I find most of what I do comes down to nostalgia really. People hear a familiar song and something shifts. Not always in a big dramatic way, sometimes it's just a smile, a change in expression, or a moment where someone quietly joins in

In care homes especially the atmosphere will always feel familiar to me and even though every room is different there will always be a mix of responses. Some residents sing straight away, some dance, some tap their hands or feet, and some just listen quietly, while a few others may drift in and out of the residents' lounge. But there are always moments when a familiar song lands properly and you can feel the recognition in the room. It might be something from the 40s or 50s or 60s or 70's or beyond! (it depends on the group) and it’s not about performing at anyone but rather like sharing something that’s already there and I just enable it to come into the room.

Private events have a slightly different feel, but the idea behind it is still the same. Birthdays, anniversaries, small family gatherings, it's about creating a feeling in the room rather than putting on a show. Sometimes there are specific songs people want, sometimes it’s just about having live music that everyone can relax into together.

I’m based in Guildford and most of my work is across Surrey. I travel into nearby areas when bookings come in, but it never really feels like I’m moving between different places. The settings change but the feeling in the room stays familiar, with the same kind of atmosphere, just different faces. When I do travel a bit further, it’s usually into surrounding places like Horsham, Haywards Heath, Windsor, Reading, Sevenoaks, or Tunbridge Wells but again, it never feels like a shift in what I’m doing! It’s still the same kind of moment, just in a different setting.

What ties it all together for me is how familiar music sits in people. You don’t really need to explain it or overthink it. It just arrives, and people respond to it in their own way, depending on what it brings back for them. That’s probably the simplest way to describe it, live music built around familiarity, and the moments that come with that.