Craven Herald

Musical Bio

(Chronological)

At the age of 12, I joined Skipton Music Centre, and played the piano in the Junior Big Band. I
then progressed to the Senior Big Band a few years later. This was a gateway into playing music
with other people for me, and prior to this ‘music’ consisted of a piano/drum/guitar lesson.

Whilst in sixth form at Ermysted’s, I was part of the school big band, and also Harrogate Youth
Jazz Orchestra. These bands were of a higher ability, and introduced me to other passionate
young musicians in the area.

Whilst living in Skipton, I used to compete in the annual Skipton Music Festival, which had a range
of classes and genres you could enter. I was lucky to have a lot of musical peers at this age who
helped to create a healthy competitive environment around these competitions.

Up until this point, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study at University. On an open day at Leeds
College of Music, I met Mark Donlon, then the jazz piano tutor, who gave me a big insight into jazz,
and started to give me intense piano lessons, similar to the intensity level at a conservatoire. This
made my mind up, and I auditioned to various conservatoires in the country.

Mark suggested I apply for the National Youth Jazz Collective, a summer school with 30 other
young jazz musicians, receiving tuition from some of the country’s leading performers and
educators.

Received a scholarship to do an undergraduate degree in jazz at Birmingham Conservatoire,

where I have been taught by phenomenal musicians such as: Maria Schneider, John Taylor, Jeff
Ballard, Dave Holland, Mark Turner and John Taylor.

(It might be worth mentioning that a Conservatoire is a specialist music performance university. All
the focus is performance based rather than academic, and there are only 7 in the country: all of
which are fiercely competitive to get into.)

Throughout my time in Birmingham I have performed in venues such as Symphony Hall, CBSO
Centre, National Exhibition Centre, International Convention Centre and Marco Pierre-White’s
restaurant. I’ve also been lucky enough to be involved with Cheltenham Jazz Festival, where I
have played with the likes of Laura Mvula, Corrine Bailey-Ray and Christian Scott.

In my third year, things started to move in a really positive direction, I won the Birmingham
Conservatoire Composition and Arranging prize, and had my piece performed by Birmingham
Conservatoire Jazz Orchestra with Internationally renowned vocalist Judy Niemack.

I also started to run my own trio with tutor Percy Pursglove and drummer Nathan England Jones,
playing my own original music.

In 2016, I was a semi finalist in BBC Young Jazz Musician, and supported Jason Rebello (Sting
and Jeff Beck), at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall. I have also just graduated from Birmingham
Conservatoire with a first class honours degree in music.
CD

After winning the big band prize in 2015,I developed a passion for Large Ensemble composition,
and throughout the past year I have been working on a new project entitled Rough Boundaries. It
is a suite of music about five different cities in Europe and beyond, (Moscow, Bilbao, Stockholm,
Reykjavik and Marrakech), all of which I have visited over the past 14 months. I wrote a piece
about each place, trying to describe it’s character and nuances through sound, and recorded the
suite with Birmingham Jazz Orchestra. Since it’s recording, I have had various tracks played on
Birmingham Radio, and performing the music with the Jazz Orchestra.

The album also features the stunning artwork of Graham Jervis, an ex art teacher from Upper
Wharfedale School.

The Cd is available from my website: jackynaylor.com , or direct on bandcamp:

jackynaylor.bandcamp.com/releases