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About

Musical Activities

Composer, Performer, Arranger, Student

General Interests

Music encompasses my entire life somewhat. I'm not into sports, I don't watch television much at all, and whilst I am extremely intelligent, I find the idea spending the rest of my life working in a desk job quite boring, frankly. Almost all of my free time is taken up by music, whether it be composing or performing. Let me tell you a bit about my musical education. I was first introduced to music at the age of three. We had always had a very old (and rather out-of-tune) piano in the house, and I decided one day to sit down and play it. Soon I had realised that if I played all the white notes, I could make a scale. Some few days later, the realisation dawned on me that I could also play a D major scale. Before I continue, I should explain that I come from a line of rather excellent musicians on my paternal side. My great-grandfather, Thomas Williamson, was widely regarded as the best pianist in the area. Incidentally, his old concert tails and scarf are in my wardrobe, where I use them for performing at concerts myself. My great-uncle was once an instrument maker, specialising in medieval instruments, and his ability to play almost anything was somewhat legendary in our family. The story goes he learned to play the Flemish bagpipes in under 6 months well enough to perform on the BBC, in a concert he had agreed to perform in before ever touching the instrument. My grandfather is the conductor of our choral society, in which my father and uncles have all sang in at some point. Back to me, then. I began having piano lessons at 4 years old. After a couple of years, it became evident that I loved the piano, but our then-current one was long past its prime. So, I was taken to the nearest piano shop, where I tried almost every piano they had before deciding on one. That piano is now sitting directly behind me as I write this, and in the decade or so I have had it, I have only ever played one piano that was better - that happened to be a Steinway D-series, which costs approximately £100,000 second-hand. So, I think I made a good choice. For my 8th birthday I went to see the film version of The Phantom Of The Opera, and I fell in love with the music instantly. To this day, that score has been my biggest inspiration; much of my work reflects this in some way or another. During the past 5 years or so, I have learned a number of new instruments. I spent some years learning classical double bass, before changing the focus to jazz (I am also in the process of forming a jazz trio with a couple of friends who, like me, play a number of instruments each as well). I can play guitar and bass guitar, and am slowly improving my skills as a drummer. I sing as well (bass-baritone), but the piano will always be my favourite instrument, on which I am rather astounding. Last year (2011), I started watching musicals on stage. So far I have seen: Jekyll & Hyde, The Phantom Of The Opera (x3), Love Never Dies (x2), Les Miserables (x2), We Will Rock You, Sister Act, Blood Brothers, and The Lion King. I have a number of shows booked later this year as well, including The Rocky Horror Show and Starlight Express. In these shows I have been privileged to see perform such names as Marti Pellow, John Owen-Jones, Earl Carpenter, Ramin Karimloo and of course Alfie Boe. There is something about the theatre; maybe it's the orchestration, or the combination of dance and singing, or the magic of the performance. Whatever it is, I love it far more than any other musical form. For this reason, I aim to spend my life composing for the theatre.

Favorite Music

As musical theatre is a given, I will ignore it briefly. Asked some years ago, I would probably answer with something baroque. I quite liked pieces by Bach, Pachelbel, etc. Skip forwards a short time, and I had developed a taste for Salieri. Another year or so later, and all I played were Schubert's impromptus. Then, suddenly, it was a peculiar mix of slow jazz and Rachmaninoff. Now, I have finally begun to appreciate such late-romantic works as Skryabin's White Mass, etc.

Favorite Genres

Again, musical theatre is, to me, the most wonderful form music can take. Other than this, I enjoy mostly romantic works and slow jazz, as well as slightly more modern pieces (think Queen, or the Beatles). I occasionally listen to African music, where I am always fascinated by the diverse polyrhythms, complex cadences etc.

Full name

Louie Williamson

Gender

male

Relationship

Single

Member for

1 year 28 weeks