I can still hear the sound of my first typewriter falling out of its carry case, tumbling down the stairs, smashing and crashing against the wall of the hallway. It was Christmas Day 1985 and my lovely wife had treated me to a Brother 100 portable typewriter. It was a gift I had never even
The Typewriter That Changed My Life Read More »
This is the first chapter of a work-in-progress fantasy fiction story about a clairvoyant who takes a wrong turn.
Foreseen (chapter 1) Read More »
If you’ve been converting and normalising your audio files one at a time, there’s a much faster way. In this video I demonstrate how to use the often-overlooked batch file conversion feature built into Reaper to process large numbers of audio files automatically. Rather than relying on separate conversion software, I explain that anyone who
Save Hours with Reaper’s Batch File Converter Read More »
Have you noticed the internet is slowly becoming… vanilla? Not because people have stopped writing. But because more people are becoming afraid to use photographs. You see there are companies – PicRights comes to mind – that’s using image-recognition technology to scan millions of web pages, looking for photographs that may have been used without
Are Copyright Bots Killing the blogosphere? Read More »
The 15th annual International Jazz Day 2026 on 30 April concluded with an all-star concert in Chicago, hosted at the Lyric Opera House. More than 40 artists performed, including Herbie Hancock, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Gregory Porter, Jacob Collier and Buddy Guy. The concert opened with a tribute to Chicago’s musical history. Bridgewater and Porter performed “The In-Crowd” in honour of Ramsey Lewis, followed by Hancock’s reinterpretation
Non-stop all-stars at 15th annual Jazz day concert Read More »
A comprehensive study by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) reveals both opportunities and serious threats from AI music generation for Australian and New Zealand musicians. According to the 2024 report, 38% of the 4,200 surveyed members are already using AI in their music work, with the highest adoption rates among 45-54 year olds at
Why 82% of Musicians Fear They Can’t Make a Living Anymore Read More »
Smooth jazz saxophonist Cali Jones is back, after more than a year away, and he’s sounding sharper, more focused, and more soulful than ever. In this episode of the Just Jazz podcast, Cali sits down to talk about the journey so far; from his 2022 debut album Soul Assassin to the evolution behind his latest track Midnight Strut, and what
Cali Jones Returns with a New Sound Read More »
A quiet English garden. A strange stone dial. And a girl who discovers that time doesn’t always stay where it should… In this review I take a look back at Moondial, the haunting BBC children’s drama that blurred the line between past and present, and left a lasting impression on those who watched it first
Moondial – a haunting timeslip mystery Read More »
In the latest episode of Just Jazz, I sit down with vocalist Rebecca Rafla, an artist whose sound bridges the gap between classic jazz tradition and contemporary expression. Drawing inspiration from legendary performers such as Sarah Vaughan and Tony Bennett, Rafla has developed a style that is both elegant and accessible. Her voice carries a warm, expressive quality, paired
Rebecca Rafla – A Fresh Voice with a Timeless Touch Read More »
AI-generated music tracks are now landing in my inbox, just as Sony takes action against Spotify to get 135,000 deep-fake songs removed from its system. Given this, I couldn’t help myself from commenting on the risks of playing AI music on my weekly radio show. The challenge to support bona fide musicians is real as
The rising tide of AI ‘music’ Read More »
When I first started out as a young news reporter working for a regional newspaper I quickly learned that news doesn’t always come to you. There were days when the phones didn’t ring, the fax machine stayed silent, and there was nothing useful in the post. After calling around the usual contacts, schools, emergency services,
Give the people a voice Read More »
If you run a podcast, an internet radio station, or any kind of local media project, one of the most valuable things you can offer your audience is hyper-local news. Large media organisations tend to focus on national or international stories. Even regional outlets often overlook the small, everyday events that make up the life of
The Power of Hyper-Local News for Podcasts and Community Radio Read More »
Somewhere in the English countryside, a grand manor house stands in elegant decay, quiet, forgotten, and seemingly empty. But beneath its fading exterior lies a lively secret. This is the world of The Ghosts of Motley Hall, a charming and quietly imaginative British series that first aired in 1976. Set in the ancestral home of
The Ghosts of Motley Hall Read More »