Nubya Garcia: Steve Reid InNOVAtion Award
Nubya Garcia, 24, a saxophonist, has just graduated from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance where she studied on the Jazz course with Jean Toussaint, Julian Siegal and Simon Purcell. London born and raised, she began playing with the local Camden Music Service, before moving to the Royal Academy Junior Jazz course. She also attended the Berklee five week summer school in Boston on a scholarship, an exhilarating opportunity and experience. Nubya was part of the Tomorrows Warriors Development programme, a member of the Tomorrows Youth Orchestra and has performed with the Nu Civilisation Orchestra at the Southbank Centre.
Some of Nubya’s current projects include Nérija, the Theon Cross Trio, Maisha, SE Dub Collective and the Nubya Garcia/Sheila Maurice Grey Quintet. Last year saw Nubya playing with Polar Bear in Istanbul, Lonnie Liston Smith in Bristol, and supporting Christian Scott with the Theon Cross Trio in the EFG London Jazz Festival. Recently she has performed with Sister Sledge as part of the Women of the World Festival 2016, and is currently in the midst of writing for various ensembles whilst performing alongside a range of diverse bands.
“I would like to gain experience and develop the use of live electronics within a traditional band format (sax. piano, bass and drums), with the aim of combining digital and acoustic sounds (whether in the form of beats or soundscapes), and even attempt using my Saxophone as an interface through the aid of contact microphones. My current set up includes a Korg Kaoss pad and a Boss vocal effects pedal that I use to manipulate the natural sound of my saxophone. With this award I would like to receive mentorship in combining my current set up with software such as Ableton Live and Max MSP to build custom patches to add a new dimension to my live performance and composition”