Elaine
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"Singer / songwriter with band, "Kindred Spirit""
Female
45 years old
United Kingdom
Last Login:7/18/2008
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Mood:
happy
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View My:
Pics
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http://www.myspace.com/elainesamuels |
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Elaine's Interests
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| General | Apart from my obsession with singing, songwriting, playing guitar and performing live - both solo and with my duo / trio / band "Kindred Spirit", I also paint in watercolour (the pictures of watercolours on this site have all been painted by myself) and I enjoy swimming and water sports. I used to be a Scout Leader and canoe instructor and I have been white-water canoeing as well as having competed in the Devizes to Westminster canoe race in 1990 - hell, I even wrote a song about it!!
In a former life (it seems now) I used to be an electronic engineer and worked for Marconi, Thorn EMI and Redifon Technology.
Though I started singing in folk clubs by the age of 14, and I sang in two other main groups, in the late 80's / early 90's as a semi-professional ("Staying Up Late", with Paul Vile and Andy Peters, and "Now and Then", a bluegrass / new country trio with John Muhlhaus and Peter Jennings) I began singing and performing professionally as a solo artist, just after my son Peter was born back in 1993.
You can find out lots more about me and my music projects from my web site:-
www.elainesamuels.co.uk
You can also get to it
(as well as hear some of my songs) via the "Kindred Spirit" MySpace site (see friends).
Annie and Elaine with Nicky Whiteman, BBC Berkshire 2004
Sim and Elaine at Shorne Country Park Festival 2005
Gavin and Elaine at Brentford Festival 2006
Annie and Elaine at Silfest 2006
Sim and Elaine at Farnham Free Festival 2005
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Elaine's Details
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| Status: | Married | | Zodiac Sign: | Virgo | | Children: | Proud parent | | Education: | College graduate |
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Elaine in your extended network
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Elaine's Blurbs |
About me:
I sing solo as well as with my duo/trio/band, "Kindred Spirit".
The song "Run Red", which automatically plays on this site, is mine, performed with the band. You can hear other band songs of mine on the "Kindred Spirit" site (see the friends below).
You can also hear some solo clips further down this page.
Gigs (Solo / duo / trio)
Full details [all gigs and loads more] main website.
Band gigs, "Kindred Spirit" My Space band site [below]
Jul 08
19th SAT, Reading, Bladebone (Elaine/Annie)
31st THU, Weybridge, Prince of Wales (Elaine)
Aug 08
23rd SAT, Addlestone, White Hart (Elaine/Gavin) support Catherine Paver
29th FRI, Chobham, The Sun Inn (Elaine/Gavin)
30th SAT, Guildford, Anchor and Horseshoes (Elaine/Gavin)
Sep 08
6th SAT, Alton, The Hop Poles (Elaine/Sim/Mike)
13th SAT Wokingham,Two Poplars (Elaine/Annie)
20th SAT, Newbury, Ibex Inn (Elaine/Gavin)
21st SUN, Old Windsor, Oxford Blue (Elaine/Gavin/Mike)
25th THU Weybridge, Prince of Wales (Elaine/Annie)
Oct 08
3rd FRI Slough, The Wheatsheaf (Elaine/Annie)
4th SAT Slough, The Stag (Elaine/Annie)
11th SAT Old Windsor, The Jolly Gardeners (Elaine/Annie)
12th SUN, Farnborough, Prince of Wales (Elaine/Annie)
Nov 08
1st SAT, Tadley, Badgers Wood (Elaine/Gavin)
7th FRI, Yateley, The Cricketers (Elaine/Sim)
8th SAT, Twickenham, The Prince Albert (Elaine/Gavin) support Catherine Paver
29th SAT, Guildford, Anchor and Horseshoes (Elaine/Gavin)
Dec 08
27th SAT, Tadley, Badgers Wood (Elaine/Gavin)
Annie, Elaine and Sim performing at the Cavern Club in June 06
New Singer/Song-writer Project
See the "Song-writer Show" top friend below or
click here - West London Song Contest
Creative Music Weekend
First one was 11 – 13 April 2008 • Adult £114 • Child (11 – 18yrs) £66
At Lower Shaw Farm, Swindon, Wiltshire
This weekend workshop includes singing, songwriting and guitar playing techniques, is held in the beautiful, rustic retreat of Lower Shaw Farm and run by four experienced tutors including Elaine, who leads the song-writing sessions.
As the first one was such a success another weekend is being planned for next year.
Find out more...
Promoting Live Music Venues
I am trying to help promote live music venues because they are taking such a beating at the moment - with the change to the music licensing and smoking laws.
I believe, if we really want live music venues to survive, we need to help let people know there is some great (often free) live music out there, if they want a change from staying in and watching TV, and where they can find it.
