Going with the flow

Music Matters speaks to the violinist Tasmin Little about her involvement in music education, life as a recording artist, and her plans as she prepares to step down from the concert platform after an illustrious career that has spanned more than three decades. Kate Molleson hears from music journalist Philip Clark as he reflects on the time he spent shadowing the Dave Brubeck Quartet during their British tour as well as the epic interview he recorded with the jazz legend – all the subject of his new book Dave Brubeck: A life in time. Philip speaks about Brubeck’s early career, the bandleader’s unique improvisation and compositional styles, and his creative relationships with fellow band members. Two current jazz composers – Liam Noble and Laura Jurd – also share their views about the man who is synonymous with Take Five. Kate also talks to David Dolan and Karen Chan Barrett about their respective research projects using the power of EEG and fMRI scanning techniques to uncover what happens in the brains of musicians and audience members during improvisatory performance. And the subject of the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s Total Immersion Day at the Barbican later this month, Kate steps into the unique and emotive sound world of the maverick Swedish composer Anders Hillborg as he reflects on his musical style, his abandonment of electronica, and how the compositional process is rewarding but not always necessarily fun!