Musical Curriculum Vitae: David Deakin

1978

I began to learn to play the piano at the age of 6 with instruction from local teacher Jean Ovens. Performance experience at this stage was confined to playing for family members, although I did play at the end of Morning Assembly at Wolverley Primary School once, which is probably still one of the highest pressure gigs of my musical career! Tuition continued until 1988 from Ann Percy and Stanley Mitchell by which time I had achieved Grade 6 with Distinction. I had also played as the accompanist for a production involving schools from the 'Wolverley Pyramid'

1985

I started learning to play the trombone at Sion Hill Middle School under the instruction of Jack Broomfield, the peripatetic brass teacher.I choose trombone as it was the only instrument available at the time. I picked up the notation aspect quickly due to my tuition on piano, and have subssequently also learned valve fingerings and play euphonium to a good standard, as well as attempting cornet, Eb horn, baritone, tuba and drums (and anything else required). I played with the Sion Hill Middle School brass band as soon as I could read the music and later I joined the Bell Inn Brass Band (Cleobury Mortimer) with John Jackson as Musical Director.

I continued to obtain tuition on trombone from local musicians John Jackson, peripatetic brass teacher Colin Farlow and, teacher at Wolverley High School, David Bishop-Rowe. I also took much inspiration from the excellent Brass Courses run each year by the Worcester County Brass service at Pershore Horticultural College featuring guest tutors such as Bob and Nick Childs, Chrispian Steel-Perkins and James Watson, and the regular tutors including Gordon Hartley-Bennet, Duncan Connor, Colin Farlow, Martin Yates and others I apologise for missing out.

Involvement with the County Music scene led me to play with the Worcester County Brass Band for it's entry in the Youth Section of the National Brass Band Championships Area Contest for several years, including it's qualification and performance in the Finals at Wembley Conference Centre in London. I also joined the Worcester Concert Band initially under Chris Stowell and later Colin Farlow, moving through the trombone section and eventually playing as principle trombone. In this seat I played with the band at the Boosey and Hawkes Symphonic Wind Band Festival at the RNCM in Manchester and won the best soloist prize for my performance of 'Feelings'. I had also featured as a soloist with the band as part of their concert schedule. In addition I was privileged to play with the Worcester Concert Band during the opening celebrations for Symphony Hall, Birmingham.

At school I played with the successful Wolverley High School Wind Band as principle trombone and they achieved success in numerous contests and festivals. This culminated in my winning the Best Soloist prize in the Entertainment Section at the Gower Music International Youth Band Festival in 1989. I was now also playing with the Avonband Evesham Brass Band on bass trombone under conductor David Bishop-Rowe, also conductor of the Wolverley Wind Band, doubling on the other trombone parts as necessary.

By this time I had attained Grade 8 Distinction with 140 marks on trombone in the Associated Board Music Exams.

1990

After finishing my A levels at Wolverley High School I went on to study at University of Salford. Here I joined the University Chamber Orchestra, relishing the baroque bassoon and horn parts (all played on a Bb/F trombone) that the repertoire required.

During my undergraduate years I joined the Eccles Borough Band under conductor Graham Smith in the Fourth Section. I played consistently with the band during the three years of my Electrical and Electronic Engineering course at Salford including their winning of the Fourth Section Area in Blackpool. Unfortunately I graduated and left the band before being able to take part in their performance at the Finals in London and subsequent promotion into the Third Section.

I also joined the Salford Youth Swing Band playing alongside members who were studying at University College Salford on the Band Musicianship course. This led to a number of contacts being made at the college and, as I had built up a reputation as a competent sight reader, was asked to play for the Adelphi Brass Band of the college on a couple of occasions. This also led to my playing with the BBC Big Band Competition winning UCS Big Band for a time, including their highly professional week's 'tour' of Crete. This included a concert broadcast by the local television company, and generally the standard of playing was extremely high.

