Video Blog: Saturday 20 May 2017
After a walk around Ocean Village, I took myself for a late night treat at Five Guys...
Video Blog: Monday 1 May 2017
As the bank holiday weekend comes to an end, I spent the evening grabbing junk food with friends.
Video Blog: Five Guys Friday (Friday 28 April 2017)
What better way to start a Bank Holiday Weekend than with a Five Guys (burger and fries)?
Video Blog: Saturday 22 April 2017
I spent the last weekend of my Easter Holidays exploring the New Forest with Emma and Annora Bird; drinking and heading out in to town with friends; and then recovering the next day with Nandos and drinks with Alice.
Video Blog: Friday 21 April 2017
Friday 21 April 2017: vocal session with Pyra follwed by dinner and drinks with Dave and Livi
Video Blog: Wednesday 19 April 2017
It's been so good to have time off work to spend with friends. Video blogging these simple, lazy days helps to make memories from moments that are all too easy forgotten,
Video Blog: Monday 17 April 2017
Vlogging my day on Monday 17 April 2017 — Easter Monday.
After a lazy start, I met Wez and Dan at Weatherspoons for lunch, followed by a drink at Maritimo Lounge. The day ends with a relaxed evening with Ellie and Dave in Chandlers Ford.
A Day In London
I was in London this week for a day with the Musicians Union. After staying overnight, I spent the day seeing family and friends.
After a morning at the British Museum, taking in the 'American Dream' exhibit, I met Dan and Luke on the South Bank, for lunch, drinks and a visit to the Tate Modern. After dinner with my brother and (soon to be) sister-in-law, it was time to head home.
Becky's 30th Birthday
My sister-in-law turns thirty today, and this weekend we threw a little party to celebrate.
Throwing someone a party is way of showing them how special they are. To me, that means that every party has to be unique. As with my sister's party last weekend, all the hours spent making food, or time spent gathering supplies, or money spent on balloons and gifts is all in service of making that person feel loved and appreciated for who they are.
So, with a baby less than two weeks old — whose arrival was more than a little stressful — this weekend's celebrations had to be simple and stress free: step up rent-a-party!
Disposable everything makes for easy, hassle free, clean up. A mix of Tesco's summer range — cute little pineapples, watermelons and cactuses — along with extras from Hobbycraft and little Easter bits Sainsbury's, all create a simple, but cute selection of birthday treats.
Lets not also forget that cake! Becky is our family's expert baker — the one who does the cakes for everybody else. So, it's only fitting that on her special day she has a cake much better than we could ever make for her, courtesy of Hummingbird Bakery!
We're very lucky to have Becky be part of the Brombley family — Happy 30th Birthday Becky!
Brombley Family Celebrations: Free-From Afternoon Tea
We spent last weekend celebrating lots of special Brombley Family events — my sister's birthday, my brother's engagement and Imogen Faith coming home — with a free-from afternoon tea and lots of other treats.
Free-From Afternoon Tea
Complications from endometriosis has meant that my sister has to avoid all kinds of allergens — gluten, eggs, dairy, soya — and as someone who has had to survive on a free-from diet, I wanted to make sure she experienced what is very rare for someone on a free-from diet: to look down on a table full of treats and know you can have anything you want! With some help from my sister, I spent Friday evening baking ready for an afternoon tea on Saturday, made up of...
- Vegan Blueberry Cheesecakes
- Black Bean Brownies
- Cashew Butter Cookies
- Lemon Drizzle Bars
- Free-From Scones
Plus a selection of sandwiches and wraps using gluten-free bread.
I think the stand out for me was the scones. I was genuinely worried that I would be making gluten-free rocks, but, surprisingly, they were really, really good. Also, I'm going to say this: but vegan cheesecake is better than dairy cheesecake.
A Surprise Engagement Party
After getting engaged earlier this year, this weekend was the first chance we had to celebrate my brother and his fiancee getting engaged. Balloons, cake, and prints of a lot of Instagram selfies all helped to create a surprise celebration.
Welcome Home Imogen Faith (and an Easter Egg Hunt)
What a joy it was to have Imogen Faith home and able to come join us for our celebrations. There was a never ending queue for cuddles from Aunties, Uncles and Grandparents. And as a well done to big sister and brother for dealing with a tough week, two huge Easter eggs!
Imogen Faith
My niece, Imogen Faith, arrived a week ago — Friday 24 March 2017 — and after a difficult first week in the world, is finally home!
It's been a tough first week for Imogen Faith and her family — to say the least.
Late last Friday night, Imogen had some trouble breathing, and had to be taken in to intensive care. After a week of incredible care, along with some scary moments, she finally arrived home today, to a delighted family, particularly her big sister.
I can honestly say, I'm totally in awe of my brother and his wife. The way they have held it down over the past week, coping with moments that are unbearable even in the retelling, leaves me without words to say how proud I am. Clearly, Imogen is made of the same strong stuff that they are made of too.
