S K Music Matters

S K Music Matters: Music Performance,Tuition and Transcription Service

S K Music Music Matters offers a professional service in music performance, music tuition and music transcription based in West Lothian.

Performance

Professional trumpet and flugel horn player who can provide specialist performances for wedding services and corporate functions. These can be solo or as part of a band. I perform regularly with various bands in a variety of settings, on a freelance basis, as well as for shows. These include Soul Inferno, The Soul Foundation, The Retrophones and Kingdom Brass.

https://www.facebook.com/soulinferno/

https://www.facebook.com/thesoulfoundationTSF/

https://www.facebook.com/TheRetrophones/

https://www.facebook.com/KingdomBrass/

Tuition

Professional tuition on all brass instruments from beginner to advanced level, as well as basic piano tuition. Lessons are offered to both children and adults in their own homes within central Scotland. Instruments offered: Brass:Trumpet, Cornet, Flugel Horn, Tenor Horn, French Horn,Trombone, Baritone, Euphonium and Tuba. Piano.

https://www.facebook.com/SKMusicMatters

Music Transcription

Transcription of parts from songs (original or otherwise) using a recording, to create a piece of sheet music, specialising in brass and wind instruments. It is a bespoke service which can be adapted to suit your needs and to fit with your own personal song stucture. I use professional notation software to ensure clear and legible parts.This service may be useful to people who run a band or are interested in writing horn parts for their music, but are not necessarily players themselves. They may be singers, guitarists, percussionists, players of other instruments, and may lack formal music training or knowledge of brass instruments, but not necessarily. This service may be of particular interest to people/agents who run busy function bands who either get horn players in for occasional gigs or need parts for session musicians who come in to cover for current players who are unavailable. Time could be saved at rehearsals,by not having to spend time explaining how riffs go, allowing players to just come in and read from the music.

I also arrange pieces for youth ensembles.

See music transcription page for more information

Sarah K Findlay BA(Hons): Proprietor

Sarah started playing the cornet at the age of 10. She had a keen interest in music and performing throughout her school years where she also played the piano. Her passion for music continued throughout her career.

Between 1997 and 1999 she studied trumpet at the RSAMD (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) with Nigel Boddice. During this time she played with the Johnstone Silver Band, Scottish Youth Jazz Orchestra and Strathclyde University Big Band. Sarah went on to study at the University of Salford in 2001 and graduated in 2003 with a BA(Hons) Band Musicianship. During her studies she played with the Besses O’ th Barn band, competing at the National Brass Band Championships, British Open, English Masters and Brass in Concert. In her final year, she had a placement with the Northern Chamber Orchestra.

Sarah moved back to Scotland in 2003 and worked as a brass instructor for South Lanarkshire Council. She played principal cornet with the Johnstone Silver Band and conducted Newland Junior Band and then Clydebank Burgh Youth Band. She played trumpet for the Yellow Bentines between 2005 and 2009, performing at various gigs and festivals including supporting bands such as the Artic Monkeys, going back to record in 2011. In 2007, she became part of the band Soul-Fi which went on to become a function band called The Stereobeats, performing many successful events. Sarah went on to play flugel horn for the Bo'ness and Carriden Band and then cornet with the Kirkintilloch Band, where she also tutored at the youth band and played at all the major contests. Sarah started playing for Kingdom Brass in 2010 and currently plays flugel horn. In 2011 Sarah was appointed as ‘Head of New Start Development’ within the Kingdom Brass Youth Initiative and returned as the conductor of Newland Junior Band, Bathgate in 2012 She was the Regional Development Officer for the Lothians region with the Scottish Brass Band Association and went on to conduct the Shotts Development Band from their formation in 2013. Between 2014 and 2016, Sarah played trumpet with The Soul Foundation motown band, performing at various gigs and events. While there, she wrote and transcribed many trumpet parts onto sheet music for the band. She worked with Oi Musica this year on their Brass Blast project, which teaches children to play trumpet and trombone in a street band style

Sarah currently plays trumpet and flugel horn on a regular basis, performing regularly on a freelance basis at many gigs,shows, weddings and corporate events. She also regularly transribes horn parts to sheet music when learning new songs and for use by dep players. She currently works as a brass instructor on the "Sounds Like Friday Project" for Edinburgh City Council, teaching groups of primary school pupils in trumpet and french horn, as well as with individual pupils of all ages and levels, on brass and piano in their homes.