Chatterbox with Mel Biggs

As a player of an instrument, have you ever thought to take musical inspiration from another? How would you go about doing that? Do beards make you a better bird watcher? How does Rapper dance culture differ from the rest of the Morris/English folk dance world? These questions and more covered in this month's episode! Will Allen is an English melodeon, fiddle, and banjo player. Having gained quite...

How does one dance and play at the same time with a 6kg instrument strapped to them? How many jobs can one switch with Tim Van Eyken? Why should everyone try Morris dancing at least once in their lifetime? And how do you leave a job with AstraZeneca in a blaze of glory to become a full-time musician? ... this, and many more questions answered in this month's Very Lovely Chat! Saul Rose is an Engli...

Have you ever considered what it's like to grow up as a woman on the English folk scene? How can you evolve as an artist and learn to own your artistic voice? How can we collectively empower other women and young girls to take up leading roles in creative careers? And why are good reels so hard to find for the melodeon?! My guest this month is singer, songwriter and multi instrumentalist Hazel Ask...

Did you know that silent movies are still a thing? And who knew that diatonic accordion works so well in Baroque music?! And what's this about a Belgian footbass? Benjamin Macke is a French accordionist, composer, teacher and Belgian basse au pied revivalist living in Belgium. His musical style is rather blended, having started out as a classical percussionist, jazz drummer and trombonist, he play...

Ever wondered what the record is for how many tunes someone can compose in a day?! Well, I'm not sure of the official answer to that, but I'm sure Toon could give the winner a run for their money! His iconic melodies have travelled far and wide across the Euro-dance music scene over the last two decades and more. Toon Van Mierlo is a Belgian musician of many talents including diatonic accordion, b...

Everyone has a comfort zone - even the multi-talented musicians who you might assume are impervious to such things. How can we challenge ourselves to overcome our uncertainties and nervousness to take a risk and break free of the pigeon holes we put ourselves in? Are you motivated by feeling the joy music brings to others? Pascale Rubens is a composer, singer, teacher and diatonic accordionist bes...

What makes a hard-working, award-winning melodeon legend? How do you turn a terrible idea into a musical triumph without falling out with other people? And what's the strategy for remembering SEVEN current repertoires at once?! Andy Cutting is an internationally renknowned diatonic accordion player from England. He works extensively across genres (and borders) in duos, trios and bigger line ups as...

How do you categorise a musician who works extensively across genres? Are labels a help or a hindrance to artists? What are the benefits of teaching & learning an instrument from a multi-genre perspective?    Anne Niepold is a musician, composer, teacher and diatonic accordionist. Born in Germany, living in Belgium, she cultivates multi instrumental projects across the worlds of folk, jazz, mu...

How do you adjust to parenting life when you're a busy touring musician? What's up with the way the music industry works these days? And why might daytime festivals be the way forward? #DaytimeBonfireFest Hartwin Dhoore is an award winning composer and diatonic accordionist from Flanders, Belgium. This month, Mel chats with him about his strengths & vulnerabilities in tune writing, c...

Do "the rules" apply when it comes to making folk music? How do different brains interpret melody and harmony? And why has TV show Friends got anything to do with this?! Lucas Thébaut is a diatonic accordion player, tutor, and balfolk dancer hailing from the Poitou region of France. This month, he joins Mel to chat about his approach to teaching as a conservatoire trained musician and fo...

To mark the start of my second decade being a full-time professional folk musician, in January 2024 I'm starting a podcast! Each month, I will be chatting with my guest about where they started out, the breakthroughs on their own learning journey, and sharing our approaches to teaching. I have a stellar list of folk musician guests lined up for Season 1 of Chatterbox with some of the finest d...