To this end I have started a Pub Guide on my main web site, to let people know where the pubs, having live music, are. and set up a special "My Space" site called "Live Music Venues UK" (see the friends list below), where you can specifically find live music venues and events in the UK.
If you want to support this effort, why not encourage any live music venue and event organisers you know of, who haven't already given it a try, to construct a quick "My Space" site about their venue/event and link it to the "Live Music Venues UK" site?
Though, as an individual or band, you won't be able to make friends with this site (otherwise it would make the venues and events hard to find) you can always make friends with myself or my Kindred Spirit band and, in this way, keep the live music venues site close to you (as it will always be a top friend of mine).
Environmental Project
Back in 2002 I decided to try and highlight environmental issues and help to save our planet by writing a song called "Friends Of The Earth" and trying to turn it into a fund-raising single.
Friends Of The Earth - song clip
More about the environmental project
Though I did not achieve a fundraising single, the song can be found on my album "The Watchers" (see my band, Kindred Spirit, My Space or my main web site for more info.) and I believe that if we all make positive, greener changes to our lifestyle (recycling, using cars and aeroplanes less, wasting less energy, planting trees etc.), we can collectively prevent an impending environmental disaster.
Some Other Clips Of My Songs(Click on the song titles to hear audio clips)
Sail Away
In Your Mind's Eye
Morrigan
Current Music Group Memberships
I have become a member of "Britfolk" and "Angelic Music" (see the "Music Well" and "Angelic Music" "friends" sites below). They are both networking groups for folk and acoustic / singer/songwriter acts (providing a discussions forum and events to take part in) and Angelic Music caters specifically for women.
Girls With Guitars UK
Between 2003 and 2005, I was a member of "London's Finest" female Singer / songwriter showcase called "Girls With Guitars UK".
As a member I showcased my own songs every month at London's Porterhouse in Covent Garden and the other cast member and I collaborated on each others songs and formed a headlining band for the Windsor Songwriter Festival 2005.
I decided to leave the "Girls With Guitars UK" group in 2006 so that I could devote more of my time to my "Kindred Spirit" band.
More about Girls With Guitars UK
Windsor Songwriter Festival
In 2004, depressed at the lack of venues for singer / songwriters to reach the public and grow in their craft, I came up with the idea of starting a festival for singer / songwriters at Windsor Arts Centre and the "Windsor Songwriter Festival" was born. I wanted to create a festival which would encourage the beginner to take their first steps at performing in public, to provide workshops for improving skills, to discover new talent, provide a forum for networking as well as a platform for the more established singer / songwriters to reach the public and possibly get spotted by the media. I co-organised the first two festivals with Graham Steel, from the Arts Centre, and Brian Healey, the editor of Music Maker magazine. The festivals had workshops, an all comers competition as well as showcase spots all over the Arts Centre and evening concerts.
I realised, after the first two festivals, that more proper audience and media interest was needed to make it really worthwhile for acts to perform (not just an audience of largely other performers) and that improvements needed to be made (perhaps by booking a well known headlining singer / songwriter and by injecting funding to provide advertising and promotion and to pay the helpers on the day). I had tried very hard without a budget to contact the media about the festival and create a buzz which would attract a crowd but I realised this was not enough. I felt I couldn't continue organising the festival without the sort of improvement I could see was needed because it would be unfair on the performers and helpers; so while I no longer co-manage the festival, it is still an annual event, which I would definitely encourage you to go along to.
The most recent festival was on Saturday September 8th 2007. If you are interested in taking part in future festivals, you should contact Graham, at Windsor Arts Centre, and put your name down on a list.
Windsor Arts centre has been forced to close due to financial difficulties.
There is a website at:-
www.savewindsorartscentre.org
where the Arts Centre needs as many people as possible to go log their details on the "contact us" page so that they can keep people informed on further developments and how they can help resurrect the Arts Centre. They need as many people as possible to leave a comment of support on Graham's Windsor Arts Centre's "myspace page". There is a campign group called WAY (Windsor arts are yours) that organised a public meeting on Wednesday 30th January 2008 at 7.30pm at Windsor Boys School. I know there are many artists wanting to organise benefit nights, if you are interested let Graham know and he will send you an information pack. Also, if individuals want to give a donation then again let Graham know and he will get back to you with details.
Don't let Windsor Arts Centre stay closed
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Who I'd like to meet:
People interested in singing and writing songs and playing instruments. I'd very much like to meet people who could give my band some good gigs - especially festival type gigs. What I'm really trying hard to do is to reach people with our music so that we can all have a great time and continue to evolve musically.
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| Elaine's Friend Space (Top 24) |
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