About Michael

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I'm a Geordie musician now living in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. I adventured away off down south for a while, spending 5 years living in East London sandwiched in between my two Northern homes. My partner Nicky and I welcomed our son Bryn to join us, Molly the dog, and Lily the cat in January 2022.

I've spent the best part of 30-odd years in various bands as a bass player, or singer/guitarist. I've also performed numerous times as a solo artist with acoustic guitar and voice, and have sung in several a capella choirs. 

Right now in terms of live music my friend Hutch and I play as a duo, with me on fretless bass playing his most excellent original material - most recently playing at my wedding :)

Over the last 20+ years my work has also been with music. I've worked as a Community Musician with children & young people, adults experiencing mental health difficulties, and Disabled people of all ages. My role here is to facilitate creative music making and song writing activities that are accessible to all -  regardless of musical experience, and or access requirements  (often using Assistive Music Technology).

I currently work as Programme Delivery Manager for Drake Music - an operational and management role for a charity I have worked with for around 16 years in a variety  of roles - delivering music activities / managing projects / fundraising / education work - such as acting as Lead for Internal Quality Assurance for an accessible and accredited music qualification. 

Drake Music is a national music and Disability charity who aim to make music accessible to all, regardless of access requirements. We do this via training for music delivery staff, direct delivery of activities, creation of bespoke instruments or Assistive Music Technology, campaigning to bring the issues around access into view of those in power (e.g. work with the Department of Education), and through paid opportunities for Disabled artists. The Social Model of Disability underpins all of our work.

our own unique patch of sky

This is my debut album. This album is a bit of a smorgasbord of my musical creations. Some of it is very new, and some of it has been honed over a longer time. One song has been at least 21 years in the making :) 

Some of the pieces feature the multiple layered guitars and basses you find in my debut EP, and some of it has bigger arrangements of other instruments, building from the arrangement work on the mdTN EP - my collaboration with Tennessee based artist MNTN. These newer arrangements are only possible because of discovering the joys of a MIDI guitar pick up - it's honestly really opened up a new sonic world to add to my palette! 

I recorded, mixed, and mastered this at home in Hebden Bridge. Mostly what you'll hear is just me, my guitars and basses (and even ukulele!), guitar MIDI pickup magic, and Logic and its drummer - but I'm also blessed with a few people contributing their playing on some of the tracks: 

· Tomer Kat plays drums on tracks 1 & 4.

· Anthony Broadbent plays the acoustic guitar solo on Track 5, 

and the electric guitar solo on track 6. 

· Martin Douglas plays drums on Track 8.

My trusted group of beta testers helped me to get this over the line when I just couldn't listen objectively anymore. Big thanks to Ant, Jo, Hutch, Jacob, Kris, Marc, and Pete for their feedback, which greatly helped me finish the mixes you'll hear. 

The cover of Creep on this album is an officially licensed adaptation for my arrangement - licensed from publishers: Concord Music, and Warner Chappell Music. 

Track 10 - creep is : Written by Colin Greenwood, Jonathan Greenwood, Edward O’Brien, Philip Selway, Thomas Yorke, Albert Hammond, and Mike Hazlewood. Published by Concord Music and Warner Chappell Music. 

This arrangement and performance by michael dollan.