Bill C Martin profile picture

Bill C Martin

About Me


As a performer Bill gained a reputation as a sensitive keyboard accompanist and arranger and is now working on a new project: m2e2, incorporating influences from European folk music, rock, pop, jazz, contemporary classical music and improvisation. More of that later in 2009!
MUSIC TO YOUR EARS:
Composing/Arranging: First commission: for Gregory Rose's 'Singcircle': 'A Memory of The Players' was performed at the ICA in 1979.
Arranger & kbd player with Pyewackett , 1978-90, a folk band set up with my friend, Ian Blake, producing 4 albums from 1979-1985.
Regular gigs/recording with Cathy Lesurf (1980s).
Appearances with June Tabor, The Albion Band, BBC Rockschool Band.
Keyboard player & arranger 'Star Trekkin' (The Firm, 1987) - Silver Disc (No1 in UK & other countries, 480,000 copies sold!).
Musical Director, BBC Radio 4 Schools programmes (1980s & 90s), including: 'Time & Tune', 'Music Workshop', 'The Song Tree', etc.
Member of Frank Perry 's Stargate, producing largely improvised vocal overtone pieces and the 1996 CD, 'Rainbow Healing Peace'.
2008: String arrangement and keyboard session for his brother Martin Shears ' song, 'It Doesn't Matter Anymore'.
Currently working on a piano improvisation project.
MUSIC TO YOUR EYES:
Music course writing & course consultancy (keyboards, technology, composing, improvising). Produced the groundbreaking Play For Keeps keyboard course for Yamaha Music Schools, UK.
TEACHING:
Have taught piano, guitar, keyboards and composing. A-level music teacher (1980s).
Lots of music workshops on singing, keyboards, technology.
PRS Composer-In-Education, 1990s, Leicestershire, Hampshire - one project featured on BBC TV's Teaching Today series.
CURRENT POSITION: Education Liaison Manager for Yamaha Music UK ; Hon treasurer with the Music Education Council ; Education panel member, Jazz Services .
SONGS:
Va-oona - an improvised vocal overtone & djembe piece, featuring Frank Perry, Maxwell Steer, Susan Nares & Sue Beckett (1995)
Tam Lin - my setting of the famous British ballad song from Pyewackett's 1983 'Man In The Moon' album.
Waiting For... - written by Susan Nares and me, and appeared on John L Walters' excellent Unknown Public new music CD series. We submitted this for their section of 1-minute pieces which, on this occasion, had to connect to the words 'Beckett' and 'repetition'. Great fun!
The Girl From Sligo - my reworking of the Irish fiddle tune, the Sligo Maid, as a piece in the Yamaha 'Play For Keeps' keyboard course, whose development I led.
Me taking my first steps in a jazz combo, under the direction of Denys Baptiste, at the 2008 Jazzwise Summer school.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 4/23/2006
Band Website: www.billcmartin.co.uk/
Band Members: Bill C Martin : keyboards, piano, arranger.
Influences: Loads of stuff, including (but not limited to):
Classical types: Medieval and Renaissance music, Susato, Attaignant, Byrd, Dowland, Monteverdi, Bach, Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin, Berlioz, Orff, Richard Strauss, Ravel, Debussy, Vaughan Williams, Ireland, Finzi, Weill, Walton, Stockhausen, Lutoslawski, Ligeti, Penderecki, Reich, Riley, Glass, Nyman, Fitkin, Lawrence Ball, etc.
Other influences: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Ashley Hutchings, Fairport Convention, John Renbourn, Peter Gabriel, Pyewackett, Pete Townshend, Robert Palmer, Bob Carter, Kate Bush, Ian Blake, Sting, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, Elvis Costello, Tenacious D, Max Raabe und Palast Orchester, Kronos Quartet, anything with Brodsky Quartet in it, loads of folk and world music, Overtone Singing (Stockhausen, Frank Perry, David Hykes, et al).
Jazz Stuff: Savoy Orpheans, Roy Fox, Henry Hall, Bert Ambrose, Des Dorchester, Lew Stone, Fats Waller, Nelson Riddle, Bill Evans, Quincy Jones, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Bill Sharpe, Dave Bristow, Fourplay, Al Jarreau, Pat Metheny; Scott Kinsey; PLUS: various funk acts, improvisations of all kinds and in all styles.
Sounds Like: My arrangements sound like either: a) nothing you’ve ever heard before, or b) something you’ve heard before (depending on the brief!)
Type of Label: Major

My Blog

The Philharmonia Orchestrates its Vision of Dreams

I went to one of the concerts in the Philharmonia Orchestra's superb series, 'Vienna: City of Dreams', last Saturday at London's Royal Festival Hall. The programme was given over to Schoenberg's 'Gurr...
Posted by on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 09:32:00 GMT

Yamaha Jazz Experience

In my work as Yamaha's Education Manager for the UK, I've recently announced a major jazz education project for secondary schools (11-19 age group). There are lots of excellent jazz education projects...
Posted by on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 09:23:00 GMT

Jazzwise Summer School 2008 (Friday Day 6)

..On behalf of Yamaha - a major sponsor of the wonderful Jazzwise Summer School - I'd agreed to attend as a pianist though poor jazz player to write an article for Yamaha's education mag, YES, on what...
Posted by on Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:29:00 GMT

Jazzwise Summer School 2008 (Thursday Day 5))

On behalf of Yamaha - a major sponsor of the wonderful Jazzwise Summer School - I'd agreed to attend as a pianist though poor jazz player to write an article for Yamaha's education mag, YES, on what i...
Posted by on Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:20:00 GMT

Jazzwise Summer School 2008 (Wednesday Day 4)

On behalf of Yamaha - a major sponsor of the wonderful Jazzwise Summer School - I'd agreed to attend as a pianist though poor jazz player to write an article for Yamaha's education mag, YES, on what i...
Posted by on Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:16:00 GMT

Jazzwise Summer School 2008 (Tuesday Day 3)

On behalf of Yamaha - a major sponsor of the wonderful Jazzwise Summer School - I'd agreed to attend as a pianist though poor jazz player to write an article for Yamaha's education mag, YES, on what i...
Posted by on Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:14:00 GMT

Jazzwise Summer School 2008 (Monday Day 2)

..On behalf of Yamaha - a major sponsor of the wonderful Jazzwise Summer School - I'd agreed to attend as a pianist though poor jazz player to write an article for Yamaha's education mag, YES, on what...
Posted by on Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:10:00 GMT

Jazzwise Summer School (Sunday Day 1)

On behalf of Yamaha - a major sponsor of the wonderful Jazzwise Summer School - I'd agreed to attend as a pianist though poor jazz player to write an article for Yamaha education site mag, YES, on wha...
Posted by on Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:04:00 GMT

Back On The Block?

No, I’m not referring to that milestone 90s Quincy Jones album. It’s just that I’m pleased with my progress this week on jazz impro and really feel that I’m on the the way back...
Posted by on Sat, 29 Mar 2008 01:43:00 GMT

Jazz Piano Practice

I’m in full swing (no pun intended) of my jazz piano practice. Started this week on a whole range of impro approaches, which I hope will stand me in good stead when I attend the Jazzwise Summer ...
Posted by on Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:45:00 GMT