Trixi Field
Jazz singer, composer, educator
I was one of those lucky individuals that grew up surrounded by music, spending most of my spare time in childhood making music together with my siblings. Trained originally in classical piano, I was something of a rebellious little elf. I drove my piano teachers crazy, never sticking to the printed music, memorizing everything as soon as possible and then developing my own version.
As a teenager I sang a lot, in choirs and as a soloist, singing pop, country, blues and some standards I'd hear on the radio. I did the rounds of summer festivals, parties, care homes and functions in and around the county of Cheshire, with my brother Hans. Some years later, Hans rang me to say he was in a jazz trio, and did I want to sing with them? I'd never sung jazz before so I got my hands on as many recordings as I could: Ella, Billie, Dee Dee, Betty Carter, Astrud Gilberto, Blossom Dearie, Norma Winstone, Lee Gibson to name but a small handful that attracted my attention. These wonderful individuals opened the way to a whole new world of possibilities.
Our first little gig was a great success. We filled a hall and the seeds of my career as a singer and musician were sown. Hans and I have since gone our separate ways and developed differently, but it was this experience that first helped me to discover and delight in the repertoire available to the jazz singer. I am unashamedly fond of songs and I love that exciting moment when another one makes my spine tingle, and I know I just have to add it to my playlist.
I took up writing my own songs again (tunes and lyrics) in 1997 and tried them out in my first quasi-solo gig in front of an international audience in a number of venues in Munich, organised (and sometimes accompanied) by Hans, who had moved there some years before. The performances went down well and I took this to be a strong sign to take the plunge, give up the day job and go professional.
In 2001 I decided to go back to school and joined Trinity College of Music in London for a year's voice training with Trudy Kerr and Anton Browne, jazz piano with Nick Weldon and composition with John A Thomas. At that time, my compositions also started to reach a wider audience. I wrote music for the "Revoice Studio" game on the DreamWorks "Shrek" DVD released in November 2001. It was also included on the American edition of Newline Cinema's "Goldmember", "Stuart Little", Bare Naked Ladies, Girls Aloud CD and the CD Roms Videohit I, II and Movie-Karaoke "American Pie" (US only). My children's songs "Blue Brother Jake" and "Mobile Phone Boogie" were included in the prestigious Festival of Voices, and performed at Dorchester Abbey and Wembley Arena by massed children's voices in front of audiences of around 2000. I received certificates of honour in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition for my songs "Chance" and "Harry's Waterside Bar" from my album "Green".
I've had the privilege or working with some wonderful musicians including Steve Waterman, Dave Cliff, Dominic Ashworth, Lee Gibson, Trudy Kerr, Anita Wardell, Paul Moylan and Charles Brereton amongst others.
Since 2013 I've lived in North Shropshire where I have a buoyant teaching practice, have been the pianist with Tribeca jazz ensemble, baritone (and sometimes bass) ukulelist with The (former) Ukey Monster as well as playing my own solo piano/vocal gigs, or accompanying other singers. As of 2023 I am part of a 2-woman combo "Shantoosie Tootie", performing songs and jazz numbers from around the world with trumpeter/cornettist/vocalist Becky Cooper. The wonderful meres and mosses in this lovely part of the world have been the inspiration for my piano suite "Songs of the Meres", and suite for clarinet & piano "Trees".
It is a great privilege to live in such a beautiful rural area that is just overflowing with enormous talent in all kinds of creative spheres, which means there is a good supply of high-quality music/arts festivals going on all year round. It's an inspiring environment in which to live and work!
I taught classical piano from1983 to around 1988, resumed teaching (jazz & largely non-classical) piano in 1998 and began teaching jazz voice in 1999, rapidly building a healthy practice. Now I teach piano, voice, composition, tenor, & bass baritone ukulele, composition, song and lyric writing and offer support for students taking GCSE and A-level music, and for jazz singers who can sing well, but are still honing the skill of leading a combo and developing repertoire. Whilst I was living in the Oxford area I was a member of the Oxford School of Music. "Enjoy Making Music" is my current private teaching practice.
I have worked on numerous occasions as a voice workshop facilitator for the Skyros company on the beautiful Greek island of Skyros, where I have also performed a mixture of my own songs and standards. In addition, I spent a season as Musical Director for the Oxford-based Musical Youth Company and have also worked for Liberato on the Greek island of Agistri, for Yoga Plus on Crete, and for Cortijo Romero in Spain. Additionally I have facilitated a music group for Herts MIND Network. Now I offer independent Singing /Song Meditation and Yoga workshops on Agistri. In the UK too I organise and run workshops for people of all ages.
As a result of my experience as a workshop leader I have written a number of materials for groups of singers/choirs/schools. My songs have been used for the OUP's "Junior Voiceworks" and the "Sing-Up" Songbank. My book of children's songs "Jazzicle Pops!" is available from http://www.lulu.com/TrixiField Amazon and other online bookstores. In amongst the work I have written / composed are the following: "Your Song, Your Joy", "Twenty Totally Tootable Tunes" for descant recorder, books of rounds and chants ("Blues All Round" and "Harmonic Echoes"), and a classical crossover piano suite "Songs of the Meres inspired by the beautiful North Shropshire meres and mosses where I live. This should soon be available on CD or as a download. A second book of "Twenty Totally Tootable Tunes" and a third book of rounds and chants "Harmonic Circles" are currently in the making. For more information please contact me on trixi.field.music@gmail.com .
Links to some of the books currently available:
http://www.lulu.com/shop/trixi-field/your-song-your-joy/ebook/product-17557077.html
http://www.lulu.com/shop/trixi-field/your-song-your-joy/paperback/product-4592099.html
http://www.lulu.com/shop/trixi-field/jazzicle-pops/paperback/product-3509560.html
http://www.lulu.com/shop/trixi-field/twenty-totally-tootable-tunes/paperback/product-12678249.html
http://www.lulu.com/shop/trixi-field/harmonic-echoes/paperback/product-4592127.html
http://www.lulu.com/shop/trixi-field/blues-all-round/paperback/product-2676196.html