Q: James, how would you describe the sound of your musical instrument: the bass clarinet?
A: Chocolatey, resonant and woody.
Q: If your instrument was an animal, what would it be?
A: A panther, it’s got a solidity and weight to it but it’s also graceful.
Q: What age were you when you started playing your instrument?
A: I was 8 years old when I started playing the clarinet.
Q: What do you like most about the bass clarinet?
A: I love the sound it makes.
Q: What’s the thing you find most annoying about your instrument?
A: It’s so big!
Q: Do you play any other musical instruments?
A: I play saxophones as well as clarinets
Q: What is your earliest musical memory?
A: Listening to my dad’s jazz records sitting on the carpet in front of the speakers in the living room.
Q: How much time to you spend practising?
A: I try and practice for at least 1 hour every day
Q: Outside of music, name one thing that you are really excellent at and one thing that you are really rubbish at!
A: I’m good at cooking and rubbish at organising my life.
Q: Have you ever performed for anyone really famous?
A: I have performed with the Britpop superstar Jarvis Cocker and with the famous jazz-pop singer Jamie Cullum.
Q: What groups do you perform with and what sort of music do you usually play?
A: I have my own band called The Golden Age of Steam but I also play in lots of different jazz groups.
Q: What’s the coolest place you’ve performed in?
A: I’ve performed in a Roman amphitheatre!
Still curious about the bass clarinet?
Have a look at this video which tells you all about this fascinating, gentle giant:
James will be performing in Wires, Stings & Other Things, Music Network and The Ark’s new music show for ages 6+ composed by Brian Irvine and directed by Wouter Van Looy. Wires, Strings & Other Things will be at The Ark and on tour nationwide from 5 February – 3 April 2022. To find out more and to book, see musicnetwork.ie or ark.ie.