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MYKLscape

As well as performing on national television and radio he has given solo recitals at prestigious venues such as the Cathedrals in Rheims (France), Canterbury and Ely, the Archbishop’s Palace and the French Palais du Tau. Mykl has played for guitar societies as well as festivals, including: St. Gilgen Summer Festival (Austria); Aberystwyth Music Fest (Wales); Canterbury Festival; Sounds New (in which he also appeared as Composer-in-Residence)
Walthamstow Village Festival.

Mykl won the Canterbury Festival Composer’s Prize 2001. During his postgraduate performance studies he was awarded the Larissa Lovelock Memorial Scholarship.

He used to give recitals for the charity organisation Music in Hospitals but now mainly works with Heledd Francis, a talented flautist. Click here to visit their website.

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  • At an early age Mykl showed an affinity with animals, keeping a variety of pets from guinea pigs to mosquitoes. He used to frighten his mother with a large, hairy, rubber spider until she threw it away.
    
    By the age of five hed given up his ambition of being John Wayne.
    By ten he'd decided not to be an astronaut, fireman, policeman or stuntman.
    
    At sixteen he got a guitar and gave up ideas of being a graphic designer. After doing a fairly bad job of teaching himself to play, Mykl searched for teachers able to cope with his argumentative and facetious ways.
    
    At twenty Mykl gave up the idea of being a Heavy Metal guitar god.
    At the age of twenty-two he lost interest in becoming the first non-corrupt politician and being the first Prime Minister to do a good job of running the country, however, he's still considering becoming a delegate for the Monster-Raving-Loony Party.
    
    Mykl now spends a lot of time shut in a room with only rats for company. He considered getting a life but after observing how much hassle they cause others, he decided not to bother.

for more (irrelevant) information about Mykl

Scroll down to search by track name or click here to search by composer's name. Click on the play arrow to hear the sample. Unfrtunately it only works in Firefox at present. There is distortion at the beginning of each sample due to a problem with the web code, not the recordings. When I find solutions I will rectify these issues.

Attack Of The Amoebas - Sarah Chandler


Child With Chainsaw - Mykl

This second Chainsaw Piece took inspiration from being kept awake by the screams of a schizophrenic plagued with horrific hallucinations too nasty to mention, except from the one of a child with a chainsaw standing next to him.

La Catedral - Agustin Barrios

1: Preludio 'Saudade'

2: Andante religioso

3: Allegro solemne

Cinq Preludes - Heitor Villa-Lobos

1: Homage to the Brazilian country dweller
2: Melodia Capadocia
3: Homage to Bach
4: Homage to the Brazilian Indians
5: Homage to social life

Czech Folk Suite (arr. Mykl)

1: Pod Nasima Okny
2: Stoji Jano
3: Kdyby Ne Tak Pan Buh Pral

Elena's Tsifteteli - Evangelis Boudounis


Esztergomia - Edmund Jurkowski


FeMalAddiction - Mykl


Fur Elise - Ludwig Van Beethoven


Grand Solo (Sonata in D) - Fernando Sor


Images - Mykl

A hundred years ago a group of explorers set sail to a distant land to find the 'valley of Myths' to prove the terrifying stories are false. Upon arrival they discover the stories are not exaggarated...
1: Trepidation
2: Image #1: Voyage Across A Calm Sea
3: Image #2: Approach And Passage Into The Valley Of Myths

Mallorca - Isaac Albeniz


Maria Luisa - Antonio Lauro

Lauro remarked to one of his students that he was writing a waltz dedicated to his wife and said it 'is as difficult as she is'.

Maria Luisa - Julio Sagreras

This is not the same piece as the above!

Mallorca - Isaac Albeniz


The Miller's Dance - Manuel de Falla (arr. Mykl)


Nocturnal - Benjamin Britten

1: Musingly
2: Very Agitated
3: Restless
4: Uneasy
5: March-Like
6: Dreaming
7: Gently Rocking
8: Passacaglia

One Man And His Log - Mykl

I received musical inspiration early one bright, sunny spring morn as I awoke to the lilting sounds of a man brutally hacking a tree to death with a chainsaw. This piece develops the pitches I heard coming from the murder weapon.

Rondo in A Minor - Dionisio Aguado


Six Variations On 'I Bin A Kohlbauern Bub' (variation 4) - Mauro Giuliani

This is taken from Giuliani's very flashy set of variations on an old Austrian folk song about a cabbage farmer.

Smooch And Histrionics - Ethan Lewis Maltby


Soleares (Trad.)

I've always loved the rawness and flashiness of flamenco. Here is a recording of the oldest of flamenco dance forms.

Two Pieces About Chainsaws - Mykl

I received musical inspiration early one bright, sunny spring morn as I awoke to the lilting sounds of a man brutally hacking a tree to death with a chainsaw. This piece develops the pitches I heard coming from the murder weapon.
The second Chainsaw Piece took inspiration from being kept awake by the screams of a schizophrenic plagued with horrific hallucinations too nasty to mention, except from the one of a child with a chainsaw standing next to him.

