The Bradford Digital Creatives team, based at National Science and Media Museum, asked about my career, my time with the Bradford Digital Creatives project in 2025, and why I believe digital arts can change young people’s lives.
Q: What first drew you into a career in digital arts?
A: It was necessity and curiosity that led me here. In my late 20s, I was dealing with severe back trouble , laid up and living in a double decker bus. To keep myself going I decided to teach myself two things I thought I couldn’t do: draw and read musical notation/play piano. I couldn’t sit at a piano to learn. Instead, I got hold of a second-hand retro synth and began experimenting. I taught myself to read music, play keyboard and understand synthesis. I started to intuitively explore timbre, melody, harmony, scales and frequencies and began making ambient electronic music. It became my voice when I was otherwise isolated, and I was hooked from then on! I didn’t consider myself ‘musical’ in school, so I credit the accessibility of digital technologies as key to me finding my happy place in the magic of music and the power of sound.
Q: What’s been the most rewarding part of working on the Bradford Digital Creatives project so far?
A: Working with the students has been amazing. They have so much of value to say and seemed to really enjoy the relative freedom to express their views on their own terms. Once they had learned how to use the tech and techniques I introduced them to, it was wonderful to support them to express their humanity via the technology.
Q: Why do you think it’s important for students to participate in arts and culture activities like this?
A: I think it’s important for many reasons. Firstly, it shows them that there’s a career path in music, sound, and art beyond the conventional “fame game”. They see that it’s possible to carve out a rewarding career in music and sound even if you didn’t do it at school. Secondly, hands-on experience with tools like DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) builds not just technical skills but creative confidence and collaboration skills. And finally, projects like this allow young people to express themselves and be heard on their own terms. That sense of agency and belonging is invaluable — something they can carry with them into all areas of life.
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