Steve Pretty On The Origin of the Pieces

Episode SummaryIn this episode, Steve Pretty embarks on a sonic journey with Martin Appleby, a seasoned sound engineer with over nearly four decades of experience at BBC's Maida Vale studios. They delve into Martin's illustrious career, exploring his role in capturing live music for prestigious BBC programs and his the challenges and opportunities of live recording. The episode further explores the philosophical dimensions of recording live ensembles and the unique challenges of live studio recording.Key Topics DiscussedIntroduction to Martin Appleby- Overview of Martin's 40-year career at the BBC.- Martin's background as a musician and sound engineer.- His studies on the Appalachian dulcimer and its connections to West African music traditions.- The rich history and significance of Maida Vale studios.Live Studio Recording- The art and pressure of recording live music in a studio setting.- The benefits of musicians performing together in the same room without headphones.- Highlighting a memorable session with singer Jamie Cullum.- The role of sound engineers in capturing authentic, dynamic performances.Technical Aspects of Recording- Use of omni and stereo cardioid microphones.- Shaping the sound with artistic precision, akin to photography.- The importance of perspective in music recording.Exploration of Arabesque Music and Debussy- The influence of Islamic art on Debussy's compositions.- Debussy's revolutionary approach to music, seeking to establish a distinct French identity.- Insights from pianist Benjamin Steinhardt on Debussy's inspirations.Debussy's Musical Legacy- Debussy's use of older modes and Eastern pentatonic scales.- The impact of his relationship with his patron Nadja and admiration for Chopin.- Steve's own attempts at composing in Debussy's style and its analysis.Evolving Music Industry- Discussion on AI-generated music and its potential limitations.- Updates on the music industry landscape, including genre explorations and the transformation of the Jazz Bar in Edinburgh into a community-owned arts hub.- The closure of the Towersley Festival and the challenges faced by live music events today.Notable Quotes- "Capturing the performance is the one thing you really can't fake." - Martin Appleby- "The great thing we can do that nobody else can is we've got the space. The musicians can all come in, be in one place, do their thing, go away, and we just mix it." - Martin ApplebyAdditional Information- **Patreon:** Listeners can support the show and access exclusive content on Steve Pretty's Patreon page.- **Previous Episode:** Exploration of the double bass with Charlie Pine.Next Episode Teasers- Upcoming explorations of genres like Tona and Corrido.- Further discussions on the evolving landscape of the music industry.Listeners are encouraged to tune in for a deep dive into the world of sound engineering, the legacy of Debussy, and the vibrant history of Maida Vale studios. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve invites jazz double bassist/singer Charlie Pyne to the studio for a fascinating chat about all things bass. As well as a tour of her beautiful, historic instrument (affectionately named Claude), Charlie talks about the role of the bass in jazz and swing, and we hear some incredibly soulful playing. Charlie is so warm and joyful, and this reallycomes across in her music, which she gives us a live snippet of here, before an impromptu jamwith Steve and trombonist/occasional podcast assistant Joel Knee.Before this deep dive (sorry…), we hear an excerpt of the live podcast recording at Wilton’s Music Hall from earlier in the year. Astronomer Chris Lintott introduces us to a planetary system many light years away, and Steve explains how this distant star system can teach us about music, and vice versa, with the help of Filament Choir, Valeria Clarke and Hackney Colliery Band’s rhythm section.Oh, and stay right to the end for a very special offer…Sign up for the Patreon, mailing list and everything else here: http://www.originofthepieces.comCharlie Pyne: https://charliepyne.co.uk/First Light Festival: https://firstlightlowestoft.com/Chris Lintott: https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/our-people/lintott and his brilliant podcast that I forgot to mention in the show (sorry Chris!): https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dog-starsValeria Clarke: https://www.valeriaclarke.com/Hackney Colliery Band: http://www.hackneycollieryband.co.ukAlso Festival: https://www.also-festival.com/ Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a