Blast Arts 2008

This week it’s the preparation for North Yorkshire’s biggest music festival: Beached! So, I have got my music hat on ready to report on all things rock and roll! Or folk, country, acoustic, whatever! It’s all exploding together for one big event from the 7th to 10th August 2008.

The recording studios at Beached Academy

I had my BBC Radio York debut on Thursday night’s More Raw Introducing programme with the super duper Matt Seymour. The good thing is that I have kindly been invited to go back and work on the show, despite calling Toby Jepson from Little Angels, Tony during an interview! What Matt doesn't know yet is that I’m going to raid my record collection and invade his playlists, but I’m sure will thank me soon enough.

Beached Academy had me hanging out with top record producers who had worked with The X-Factor and Spice Girls. I really admire people who write music. It was so inspiring to see how much genius and dedication you have to put in to work in that style of business. From writing the lyrics and instrumentals, right down to that last strum or ping at the end of the song that makes it all come together so perfectly.

I have also been down to check out York’s hottest new music venue, The Duchess, where the likes of We Are Scientists are going to be playing soon!

In the meantime I am working on my skills as a theatre critic for the ‘Things That Go Bump’ season at the Stephen Joseph Theatre. Sitting in on rehearsals will give me a real insight to the magic of Sir Alan Ayckbourn’s latest masterpieces. I am looking forward to having a chat to the man himself for my feature on BBC North Yorkshire’s ‘People’ section. Hmm, if only Russell Brand was from here too...

Nadia Emam