Every Wednesday I share five things I've liked and think you might like too. Here are this week’s Five Things…

1. It's incredible how quickly technology has changed in recent history. What will be next? What crazy, unimaginable thing will be the new normal in ten years? Bear in mind that the iPhone is only ten years old! This Amazing Video Shows Just How Much Software Has Eaten the World.

2. How are those New Year's resolutions going? Got high hopes for 2018? Lower them, or you may be setting yourself up for a fall.

3. I'm a sucker for nice looking objects and places. This handcrafted shipping container home fits the bill. Just a shame it's in Montana!

4. A good piece on one of my favourite musicians, Nils Frahm. I can't wait for his new album to be released! I liked this quote: “I change the music until I find a point where it feels familiar, but it also doesn't sound like anyone else.”

5. I re-listened to St. Vincent's album St. Vincent yesterday. Bring Me Your Loves is my favourite track from the album. It has so many cool, jagged, synthy guitar riffs and weird hooks! The drum beat is great too. I still haven't forgiven her for ditching her live band for a backing track the last time I saw her though!

That's all for this week. If you enjoyed it, subscribe and you'll get the next one delivered to your inbox.

I was featured in the Ipswich Star's Weird Ways To Keep Fit in 2018 article!

Scroll down to number 13 in the piece or read below...

The drummer for New Wave US pop pioneers Blondie, Clem Burke, was once the subject of a study that contrasted his heart rate while on the kit to a footballer throughout a 90-minute period. Both averaged a heart rate of 140 to 150 BPM. So if you’d rather hit the sticks than the pitch you can be sure you are still keeping yourself fit. A professional drummer will use his whole body to produce the beat, arms hitting the drums and feet pumping the foot pedals. One person who knows this very well is Ross Farley, who teaches drum lessons at South Street Studios, in Ipswich. He says: “Drumming is a great workout, especially mentally and for coordination! I have a number of students in their 30s to 60s who come to me for that reason, putting aside the fact that it is pretty good fun too.”

Ross, who as drummer with bands Angry Vs Bear and Death By Lasers, has supported acts such as Florence & The Machine and The Futureheads and had his music played on BBC Radio 1 and 6 Music, offers 30-minute and one-hour lessons. He says: “Lessons are suitable for all ages and abilities, and for fans of any style of music. And importantly, they are fun. I’m firmly of the belief that learning should be an enjoyable experience, not a painful one!” For more information or to book lessons, visit here.

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The first Kick Music Schools Rock School of 2018 will take place during the Easter holidays at South Street Studios in Ipswich from the 9th-13th April.

If you have (or know of...) any musically minded 10-17-year-olds, this is for them!

Learn more at www.kickmusicschools.co.uk/rock-schools. If you book a place, enter ROSS at checkout and you'll get £10 off your order. 🙂

Every Wednesday I share five things I've liked and think you might like too. Here are this week’s Five Things…

1. Pithy wisdom for a new year. Start small, start now.

2. According to BPI, 68.1 billion songs were streamed in the UK during 2017. That's an increase of 51.5% on 2016 and 1740% (😮) on 2012!

3. From following much of the media coverage last year, you might have incorrectly assumed only bad things happened in 2017. Quite a few good things happened too: 13 Things That Happened In 2017 That Will Actually Cheer You Up, Ten Silver Linings in 2017.

4. Who'd have thought watching bubbles freeze would be so satisfying.

5. Spotify has me starting 2018 in style with its Classical Meets Electronica playlist: "Classical music reworked by contemporary musicians, who made clever deconstructive use of the material to create soothing and graceful electronic/ambient works." SOLD!

That's all for this week. If you enjoyed it, subscribe and you'll get the next one delivered to your inbox.

ps. Happy New Year! Have a fantastic 2018 😎

Every Wednesday I share five things I've liked and think you might like too. Here are this week’s Five Things…

1. An interesting article on the increasing use of found sounds and field recordings in music. Inspired by this, I think I'm going to record a lot more of the sounds I hear out in the world around me in future! A project for 2018 perhaps?

2. Another great observation from Derek Sivers: Obvious to you. Amazing to others.

3. Word of the week, Apophenia: "... the tendency to attribute meaning to perceived connections or patterns between seemingly unrelated things."

4. Your estimated lifespan as a grid. I think this pretty cool, but I could see how you might find it a little depressing!

5. This week's music recommendation is Particles by Ólafur Arnalds (featuring Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir). I can't wait to see Ólafur play the Royal Albert Hall in May next year.

That's all for this week. If you enjoyed it, subscribe and you'll get the next one delivered to your inbox.

ps. As it's Christmas, I'm going to take the next week off — what a treat! This means there'll be no Five Things next Wednesday. But fear not, Five Things will return the following week!