Reaching The Crescendo with Ben Mussell

What is it like filming professional wrestling highlights? In this episode, Ben sits down with cinematographer Ash J who went from knowing nothing about cameras to shooting live wrestling events. Ash chats about how he got started, practised and turned a passion for wrestling from a side-hustle to a proper freelance thing. If you’re into filmmaking, content creation, or just love behind-the-scenes...

In this episode Ben chats to percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Guy Courtie who opens up about the hidden pressures of building a creative career in a self-promoting economy in a small music scene, why rest can be a creative taboo equal to failure, and how musicians and creatives try to protect their headspace without losing momentum and opportunity. Ben and Guy chat about: < Escaping Lond...

In this episode Ben sits down with West End drummer and percussionist Dan Day to chat about a career that’s taken him from learning drums at age 3 to playing on major theatrical productions like Evita, Mean Girls, Sunset Boulevard, Come From Away just to name a few... Ben and Dan chat about: < Dan starting to learn drums aged 3 < Falling into musical theatre by accident < Earning your cha...

Volunteer radio presenter, producer, music lover and all-round self proclaimed 'radio fanatic' Zinnia Bridgman joined me to chat about going from her lockdown student radio beginnings to co-presenting The South Coast Music Show on Voice FM. We chatted about: < Getting started in radio through university and student broadcasting, < The thrill (and terror) of being live on air on Voice...

‘Kindful’ video editor Richard 'Ricky' Charlton joined me to chat about going from a young kid from Grimsby fiddling with cameras, to being a paid video editor who’s previously worked with cartoons and currently senior editing at the biggest content agency on the south coast of the UK. We chatted about: < How he became interested in videography, < How he ended up in Bournemouth, <...

Benjamin Button Tickets (before it closes): https://shorturl.at/vk8LE Fiddler On The Roof UK Tour Tickets: https://shorturl.at/qg6Hd Into The Woods Tickets: https://shorturl.at/35c9I Award winning musical theatre maestro Mark Aspinall joined me to chat about his 15 year journey from being a music school assistant to becoming one of the best in the biz when putting the music into musical theatre. W...

Freelance Copywriter Amy Shepherd joined me to chat about the relatively unknown art of copywriting, so much so her Nan doesn’t really understand what she does for a living.  We chat about: < What copywriting is < Brands she’s worked for in the past e.g. @thecalmzonenet and @LUSH   <Life in the freelance world < Her stance on AI < What she's currently working on < Brands she...

Joshy Clements is the go-to drone guy on the south coast. He joined me to chat about how he discovered and mastered the drone, how he's using its situational versatility to run a "booming" drone side business 'Horizon Drone Specialists' with multiple clients, the future of drone usage with the addition of AI, and pitched his ideal drone features to DJI in the process. Follow th...

Nate Williams is a multi-instrumentalist & podcaster who has worked with many well known artists. Nate joined me to chat about growing up in a musical family, playing musical instruments, life on and off stage as a gigging musician, working with Jamiroquai, Steve Winwood and others, as well as chatting with his industry friends and heros on his podcast 'In Session With...' Follow the p...

PSA: Due to unforeseen circumstances, only a certain amount of guest video and audio was usable for this episode. As a result, the episode does end somewhat abrupt. Apologies, and enjoy the episode. Lara is a violinist and composer/orchestrator originally from Liverpool, now based in London. Lara chats about her musical upbringing, deciding to learn the violin, life of a gigging musician & com...

Simon Howard is an independent singer/songwriter and musician from Gosport. Originally, he though computer science was his calling. Then after it was too late to change, he decided to take himself to Texas, took his guitar with him and become a musician. The rest is history… Simon chats about his time in Texas, his song writing process, his popular single 'Cancellation' and about how he tr...

Elspeth McBain is back for a second chat. This time, we chat about everything Panto 2024, the financial reality of a touring production, and she gives a brief rundown of that is coming to the venue in 2024. Find out what is on at Lighthouse Poole in 2025: https://www.lighthousepoole.co.uk/whats-on/ Follow the podcast, Ben and the guest on socials: Reaching The Crescendo Podcast:   https://www.inst...