Where words can often feel lacking, music helps me to make sense of, and understand difficult situations and feelings. When I wrote this piece for Imogen Faith this week, it ended up that the full whirlwind of emotions cleared the way for a peaceful calm.
Soundtrack: Festival of Lights
The soundtrack from my latest vlog is now available to listen to on SoundCloud:
Vlog: Saturday 18 February 2017
On Saturday night, I went with a couple of friends to the new development at Westquay to go bowling, see the festival of lights and have dinner at Wahaca.
Update (26/2/2017): Soundtrack now on Soundcloud
First February Weekend
It's been a busy first weekend in February....
Auxy Remix:
Auxy is an app I use all the time. Recently, the company that make the app have been running a “Beat the Clock” competition, which I've had a lot of fun entering, and even had one of my pieces shortlisted. This weeks challenge was to remix a previous winner's short track, in to a full length piece. I spent most of my Saturday lazily working through ideas, and piecing together my remix:
Sunday Walk:
Keyhaven is one of my favourite places to visit for a walk: the view across the Solent to the Isle of Wight and the Needles is stunning, and despite the bitterly cold wind, it was a beautiful day to take some photos across the water too. I took lots of pictures with my new Canon 80D, and a few with my faithful old Nikon D5100. It was nice to get some more use out of my new wide-angle lens.
Sunday Lunch:
Even when I'm cooking for just myself, I do love a good Sunday Lunch. Today's lunch included pan friend pork chop, rainbow carrots and baby parsnips all served with a side of roasted cauliflower and broccoli cheese.
Honestly, my only regret, was not going full veggie: the roasted broccoli and cauliflower cheese was hearty, and tasty enough to be the main dish — there was no need for meat at all frankly. The trick to keeping this recipe big on flavour, but cutting down the calories is to roast the broccoli and cauliflower before stirring through the sauce and baking again. The big flavours of the roasted vegetables mean you need less cheese and less sauce, which is great for keeping the calories low.
Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese — Recipe:
- Half a head of cauliflower
- Half a head of broccoli
- 12g butter
- 12g flour
- 225ml whole milk
- 25g parmesan
- 25g extra mature chedder
- 1 bay leaf
- a few pepper corns
- a fine grating of nutmeg
- a dash of mustard (english ideally, but any will do)
- 1 shallot, skin removed and cut in half
- Salt, pepper
- Split the cauliflower and broccoli in to florets, season with a little salt and pepper and roast until golden and a little crispy around the edges, around 10–15 minutes
- Meanwhile, make the sauce, buy first warming the milk with the bay leaf, peppercorns, nutmeg and shallot. Melt the butter in another pan, adding the flour and stirring to make a roux. Let this cook out for a few minutes before adding a dash of mustard. Slowly add the warm milk, straining through a seive to remove the flavourful extras you added earlier. Stir until you have a silky smooth sauce, and let it gently simmer for a few minutes. Finally, strain through a sieve to remove any lumps.
- Melt the most of the cheese in to the sauce, saving back a little for the top.
- Stir the roasted broccoli and cauliflower in to the sauce, and tumble in to an oven proof dish.
- Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 10–15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden
This recipe serves two as a side, or one as a main dish.
Putting this in to MyFitnessPal, it works it out to to be about 260 calories as a side, or 520 as a main. Your milage may vary.
Engagement:
My brother and his girlfriend — now fiancee — are engaged! I couldn't be happier for them both, but also, very happy for myself, to be gaining a new sister-in-law too. After two Christmases shared with Helen and her family, she felt like part of the Brombley's already, so it feels even more special that it will finally be official.
Auxy: Beat the Clock #4 (Remix)
This week's Auxy “Beat the Clock” Challenge was to remix a short track by DeCruz in to a full track. This is my remix:
Update (6/2/2017):
My track made first place on the shortlist!
Auxy: Beat the Clock #3
Each week, Auxy set a short composition challenge.
This week's “Beat the Clock” challenge was to create a track with no drum sounds. On Monday, they pick their favourite tracks.
Auxy: Beat the Clock #2 Challenge
Each week, Auxy set a short composition challenge.
This week's “Beat the Clock” challenge was to use the existing drum beat and add instruments to make a track. Max Length: 30 seconds. 105bpm. On Friday, they pick their favourite tracks.
Shortlist Winners:
I was shortlisted in Auxy's top picks.
Black Bean Brownies
When these vegan, gluten free, low carb brownies popped up on Facebook today, I knew I had to try them.
The recipe comes from So Vegan and it's basically fool proof: you blend everything in a food processor and bake. The only thing I would do differently next time, is to smooth the mix down a little better before baking: the mix doesn't flatten out in the oven like a regular brownie mix does, so mine turned out a little gnarly, although still quite pretty thanks to the whole walnuts I put on top.
Honestly though — and it's not just the mid-January diet desperation talking — these tasted incredible. Gluten free needed or not, vegan or not, these were packed full of deep, rich flavour and a bunch of healthy ingredients... plus some less healthy ones... but a treat is a treat.
