Alexander Goldsmith
DOB: 1/4/85
Instruments: Melodeon
Musical Influences: John Barber, Steve Delarre, Ade Brown, Andy Cutting, John
Kirkpatrick.
Music, for me, has always been a way of life. I can honestly say that it was forced on me at a young age, I had no say ( I couldn’t speak for one) and i had no means of escape (i was still in nappies, they were never that manoeuvrable). If my Grandad (John Barber) would have had his own way it would have been a proper harmonica I would be sucking on instead of my mother’s teat.
After a lapse of about twelve years I was, for various reasons, spending a lot of my weekends at Grandad’s. Yet again vulnerable, Grandad used his powers of persuasion on me. “Look boy, this is a melodeon.” I was hooked. I was easily persuaded at twelve. He must have been waiting for the right time to strike. Endless amounts of practice by me and patience by Grandad soon paid off. As a reward, for learning my first tune I was given my first melodeon. It was like a trophy, OK then, like an unpolished one.
After a few years of confidence building I had the repertoire to go out and busk, In no time at all I had collected enough to buy my Weltmeister melodeon, I was fifteen. This would be around the same time when my life changed.
On one hot summers day in Southward my Grandad The Southwold Bellman was town crying, I was his messenger. I followed his every move and often found myself in a pub. However, this particular day I was falling behind. When I finally caught up Grandad was chatting to a Morris dancing side outside the pub. Grandad was being a proud Grandad and was singing my praises. One of the bearded musicians asked me to play, so i did. “Amazing” he said when I finished, I was stunned. “My name is Steve”, “Alex” I replied and that was that.
Steve became a beacon of inspiration for me. Steve over the next year or so taught me everything I needed to know. I felt I was progressing and I had a sense of achievement. Steve and Grandad became good friends, buy this time I had met Steve’s youngest son, David. Steve, Jayne (Steve’s wife), David and the rest of their family would often stay in Southwold for a weekend where David and I would go busking together. I immediately liked Dave, we got on well. Then I met Dave’s brother James. James was different, he was into burning things, little plastic toy men etc and he had a girlfriend! He appeared very strange. Luckily things changed as I got to know him much better. He’s now less strange.
It was at the second Moreton festival when I met Dan. I liked Dan from the start until I got to know him a little better, then I became scared. He was my first meeting of an Essex Boy. Nevertheless, Dan’s fantastic sense of humour and interest in women added to my liking of him. It’s very hard not to like Dan.
In September (2006) I graduated with a Music Industry Management and Popular Music Degree from Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College. Donations can be sent by cheque or postal order to my address which is… only joking. But if you will insist…
In case you were wondering the Walnut Finish D/G Melodeon I play is made by Weltmeister and the black one is an American import Hohner Coroner III G/C/F, but the love of life is my new Castagnari Mory also C/F.
bye byes for now,
Goldsmith