Drake Music: Talent Development Fund 2018

Alongside Drake Music Scotland and Heart n Soul, Drake Music is England’s organisation leading on the artistic excellence of Disabled musicians’ practice when involving technology. Drake Music provides music-making activities that observe the social model of disability, utilising technology to break down disabling barriers facing musicians from beginners to professionals.

As a PRS Foundation Talent Development Partner in 2081/19, two emerging Disabled Music Creators – Oliver Cross and Steve Varden – will be commissioned and supported to create, develop and deliver cross-art form showcases performances with six other musicians.

About our creatives:
Oliver is a harmonica player who is forming a regional Disabled musicians’ collaborative group in his home town of Cambridge. He has been experimenting with electro-acoustic music using harmonicas, tape delays and loop pedals. He is a member of the British Paraorchestra and has been involved with DM Collaborate (Drake Music’s professional and emerging adult group based in London) for a number of years.

Steve is developing an eco-friendly one-man electric wheelchair band and is keen to explore cross-arts practice, and it is likely that themes of energy and light will emerge as being central to the work he wishes to develop. While the solar panel charges the wheelchair batteries that in turn power the keyboard and LED lighting on his one man band wheelchair, Steve also intends to capture the signal data that also capture the signal data that is being output from the solar panel with a view to transforming it into a musical score and live performance piece.