Calum is a composer, performer and community musician from Dumfries, working across Scotland. His writing style and relationship with sound stems from his tenure as a guitarist in progressive metal bands, and as a keen improviser and collaborator. He is particularly interested in the balance of stability and instability in sound; the conflict of order and chaos. Integrating elements from a wide variety of influences, Calum continues to develop his direct approach to music creation.
Having recently completed a MA in music composition at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Calum is creating new music for upcoming concerts, short films and community projects.
Jamie Little
Jamie is an artist based in Dumfries.
After studying Music at the University of Highlands & Islands, Jamie moved back to Dumfries and has been working in the music scene as a guitarist, composer, teacher and practitioner.
Whilst being primarily a musician, Jamie has always had in interest in visual media. He has created short films in the past and has used his skills to supply tech for conferences and live streamed gigs.
This interest in visual media and music has led Jamie to explore more creative use of visuals to support musical performance.
Brooke Biagi and Chris Mancini
Brooke and Chris make up two thirds of the Dumfries-based grunge band "Life Plan" and have also more recently started a progressive rock/metal project. In both of these bands Brooke plays bass and sings, while Chris plays Drums in one, plays Guitar and is the primary song writer in the other.
Having met up with Sonic Labs in recent months they have taken a great deal of enjoyment from the more improvisational process found with their fellow musicians.
Liam Templeton
Liam is an aspiring sound artist and synthesist working across the mediums of live performance and installation. His practice involves re-contextualising found sounds using techniques reminiscent of the BBC radiophonic workshop. In his professional life, Liam is a conservation biologist with a specialism in bioacoustics. In his work, he tries to honour the rich cultural heritage of field recording and its role in ecology. Drawing inspiration from John Cage, Liam is also interested in the role of aleatory and chance operations in improvisation, as well as graphic scores as a means of navigating the intersection between visual and sonic arts.
Taylor Nuttall
Taylor Nuttall is a composer, artist and sound designer. Taylor has focused on improvisation, software based modular and iPad performance tools often using generative and ambient sound design. Seeking to avoid specific genres, his work is often a hybrid of influences that incorporates found sounds and seemingly disparate though often very personal content. The environment, sustainability and climate change are a constant underlying thematic.
https://soundcloud.com/taylornuttal
https://taylornuttall.bandcamp.com/
BASH (Mark Stephenson and James Wait)
Bash is an improvisational crew, based in Dumfries, south-west Scotland.
There are three main players, Colin, James, and Mark. Sessions can be any combination of them, along with anybody else who wants to join in.
Honestly, the only thing we're interested in is playing music, so if you have opportunities for us to play, or want to join in on our sessions one way or another, DM us.
https://www.mixcloud.com/bash_dumfries/
Ruaridh Nicholson
Whilst he does not consider himself an artist, Ruaridh is a valuable member of the Sonic Labs production team. Often he is found utilizing his technical skills at the mixing desk, light desk or operating live visuals software in order to enhance the performances of the Sonic Labs artists.
Meg Dickson-Hood
Starting out as a freelance sound engineer, Meg worked on events held at The Stove before joining the team as a community events producer.
Meg started her career in the music industry back in 2017 as a guitarist in a five-piece band, playing all across the country and in Europe. Just before lockdown, she decided to further her knowledge and study sound production in Cumbernauld, leading her to move offstage and behind the desk. Since finishing her studies and moving back to Dumfries, she has been working with the local creative community, running the sound desk at live events and recording artists in the studio.
At the start of 2023, Meg created her first project, producing a series of live sessions with Circa 16 Sound Recording to showcase a wide variety of Scottish musicians.
Sonic Labs has been by The Stove Network since its inception. Initially launched as part of their Open Hoose project; a series of skill sharing workshops led by community members, Sonic Labs has become a core program for the Stove Network.
Find out more about the Stove's team, their work and exctiting projects here;
DMC is a platform for the music industry in Dumfries and the surrounding area. They run a programme of music education and showcase events throughout the year, including their flagship conference in October.
At Paragon we believe that music and the arts have the power to transform lives. Guided by our two key principles - equality and inclusion - we’re dedicated to inspiring young people and adults in Scotland to create new music and dance.
Our team of professional musicians, dancers and composers create inclusive learning and performance environments where people from all walks of life, and with a wide range of support needs, can come together to develop new skills, meet new friends and discover their true potential.
Our group workshops are fun, vibrant and accessible - promoting positive self-image, teamwork, communication and learning. And our one-to-one mentoring sessions aim to raise and fulfil people's creative aspirations, developing their skills and providing flexible, sustainable pathways to participation in the arts.
Get in touch or come to a session to join our network and artist roster