specially-extended episode, Steve has a detailed conversation with some of the creative team behind the smash hit stage version of the Oscar-winning Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away. Director John Caird, co-adaptor Maoko Imai and Musical Supervisor/Orchestrator Brad Haak tell Steve how the show came to be, and give some absolutely fascinating insights into composer Joe Hisaichi's work, including Brad demonstrating some beautiful examples on John and Maoko's gorgeous grand piano.But first, Steve chats with Jay Chakravorty, composer, producer and promoter of brilliant London crossover classical music night Counter Chamber. Jay demonstrates his incredible modular synthesiser setup, and he and Steve discuss how expressive and emotional these wobbly, warbly voltage controllers can be, before Jay jams on his amazing machines.And before that, Steve shares his mild despair at the state of the music industry at the moment, prompted both by off-mic chats with his guests and musician colleagues, and also by a recent article in the Guardian about the plight of musicians in 2024.Sign up for the Patreon, mailing list and everything else here: http://www.originofthepieces.comGuardian article: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/apr/25/shocking-truth-money-bands-make-on-tour-taylor-swiftJay Chakravorty: https://jaychakravorty.com/Spirited Away: https://www.spiritedawayuk.com/ Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In another varied episode, Steve talks to soul singer Eliza about revealing her pregnancy live on stage, cellist Verity Simmons demonstrates her beautiful cello (and explains how it's partly made from a German U boat), and then Steve breaks down the fascinating genre of Igbo Rap in the Genre Tombola, including an in-depth transcription of some of the brilliantly complex rhythms.Sign up for the Patreon, mailing list and everything else here: http://www.originofthepieces.comEliza's website: https://www.elizalovechild.com/Eliza's instagram, including the pregnancy reveal: https://www.instagram.com/elizalovechild/Verity Simmons: https://maslink.co.uk/client-directory?client=SIMMV1&Three in a Bar podcast: https://www.threeinabar.com/Razz Mataz (Episode 8) by Chucky P, Khenyzee, Space, Chumzy (Igbo Rap track): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXWhvYDftMoAdditional Igbo Rap tracks to check out:https://youtu.be/LXWhvYDftMo?si=7LpEr-v4TKa5oZjR https://youtu.be/AckJs1noxMw?si=E9o41r7dSpxEjfO8https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLup2K0PBFlK1tY45LtqRKnfvOfY6scdqp&si=g705zAhYFbrZX4fw Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To celebrate Autism Acceptance Week, Steve has two brilliant autistic artists on the show - poet Maddi Crease and musician Robyn Rocket. They talk autistic art, inclusive gigs, autistic joy, space trumpet and much more.And in between Steve takes us back to New Orleans for an interview with one of the world's leading exponents of the musical washboard! Alex Macdonald has made his living from playing the washboard for over 20 years, and here takes Steve on a quick tour through zydeco and cajun music, as well as demonstrating some techniques on this unique percussion instrument. He even agrees to let Steve have a go...Full, unedited interviews with Alex, Maddi and Robyn are available, along with much more (including the full, professionally-recorded live show from Wilton's Music Hall) on the show Patreon. Sign up for exclusive bonus content, special offers, chat and much more: https://www.patreon.com/StevePrettyOnTheOriginofthePiecesSteve's website: http://www.stevepretty.com Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A bit of an interview special this time, with TWO incredible guests - Grammy-winning trumpet player Ashlin Parker and number 1 UK singer/songwriter Frank Turner.Steve asks these brilliant guests about the point of music, the history of hardcore punk in the UK, the challenges and opportunities of working as a musician in New Orleans, and how angry hippies and neo nazis can sometimes find themselves liking the same music...Ashlin Parker: http://www.ashlinparker.com/main/Frank Turner: https://frank-turner.com/ Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this first episode since coming back from New Orleans, Steve discusses the importance of that city to the history of music, and, with his guest, New Orleans resident (and former London-based musician) Hannah Davis, examines its present, from the community nature of music making, through to