Andrew’s thoughts on The Staves, The Swan and Star Wars

Ballymoney man Andrew Robinson is a special needs teacher, musician and musical director.

Involved with his church music team, Andrew is also currently the Musical Director for Portrush Community Choir and is heavily involved with local amateur musical theatre having worked with Ballywillan Drama Group, Portrush Music Society, Belfast Operatic Company, Fortwilliam Musical Society and St Agnes’ Choral Society to name a few.

Q. What is your favourite song/album and why?

A. I always struggle with choosing favourites as I could pick so many. One album I keep returning to would be ‘Dead & Born & Grown’ by The Staves. It is made up of three sisters who create these rich, layered and beautiful songs. I have seen them a few times live, including at Bushmills Distillery and they are captivating while performing.

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I think artists who can create intimate and magical movements without needing a huge amount of production value win it for me. Ed Sheeran would be similar.

If I could sneak another album in Will Reagan & United Pursuits “Live at the Banks House’ is one of those albums that has transformed how I worship and approach leading music in a church setting (and probably in many other music outputs).

Q. What is your favourite film and why?

A. I love going to the cinema and being transported out of my own world into somewhere different. I am a big fan of Disney and Pixar and Inside Out is one of my favourites. Favourite movie of all time would have to be something like Good Will Hunting. The scene between Robin Williams and Matt Damon where Robin’s character Sean tells Matt’s character Will about his wife farting in bed (which I believe was improvised) is something special.

Sean says: “We get to choose who we get to let into our weird little worlds” and I walked away from watching that movie with a better sense of the person I wanted to be and those I would share it with.

Q. What is your favourite piece of classical music and why?

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A. ‘The Swan’ from the Carnival of the Animals. Sheku Kanneh-Mason’s, who was the first black musician to win BBC Young Musician of the year in 2016, version with CBSO Cellos is well worth a listen. I have always found music that I can close my eyes too and it transports me to a different place to be my favourite.

The Planets Suite by Holst would be another favourite. My favourite piece of classical music to play would be Clair De Lune by Debussy - that piece is just a joy to play – even as badly as I do it.

Q. Who is your favourite artist and why?

A. A local artist who I would love to have one of their pieces of work for my home would be Kathryn Callaghan. She has a hare on her Instagram page that just looks like it’s ready to jump out of the page at you.

Another, because I can never pick one, is Vincent Van Gogh. Mostly because I use his work as part of my teaching. Most people would recognise Starry Night and his self-portrait, but he created all this wonderful landscape paintings and it’s been great fun working with the pupils in my class creating our own using Van Gogh as our inspiration.

Q. What is your favourite musical and why?

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A. I’ve listened, watched and performed so many that it is hard to just pick one all-time favourite. Two popular shows at the moment I think people should take notice of are Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen.

Hamilton brings a whole new style into the musical theatre world and the impact it has had in engaging people and educating people is phenomenal.

Dear Evan Hansen has a simplicity and rawness about it that has trigger a movement in itself. The arts have the ability to challenge the social norms and transform a person or societies thinking and I think that is the true gift a piece of art can do.

Q. What is your most special moment in the arts and why?

A. I have had some truly amazing special moments with the opportunities I’ve been given. I had the privilage of being Musical Director for the production of ‘Company’ in the Grand Opera House in 2019. It was a joy to conduct this show.

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The ones that I valued the most were the ones I did with friends. ‘Just Tea and Friends’ performed the All Ireland premier of ‘Ordinary Days’ by Adam Gwon in a site-specific theatre ‘Hope and Gloria’ in Coleraine back in 2013.

It was such a challenge to completely clear a shop and build a theatre each performance, to then return it back to a shop before the next day, but it was a fantastic opportunity and I am so thankful to have shared that with my friends. We keep talking about doing another show together which really excites me – maybe 2021 will be the year.

Q. What ‘classic’ just doesn’t do it for you?

A. I wasn’t a big fan of Jane Eyre when I read it as a teenager. I found it rather hard to relate to anything that was happening, and it wasn’t my type of genre that I would normally have read. The National Theatre at Home have been putting shows online throughout lockdown and they showed their version of Jane Eyre from 2017. It felt like a completely different story from when I read it as a teenager. So, the book didn’t captivate me, but the play was a winner.

Q. What do you plan to read/watch/listen to/revisit during the Coronavirus period?

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A. I have already revisited ‘His Dark Materials’ which was a favourite from my childhood, and I was gifted a wonderful copy for Christmas. I’ve always enjoyed reading fantasy and I might revisit some of the trilogies that Trudi Canavan has written.

I have been watching the Marvel and Star Wars series in chronological order which has been great (maybe minus episode 1-3 of Star Wars).

I’m trying to listen to new musicals and one I am finding intriguing at moment is Tarrytown by Adam Wachter. I’m also reading Brené Brown’s ‘Dare to Lead’.

With everything that is happening in the world right now I think it is important to strive to learn and grow and I’ve been enjoying, though challenged by, Brené’s approach to having those tough conversations with yourself and others.