Joe Hayes started out as a full time accountant with a massive photography hobby. Several businesses later and and a network of over 3000 people, Joe now facilitates photography, videography and more recently podcasting for some of the biggest brands on the south coast and in the UK in general. Joe chats about how his unique path led him to where he is today, where he thinks the direction of podca...

Jose Ramos wanted to work in the news industry since he was young and used his Mum's phone as a camera to film his version of The News, and all these years later he is doing exactly that as a newly senior reporter. Jose speaks about his journey from his self news tape all the way to now reporting on both local and national news, meeting and almost meeting a lot of interesting people, and his s...

David Catterall started his career as a drama teacher and then co-hosted Channel 4's third worst show of 2006. It wasn't until a friend of his introduced him to Photoshop and a chance encounter in a Food Hall that changed everything, and the rest as they say.... is history! David chats about his unique journey to where he is today, how he turned his hobby into his job, and slightly peels b...

Tor Byrnes aka Tor Da Force has been an indie DJ for the last 15 years and over that time has become a staple of clubs, festivals and venues inbetween. Her career as a DJ has since turned her into an events promoter with her company We Broke Free, making her a force to be reckoned with as a 'Good Time Dictator'. Tor chats about how she got to where she is today, being a female DJ in a male...

Will McNicol has been playing fingerstyle guitar since aged 6 and enjoyed it so much, he never stopped. It has taken him all over the world and counts his mentor Antonio Forcione as a friend. Will chats about first picking up a guitar, his love of recording, his favourite gigs and his love of passing on his pearls of fingerstyle wisdom to his fellow guitar player through his workshops and online c...

Elspeth McBain is the CEO of Lighthouse in Poole; the largest arts centre outside of London. However, if her parents had had their way, things would have been very different. So in true rebelious young adult fashion, she ended up at a holiday park in the Isle of Wight and the rest is history. Elspeth speaks about her journey from the Isle of Wight - Croydon - London and ending up in Poole in 2009....

Abi Logan started dancing lessons at age 3 and it all spiralled from there. The rest is history! Abi chats about her beginnings at her local performing academy, getting the choreographer bug through the Rock Challenge competition, using the Covid lockdown as an excuse to start a dance troupe and now going full circle by choreographing her first panto (oh yes she is...) Follow the podcast and guest...

Emily Young has been a photographer since 2014, starting in portrait mode. Then at university, she switched to live music photography, created a specimen magazine for a group project and has run with it ever since. even as far as Texas. Emily explains how her group uni project spiralled a tad out of control and in the process led her to meet some of her favourite bands, connected her to her now te...

Tracey started Totally Music to act as a digital scrapbook to collate pictures from her gig experiences. However, when the Covid lockdown hit in March 2020, she saw an opportunity to use her blog to provide a platform to the best unseen and up-and-coming musical talent when they were not allowed to perform. It has been growing ever since. Follow the podcast and the guest on social media: Reaching...

Lee Townsend saw his Dad in cover bands from a very early age so it was inevitable that he would pick up a guitar eventually. His parents then moved to Spain when he was 18, so he followed suit and the rest is history. Since then, he has become a reputable wedding singer, has built a YouTube channel to nearly 12,000 subs being a go to guy for loop covers/tutorials and musical gadget reviews. Lee c...

Imprints started off as a University project and spiralled from there as many bands do. Ever since then, they have found their unique gypsy/folk-rock sound, their space pirate hats, potentially invented the coolest fiddle playing style ever and even got Michael Eavis' (yes that Michael Eavis) phone number in the process! Andy (frontman) and Vince (thrash fiddle) talk about their humble beginni...

Edward Clark has spent his life in and around the Anglican church and has been in worship bands for around half of his life. So it was only a matter of time before he realised he was being called to become a worship pastor. Ed speaks about going from the congregation to band member to pastor, the lost demographic in the church, working for a church during the pandemic and where he sees himself in...

Chris Sherry first got involved with the Teddy Rocks Festival by helping a friend do the lighting when it was held at the Greyhound pub in Blandford Forum. A chance glance at the website and a message to the festival director and sound guy (it will make sense after listening) later and Chris created the first proper website you see when you type Teddy Rocks into a search engine. Teddy Rocks has st...