the idea of music as a 'service industry' and what this means to both musicians and audiences.He also features a track he produced for lofi hip hop artist rruaris, and uses it to demonstrate the role of a mix engineer/producer in the creative process, and wraps up the episode with a dive into the genre tombola - this time to break down the sound of New Orleans residents and Deep Funk pioneers The Meters.Show website: http://www.originofthepieces.comPatreon (including access to full recording of Wilton's Music Hall show): https://www.patreon.com/StevePrettyOnTheOriginofthePiecesrruaris: https://open.spotify.com/track/3Q8op7naEyrNZvtoTRTKd6?si=240d19effdf64be7 Pat Levett: https://patlevett.com/ Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve finds himself in New Orleans for some on-the-ground research into Deep Funk (check out last episode if this doesn’t make any sense to you!), and more interviews, gigs, chats and music than you could shake a big voodoo stick at. Episode 11 will be along soon, but meanwhile check out the first 10 episodes for a pretty broad variety of weird, curious and fun musical shenanigans, and sign up to Patreon for access to my full 2 hr live show recorded at Wilton’s Music Hall with a full choir, Hackney Colliery Band rhythm section and much more. Back in your feed in the next week or two once there’s been a chance to digest the many hours of fascinating stuff generated from a week’s immersion in New Orleans culture and music. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In maybe the most varied episode yet, Steve speaks to Nathanial Dye about how terminal cancer reinforced his passion for music (and running the London marathon whilst playing the trombone), then, via a brief foray into the importance of reverb (as performed at Wilton's Music Hall on 20th January), finds himself making a cowpunk song set in East Anglia, with the help of his trusty AI lyricist.Show website: http://www.originofthepieces.comPatreon (including access to full recording of Wilton's Music Hall show): https://www.patreon.com/StevePrettyOnTheOriginofthePiecesNathanial Dye: https://bowelcancerbucketlist.com/ Please rate, review and share! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve talks about and plays some music from recent live gigs (including one with a rather special dress code), and we hear a beautiful performance and fascinating chat from Filament Choir. No genre tombola this time, so strap in for an exploration of Cowpunk next episode…Steve's website: http://www.stevepretty.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/StevePrettyOnTheOriginofthePieces Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve kicks off 2024 in typically contrasting style by celebrating the London Symphony Orchestra's school outreach program, and getting lost in a world on samplers and synthesisers as he sets out to create a UK Hardcore version of the podcast intro, courtesy of the genre tombola...Wilton's Music Hall tickets for 20th January: https://www.wiltons.org.uk/whatson/854-steve-pretty-and-friends-on-the-origin-of-the-piecesSteve's website: http://www.stevepretty.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/StevePrettyOnTheOriginofthePieces Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To close out the year, in this bumper Space Special, Steve is joined by astronaut Chris Hadfield, trombonist Rosie Turton and composer Steve Thompson - all of them trombonists with a number of additional skills in their portfolio!Steve Thompson tells us about his project 1201 Alarm and how his album Hello World will be the first album on the moon! Then trombonist, composer and stalwart of the recent UK jazz revival Rosie Turton is in the studio to give us a binaural tour of the simultaneously most comedic and melancholy instrument of all: the trombone. And to close out the episode - and in fact the year - Steve interviews astronaut Chris Hadfield, former Commander of the International Space Station, experienced musician and bestselling author. Chris doesn't really do podcast interviews usually, so this is quite a coup, and in this extended, wide-ranging chat, Steve and Chris discuss the links between exploration and music, the evolution of music and its links to mankind's restless, travelling nature, international jam sessions on the ISS, and changing guitar strings in orbit.Wilton's Music Hall tickets: https://www.wiltons.org.uk/whatson/854-steve-pretty-and-friends-on-the-origin-of-the-piecesSteve's website: http://www.stevepretty.