Ian's Music Room

My performing career began as a child and my first instrument was the trumpet - I fondly remember playing the fanfare solo at my aunt and uncles’ wedding anniversary, as well as playing in the school band.

I then picked up the bass guitar aged 14. I liked the low notes and the deep, resonant, earthy sound. I loved the way it provides the foundation for the other instruments in a piece of music - I could hear the whole of the music, not only my part. I won an award for the best-improved bass player at the Kingston Academy of Music Education summer school. In my early twenties I started to play the double bass.

My performance career took off from the mid-nineties and I spent much of my time performing in a wide variety of genres: orchestral, jazz, opera, rock-pop, music theatre and electronica. Some highlights include:
 

• Bass guitar in an alternative rock band, The Agents, gigging around the alternative London circuit and for private parties

• Double bass with the National Musicians Symphony Orchestra for a concert at the Barbican Centre

• Contemporary classical music ensemble whilst at Trinity College of Music, performing double bass for several concerts, culminating in one with the celebrated percussionist Evelyn Glennie

• Double bass support for Junior Trinity and Lydian Orchestra’s Tour of Czech Republic

• Double bass in several opera showcases, alongside my teacher, David Heyes, with his wife, the soprano, Sarah Poole

• Taking the initiative to form my own jazz group, The Trio Quartet, whilst at London School of Music studying for my Diploma in Popular Music Performance and recording a promo tape

• Double bass in The Orpheus Jazz Trio, with pianist Nick Reynolds (Jazz Musician of the Year award nominee) and guitarist Lou Maggs, at Chichester University, when studying for my music degree

• whilst studying for my Master’s degree in Music Performance, I formed and led the Ian Davies Trio with Meredith White and Damian Thill

• playing bass guitar with the function band Modulus

• I formed, led and arranged music for the Cider House Rules jazz quartet

I have nine years of experience performing in pit bands for music theatre shows in London and Surrey, including the world premier of Deep Water with the W11 Children’s Opera, Guys and Dolls at the Rudolf Steiner concert hall in London and most of the musicals for 3 years at Rydens School, Surrey.

For as long as I have been involved in music I have been writing music. As a child I created my own sounds and I have stacks of music manuscripts of my own compositions. I have also created and developed music for solo bass playing, ensembles and educational material for my students.

In recent years I have experimented in the fusion of western music and classical Indian music, including collaborating with other musicians, composing and performing bass guitar.

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