1993

I returned to the Midlands having graduated from the University of Salford and I joined the Stourport-on-Severn Brass Band on principle trombone under Colin Farlow. I continued to play with the band until March 1998, having achieved success with the band as a soloist at contests such as Wychavon Festival of Brass as well as featuring regularly in their concert programmes. I was also appointed Assistant Conductor, after Colin left to concentrate on other musical interests such as the North Worcestershire Youth Brass Band, and David Bishop-Rowe took over. In this role I rehearsed the band over the summer break period for several seasons and led the band at a number of summer engagements. I also setup the Stourport Band website as well as inventing the Teletubas characters and creating the Pi**ed Up! story and images.

I also developed the jazz side of my playing joining the VIP Bigband, based in Bromsgrove and playing with the Archdale Bigband, also of Bromsgrove for a number of months. I also played for several months with the Worcester Jazz Orchestra on bass guitar until other commitments got in the way. My jazz experience was influenced the greatest during a six month period with the Midland Youth Jazz Orchestra (MYJO) in the Band 2 trombone section, although I did play with Band 1 as a dep. for a couple of rehearsals too. Unfortunately other commitments prevented me from taking part for longer.

1998

I joined Arrow Valley Brass Band on second trombone, moving up to the principal trombone position in 2000 after a reshuffle of the section. I held this position until formally leaving the band to concentrate on my jazz playing in late 2002, having played at the finals of the Third Section at Torquay in 2002 after the band gained promotion to the Second Section with a third place at the Area Contest in Burton-On-Trent under the baton of Andy Culshaw. As a member of the band I also formed, played with and directed the Arrow Valley Brass Quintet which performed at the Worcester Competitive Festival in March 1999, along with a number of other engagements. I also took over and directed the Arrow Valley 'B' Band for beginners for over two years between 2000 and 2002.

Other bands I have been privileged to play with as a 'dep' include Woolley Pritchard Sovereign Brass, The Staffordshire Band, Shirley Band, City of Birmingham Brass Band, Bedworth Brass, Filton Silver, Avonbank (Evesham), Stourport-On-Severn Brass Band, Malvern Brass Band and Cantium Brass

2002 - Present

Since December 2002 I have been a member of the Johnny Everett Red Dragon Jazzmen. This is a 'trad' and dixie jazz band with a line up consisting of trumpet, trombone, clarinet, banjo, bass (string or tuba) and drums, and featuring a vocalist on some items. The band formed at that time after drummer Graham Smith decided to hand over the trad lineup of his Jazz Allsorts band to John, a professional musician who has just celebrated 50 years in the business. I had already played a number of times with the trad lineup of the Jazz Allsorts, after being invited to their gigs in Henley and encouraged by Graham, also a percussionist for Arrow Valley Band at the time. I was pleased to take over the trombone position with the new Red Dragon Jazzmen after the original player stood down due to poor health.

Our set is entirely improvised without the aid of written music at all, and includes popular standards such as Panama Rag, Shine, Indiana, Everybody Loves My Baby, Apex Blues, High Society, Georgia on my Mind, Royal Garden Blues and many many more. We have two residencies at the White Swan in Henley-In-Arden, and one at the Navigation Inn in Wooton Wawen each month. We get regular invitations to play at the various jazz clubs in the Midlands including Tamworth Jazz at The Globe, Burton Jazz club, Solihull British legion and The Swan at Chaddesley Corbett, and often take on other private and public events.

I am pleased to be asked to play with a number of other Midlands jazz bands from time to time (often with trumpeter John Everett) including the Eagle Jazz Band and the Five Towns Footwarmers.

Finally I like to include pit orchestra work in my musical activities, for local amateur operatics societies, schools or colleges. Previous bookings include shows for: the Bromsgrove, Alcester and Solihull Amateur Dramatics and Choral Societies; Stourport High, North Bromsgrove High and Wolverley High School productions; and the last few annual productions at Thomas Telford School.

I am always keen to help out local bands at engagements, so if you need a trombonist then please get in touch and I will do my best to help, depending of course on other commitments