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/StevePrettyOnTheOriginofthePiecesChris Hadfield's Space Oddity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNoChris' books: https://chrishadfield.ca/books/Rosie Turton: https://www.rosieturton.com/1201_Alarm: http://www.1201-alarm.com/home.html Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a little Christmas gift to the listeners, Steve offers us a little taste of the forthcoming interview with Commander Chris Hadfield, astronaut, musician and author, but most of all an incredibly generous and wonderful individual.Chris performs a song which he wrote and originally recorded whilst he was commander of the International Space Station (ISS), orbiting earth and looking through his window at the 7.8 billion people living on the beautiful blue sphere below him.Episode 7 will feature an interview with Chris about music, exploration, the logistics of recording songs in space, and much more. TUNE IN! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christmas is coming, so of course we had to have a little look at Christmas music, but not quite in the way you would expect, unless minimalist classical composer Steve Reich is a kind of santa figure for you. Steve performs a festive version of Reich's piece Clapping Music, and is nearly driven completely mad as a result.But then the day is saved by legendary composer and music producer Nitin Sawhney. Steve heads to Nitin's studio to learn about Soleá, the genre he was allocated in episode 5, and along the way discovers a lot of commonalities between Indian classical music and flamenco, how the guitar can be used as a percussion instrument to accompany itself, and some fascinating technical insights into the sounds of flamenco. This free-flowing interview with a musical legend covers all the usual show bases in one go as we learn about the Entertaining Noises of the flamenco guitar, dig deep into Music Feary as we examine the nuts and bolts of flamenco, and of course the Genre Tombola as we look at the commonalities between musical traditions so geographically distinct.Oh, and Steve gives you a little reminder of his brand new Patreon, where you can help support the show for just $5 a month, as well as getting access to a huge treasure trove of unedited interviews and songs from the show, ticket discounts, exclusive offers and much more.Wilton's Music Hall tickets: https://www.wiltons.org.uk/whatson/854-steve-pretty-and-friends-on-the-origin-of-the-piecesNitin's website: https://www.nitinsawhney.com/Steve's website: http://www.stevepretty.comLittle playlist of music referenced in the episode: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQPkPcql9kp8MovgfBM0u0Z-BXVWzNAR_&si=HwQLzYIDcsKmY8CJPlease spread the word, rate and review the show if you enjoy it! It's a HUGE help in these early days. Seriously. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode sees Steve recording in not one but TWO idyllic studios in Norway, where he's been working with some incredibly talented young people, helping them to compose and create music to support a forthcoming Hackney Colliery Band tour there. We hear some of the things he's been up to, as well as chatting with some of the musicians in question about creativity, how to overcome blank page syndrome, and the intricacies of a grand piano. Then, back in Blighty, Steve talks to emo pop fan, album listening club founder and Christmas EP maker L K Francis to get to grips with what emo pop is all about, before he teams up with Chat GPT to create a whole new emo song just for this show!Oh, and Steve launches his brand new Patreon, where you can help support the show for just $5 a month, as well as getting access to a huge treasure trove of unedited interviews and songs from the show, ticket discounts, exclusive offers and much more.Wilton's Music Hall tickets: https://www.wiltons.org.uk/whatson/854-steve-pretty-and-friends-on-the-origin-of-the-piecesL K Francis on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/song/this-is-our-christmas/1711865299L K Francis on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kceyBEKSyxcH8ffqcgH1n?si=ygPpCLm8Tsam4Z3-2Eg2rQNorth Norway Jazz Centre: https://www.europejazz.net/profile/nordnorsk-jazzsenterSteve's website: http://www.stevepretty.comPlease spread the word, rate and review the show if you enjoy it! It's a HUGE help in these early days. Seriously. