By Kat Pegler

Reflection blog no.1

I have just arrived back to England after a surreal adventure across the Caribbean, and it seems I have lost the key to my work brain. I’m definitely finding it difficult to return to a life full of deadlines, but thanks to my subconscious, the stress is setting in to get things back in motion.

Luckily I managed to pack some course reading into my backpack, and so at every spare moment, from the base of a volcano to the centre of the jungle, De Bono, Heath and Gladwell were by my side. I actually have to blame Al Reis for the scorpion sting that I received on my groin, as I was so distracted readingPositioning, that I failed to realise I was sharing my bed with the little bastard. 

I have just finished the Lateral Thinking book by Edward de Bono, which was really interesting. To come to the realisation that there is actually more than one way to think, opens up a whole new window of opportunity. It’s strange to think that the answer to an issue can be totally different based on which thinking path you choose to take- I think politicians could benefit a lot from trying this out! 

Reflection blog no.2

After being surrounded by musicians throughout the crazy journey I experienced this summer; I gained a musical itch that needed scratching. I saw the ‘This is Me’ project as an opportunity to take advantage of the holiday blues I have from returning to England, and actually explore and learn the blues.

I love the blues, and the fact that they lay the foundations for most popular songs of today means that there is so much to explore. It is such a well documented genre, thanks to its strong linkage with the development of sound film. This was how I got really interested in old jazz fiction films, because you can see the best jazz and blues singers play. So it is really interesting to trace the evolution of the blues from singers such as Blind Lemon Jefferson to how it unrolled through bands like the Stones. 

Luckily my brother feels the same way about the blues so I have an ally in this project, he’s a wicked self-taught guitarist. I play the piano a bit, but the real pain is that no matter how hard I try, I just can’t read music. For most other genres this is a definite hindrance, but for the blues it is all about the ear, and most importantly, the feel. Improv also plays a big role, as does rhythm, so it’s great to learn some little tricks and then just play what you feel. YouTube has played a huge part in transforming how musicians learn songs and techniques, making playing an instrument accessible to everyone, for the blues it is incredible as you are able to learn from the pros all around the world for free!

As beneficial as this is to learning, to really feel the blues you have to experience it live, and luckily London has one of the most buzzing blues scenes in the world. When you get in the know of the blues jam nights in London, you could find yourself playing every night! It is difficult as I live far away from London at the moment, but I hope to go up and record some sessions soon.