I’m Ben & I’ve been attending Skimstone Arts since July 2016.
I enjoy how I do a variety of activities at Skimstone. I’m currently doing my Bronze Arts Award & like the fact it’s not a classroom environment, like school & college nor any time limit ie no exams.
I’ve got a Grade 8 in drum kit, play drums in Skimstone’s band, Reality Boots & wrote a new song called Overloaded. In my spare time I play at The Globe, where I play drums in a jazz quartet called Four (click here to listen to Four). I attend the Play More Jazz! course, where we look at a piece each week normally from jazz standards repertoire & at the last week we put on an end of term concert for family or anybody else who drops by. I also attend Jam Sessions at The Globe, where you get to meet people each time & playing & having fun playing music. I also attend Play Jazz! Workshops at The Sage, which is interesting & lots of fun. I also play the drums at church.
I like how anybody can be included at Skimstone. It was during a very difficult time in my life that I went to Skimstone & I’ve grown in confidence. As a result I’ve had my medication reduced since coming to Skimstone. I recently spoke at a regional conference in front of 60 people about what we do at Skimstone Arts and how it’s changed me as a person. Skimstone is great place to come especially when you’re going through a bad patch, because everybody at Skimstone is supportive.
I’m looking at achieving new things at Skimstone, including learn some basic theory on piano & learn tuned percussion e.g vibraphone & marimba. I would also like to do some creative writing & improve on doing that.
Projects:
Let Freedom Ring
Reality Boots
Arts Award:
Bronze