always in pairs? I’ve seen so many this month. Is February squirrel month? Even one of my close friends mentioned them in conversation last night over a few cocktails (animal-named cocktails…now there’s a peculiar invention. Pink squirrel - a mix of creme de noyaux, white creme de cacao and light cream apparently. What would a grey squirrel be? Liquorice liquor, white creme de cacao and light cream? ……. I digress). Evidently watching squirrels has become one of my friends past-times which incidentally led to a conversation questioning our age in relation to our new past-time pleasures (Bridget Jones moment alert). Someone recently told me they’d seen a white squirrel too. I officially declare February Squirrel month.

Inspirational film of the month? Definitely ‘Birdman’. Anyone seen it? Concept of solo drums representing human emotion - not necessarily a concept that hasn’t been thought of before, we all recognise the connection between music and emotion. BUT the development of ideas, the way it was performed, the improvisational sounding elements, and the recording…I mean seriously, I want THAT guy to record my drum parts. It’s topical to a composition I’m working on at the moment (*plug alert). Structured around the story of an epileptic seizure, using dance and music it will explore this journey encouraging the audience to celebrate their emotions and intellect, focussing on interoception, questioning our conscious experience of ourselves and the world around us, what our instinctual being knows and rational minds think. Scientists, psychologists and ‘artists’ all present, it will warrant an interesting discussion.

Thought of the month. Never undervalue yourself. Think of it in a monetary form. If you provide a quote for a low amount, a client will be reluctant to pay you more for the next job. If you put too a high a quote they can only knock you down a little.