Biography - the short version. If you would like the novel, go to My Jazz Violin Story!
Emma was born in 1973 and grew up in the newtown of Peterlee, with her parents Tom; a teacher, gardener and pipe-smoker from Southmoor, and Dieuwertje from the seaside village of Noordwijk in the Netherlands. They met in a youth hostel in London in case you're wondering. Also big brother Thomas, a guitarist, model-builder, and original thinker. Summers were spent in Holland, building sandcastles, riding bikes, listening to grown ups who hadn't seen each other for a year talk alot.
Emma went to the local school where at the age of 9 she was offered free violin lessons with Durham Music Service; a chance that she leapt on.
She worked dutifully through the Grade exams, while at the same time playing jazz, folk and pop music with brother Thomas on the guitar. Emma would join Thomas at his college music nights to play jazz standards,and aged 16 she joined his rock band The Rye and spent the next 10 years touring Britain and Europe in many and varied transit vans.
In 1999 The Rye began to wind down and the time was right to go back to university to do a music degree. Emma spent 4 years at Newcastle University studying classical violin technique, as well as North Indian music, Baroque violin, Free Improvisation, Funk-Fusion and Electro-Acoustic composition. During this time Emma also began playing with Hot Club Quartet Djangologie led by bass player Mick Shoulder. Graduating with a Masters of Music at the age of 30, and toying with the idea of a PhD, Emma decided instead that Gypsy Jazz and having babies was the way to go. Three Djangologie albums and two babies down the way, she has never looked back on either count.
In 2010 Mike Durham invited Emma to play with Keith Nichols' orchestra at The Sage in a concert celebrating the music of British Dance Bands, bringing her into the world of Classic Jazz, which has opened a whole new avenue of opportunities and musical meetings.
"a violinist with a dark rich tone,
a love for melody, and a way of swinging without being syrupy"
Michael Steinman, Jazz Lives
Emma went to the local school where at the age of 9 she was offered free violin lessons with Durham Music Service; a chance that she leapt on.
She worked dutifully through the Grade exams, while at the same time playing jazz, folk and pop music with brother Thomas on the guitar. Emma would join Thomas at his college music nights to play jazz standards,and aged 16 she joined his rock band The Rye and spent the next 10 years touring Britain and Europe in many and varied transit vans.
In 1999 The Rye began to wind down and the time was right to go back to university to do a music degree. Emma spent 4 years at Newcastle University studying classical violin technique, as well as North Indian music, Baroque violin, Free Improvisation, Funk-Fusion and Electro-Acoustic composition. During this time Emma also began playing with Hot Club Quartet Djangologie led by bass player Mick Shoulder. Graduating with a Masters of Music at the age of 30, and toying with the idea of a PhD, Emma decided instead that Gypsy Jazz and having babies was the way to go. Three Djangologie albums and two babies down the way, she has never looked back on either count.
In 2010 Mike Durham invited Emma to play with Keith Nichols' orchestra at The Sage in a concert celebrating the music of British Dance Bands, bringing her into the world of Classic Jazz, which has opened a whole new avenue of opportunities and musical meetings.
"a violinist with a dark rich tone,
a love for melody, and a way of swinging without being syrupy"
Michael Steinman, Jazz Lives