One Man And His Log
Child With Chainsaw

Usher (Vals) - Nikita Koshkin


Vals Venezolano No.2 - Antonio Lauro


Composers

Nocturnal 1: Musingly
Nocturnal 2: Very Agitated
Nocturnal 3: Restless
Nocturnal 4: Uneasy
Nocturnal 5: March-Like
Nocturnal 6: Dreaming
Nocturnal 7: Gently Rocking
Nocturnal 8: Passacaglia

Chandler (Sarah)

Attack Of The Amoebas

de Falla (Manuel)

The Miller's Dance

Giuliani (Mauro)

Six Variations On 'I Bin A Kohlbauern Bub' (variation 4)>/h4>

Hunt (Oliver)

The Barber of Baghdad

Jurkowski (Edmund)

Esztergomia

Kemp (Robin)

M.B.G

Koshkin (Nikita)

Usher (Vals)

Lauro (Antonio)

Vals Venezolano
Maria Luisa

Maltby (Ethan Lewis)

Smooch And Histrionics

Mykl

Child With Chainsaw
FeMalAddiction
Image #1: Voyage Across A Calm Sea
Image #2: Approach And PAssage Into The Valley Of Myths
One Man And His Log
Soggy Biscuits

Sagreras (Julio)

Maria Luisa

Sor (Fernando)

Grand Solo (Sonata in D

Villa-Lobos (Heitor)

Prelude 1: Homage to the Brazilian country dweller
Prelude 2: Melodia Capadocia
Prelude 3: Homage to Bach
Prelude 4: Homage to the Brazilian Indians
Prelude 5: Homage to social life

Viozzi (Giulio)

Sonata

Yocoh (Yuquijiro)

Sakura

Search by track name or search by composer's name

Mykl after a show in Feldkirch, Austria

It was about minus five degrees for this concert. When I was onstage I wore three pairs of socks, trousers, two T-shirts, a jumper, a scarf and a full-length coat with the tails wrapped over my thighs. Whenever I was backstage I added two pairs of gloves and shadow-boxed to keep the blood moving.

Mykl in Rheims Cathedral, France

It was also cold here but only about zero degrees.

Mykl in St.Gilgen, Austria

Mykl and the Bedford Handbell Ensemble

Seriously FAST playing

Mykl with Chiang Shu-Ching playing a concert of music inspired by the sea.

Stretch

Mykl with Raymond

I didn't name him. His father (Mr. Frith) did that.

Crouching on water.

Photo by Ian Taylor

Where's Mykl?

Photo by Ian Taylor

All that practise gives Mykl Immense Powers of Concentration.

Mykl -M.Mus., BA(Hons)- has been teaching guitar, clarinet and saxophone since 1996, working with every age from 5yrs to 70yrs privately and in secondary schools as well as at Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury. For several years he taught guitar in a special needs school but now teaches at Simon Langton Grammer School for Boys in Canterbury. For his degree thesis he researched guitar techniques and explored physiology, Alexander technique, sports and martial arts training and rehabilitation methods to develop a more efficient, injury-free technique, which he passes on to all students so they can develop speed and stamina while avoiding repetitive strain injuries and unlock potential as quickly as possible while developing habits that will allow them to play for a lifetime. He has also studied how acoustic guitars are designed to work so he can pass on the knowledge of how to get the most out of them by making a richer, more powerful sound.

As Mykl understands that not everyone learns everything as fast as everyone else he is a patient teacher who has experienced the problems and frustrations of learning an instrument. Because not everyone experiences the same difficulties he sometimes devises exercise unique to each student to tackle a specific need. Some of these exerises can be done without a guitar, meaning you can make progress while waiting for the kettle to boil, out for a walk, waiting for the adverts to end or even when stuck in traffic.

Although many students don't wish to learn theory Mykl is happy to teach it to any level using a logical plan that ensures anyone can master it.

Mykl has done a great deal of performance as a solo classical guitarist at home and abroad and received a distinction in his Master's Degree performance exams but also studied composition during his degree.

Originally he started out playing lead guitar in heavy metal bands and also has experience playing blues and jazz so is equally at home teaching all common guitar styles.

Contact Mykl to enquire about or book lessons.

E-Mail Mykl

Classical

Hitchin Music Matters, Hertfordshire. Live concerts by established, aspiring professional and young musicians (and more)

Real UK Music, Information about concerts, news and reviews.

Richard Durrant, a concert guitarist well respected in both classical and folk circles.

Non-Musical

MYKLscape, a site dedicated to displaying Mykl's photography - from tiny bugs to beautiful scenes to bizarre things that caught his eye.

CSS Play, a great source of ideas for web designers.