Links:
M-Tech Project: Autumn Term
After a successful bid for £30,000 from Youth Music, the M-Tech project got underway last term, helping disadvantaged children and young people in Southampton and the Isle of Wight compose music using iPads.
It was great to end the first term of the project, asking participants what they've taken away from the project. In particular, its been great to highlight the outstanding work of some of the young people taking part. The M-Tech project has been months in the making: writing a funding bid, planning the project, preparing resources, buying equipment, delivering sessions... it's been totally exhausting at times, but hearing what the young people taking part have taken away from it makes the all the work worthwhile!
Participant profiles are on the M-Tech website.
Find out more about the M-Tech project at www.mtechsouth.com
Banana Pancakes (Three Ingredient Recipe)
It's January and I'm trying to eat healthier. I had some over-ripe bananas to use up, and it felt like a great time to test out one of Buzzfeed's three ingredient recipes: banana pancakes!
For a quick and easy, healthy pancake alternative, they were fuss free and pretty tasty. Would I make these again? Sure. Will I never want to make a full stack of American style pancakes again? Not a chance!
Recipe:
- 2 bananas (mashed)
- 2 eggs (whisked)
- a dash of cinnamon
Plus your choice of toppings to serve: I went with pecans and maple syrup
The method is easy enough, mash the banana, whisk in the eggs, add a dash of cinnamon and fry til golden and fluffy. It's not even worth breaking down in to steps.
Buzzfeed says one banana to two eggs, but I had small bananas and large eggs (no giggling please), and the resulting batter looked a little thin, so went two-to-two. I actually only needed half of that mix for one portion, so feel free to adapt as you see fit.
2016
If my 2016 has a theme, it is probably this: finding comfort amidst the confusion.
An Unsure Start
Finishing university in 2015 meant I was back in my old job — the reason I had gone to uni in the first place — and wondering what my plan was going to be. In September 2015, I gave myself a year to find the next new challenge, and so had set about writing a funding bid to Youth Music for a new project at work. That application went off in January, and kick started so much of this years big moments.
M-Tech
By May, we found out that our funding bid was successful and my new role as M-Tech project manager had begun. It's meant incredibly long hours, and so much extra work, but it was the challenge I needed when I decided it was make or break last September. It's been an incredible start, and one of my first jobs when I'm back in January is to wrap up what we've learnt from the Autumn term, which I can't wait to share.
Pyra
Over the year, I've been recording with Pyra, continuing to work on new music together. This year, we both feel like we're creating our best work yet, and whilst much of it remains hidden until it is finished, 2016 did see two songs we worked on go out in to the world: ‘Ride U Better’ and ‘Bodies’ (embedded above).
Invaleurs
In August, I released an EP under the name Invaleurs:
I have a confession.
For too long, the anxieties I experience around sharing my music online have kept me from creating things I love. But when I set out writing these songs, I made them just for me.
With that freedom, I could explore more freely, able to push beyond the boundaries of my own comfort zone, to create songs I am proud of. And so, I am sharing them with you
If you enjoy them, if you share them too, then I feel honoured to know that these songs have found new connections beyond the ones I hold with them. If you don't, that's fine too. I've already done what I set out to do.
Family Holiday
This year we went on a big family holiday to Cornwall, and it was an unforgettable experience: a wonderful, special time spent with family in such a beautiful location. I video blogged the trip to try and keep the memories captured to remember in years to come.
The family holiday came accompanied by two big announcements:
1. Becoming An Uncle (Again)
My brother and his wife, and their two beautiful children, are adding to their family with another one. And later in the year, I got to help them make a special announcement about it...
2. My Sister's Engagement
And the second big announcement was that my sister got engaged!
Annora Bird
Two of my very best friend's a simply the most adorable little baby in to the world, and every time I see them together, my heart swells with pride and love for them all: I couldn't be happier. I wrote a song for her, on the day of her birth, and Emma writes the most incredibly honest, funny and frank blog about what it's like being an expectant, and then new, mum.
UK Music Award
As a result of the successful M-Tech bid, I was nominated by Solent University for the UK Music ‘Outstanding Contribution to Music’ award. It was an honour to be nominated amongst other high achieving new graduates.
Starting a Blog
Finally, in 2016 I started this blog. As I wrote about in October, I started this blog as a way of creating and releasing music that was better for my mental health. And I'm so happy with what I've started to build. As this blog grows, and develops, it's been fun to explore what shape music can take when you remove the constraints of the old methods of production and consumption. I don't feel like I have any answers yet, but asking the questions has been reason enough on its own.
It started with Summer Shorts...
Moving on to Autumn Pieces...
And finishing the year with Vlogmas.
So, to finish, I come back to the theme of 2016: finding comfort amidst the confusion. With all that has happened this year, I have tried to learn to bring myself more fully in to each moment, to enjoy and take comfort in friends and family, and to be a little kinder to myself. What did you learn in 2016?