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the most varied episode yet of this podcast helping you to hear and understand music in new ways, musician Steve Pretty uses a moving experience performing at a Remembrance Day service to talk about musical harmonics, before learning about blues shouting, whistle tones and microphones from singer Nicole Cassandra Smit (including a brief appearance by Jamie Cullum and the Hackney Colliery Band), and finishing off with a deep dive into the niche crossover metal genre of deathgrind, and a discussion about the taxonomy of heavy metal with comedian, musician, and author of the History of Heavy Metal, Andrew O'Neill. Oh, and there's a track Steve's written which will surely launch his deathgrind career into the stratosphere. But which legendary poet wrote the lyrics Andrew sang? Tune in to find out!Wilton's Music Hall tickets: https://www.wiltons.org.uk/whatson/854-steve-pretty-and-friends-on-the-origin-of-the-piecesAbney Park Cemetery: https://abneypark.org/Nicole Cassandra Smit: https://nicolecassandrasmit.com/Andrew O'Neill: https://www.andrewoneill.co.uk/Steve's website: http://www.stevepretty.comPlease spread the word, rate and review the show if you enjoy it! It's a HUGE help in these early days. Seriously. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve Pretty helps you to listen to and understand music in new ways, looking at where music comes from, why it exists, and what it is.This episode, in a bonanza of interviews, Steve speaks to landlords helping to keep the grassroots music scene alive in the UK, invites renowned UK musician and composer Tamar Osborn into his studio to talk about and experience the beauty of flutes, big saxophones and warbly magnetic tape, and then South African trumpet player and educator Claude Deppa valiantly attempts to help Steve pronounce mbaqanga, the South African township music it turns out Steve has actually loved for years, despite not really knowing its name.But what will be the music Steve will pluck from his virtual genre tombola next week? With 1298 genres left, there is some very real jeopardy there as you may find out at the end of the show...Timecodes:Intro: 0.00 - 3.45Pub musings (with Lesley and Frankie from The Eleanor Arms, Bow): 4.00 - 17.05Entertaining Noises/Music Feary (with Tamar Osborn): 17.27 - 33.07Genre tombola (mbaqanga with Claude Deppa): 34.10 - 57.32Outro and next genre tombola: 57.32 - 60.40Links:www.stevepretty.com Eleanor Arms: https://romanroadlondon.com/eleanor-arms-pub/Tamar Osborn aka Collocutor: https://collocutor.uk/Tape delay: https://rvb-img.reverb.com/image/upload/s--Xya5c3HJ--/a_0/f_auto,t_supersize/v1687255861/ckz7j68gd5rhpvikiepo.jpgClaude Deppa: https://www.grandunion.org.uk/claude-deppaMbaqanga playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAQy7UGhyv932ZIgGO5SfIdjru-2DOjNx Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second episode of this new podcast helping you to hear music in new ways, Steve talks about the challenges of going on holiday as a musician, introduces his friend, harpist Valeria Clarke who makes some entertaining noises both angelic and demonic, gives a little demonstration of how jazz works and how it’s not as scary as you might think, and plays his new, Robbie Williams-inspired pop rock track for comedian Alexander Bennett.Soundbox Ensemble: https://www.stevepretty.com/soundbox-ensembleThe Last Skeptik: https://www.instagram.com/thelastskeptik/?hl=en Jazz Vanguard: https://www.windsor.gov.uk/whats-on/the-old-court-jazz-vanguard-p2109621 Old Court, Windsor: https://oldcourt.org/ Hackney Colliery Band: https://www.stevepretty.com/hackney-colliery-band Wilton’s Music Hall show: https://www.wiltons.org.uk/whatson/854-steve-pretty-and-friends-on-the-origin-of-the-pieces  Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first episode of this brand new podcast, musician Steve Pretty starts to explore the origins of music, stopping off to blow into conch shells, have a binaural audio adventure in his studio (headphones on!), discuss the limitations of music theory and start his mammoth attempt to explore every one of Wikipedia's list of over 1300 music genres, including nearly 60 varieties of metal...A show for anyone who has ever listened to, played, improvised or written music and wanted to know more about these mysterious sounds. Are they 'auditory cheesecake' as cognitive scientist Steven Pinker claims, or actually a fundamental part of what has made us into modern humans? As fun as it is thoughtful, this show aims to help you hear and appreciate music in a new way.http://www.stevepretty.com/mailing-listhttps://wiltons.org.uk/whatson/854-use priority code EARLYORIGIN to make a booking Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.