Biography - CliveTheSlide.com

a professional

Clive has worked as a professional musician for 35 years. As a trombonist he has performed in most genre which have included recording for the BBC and Commercial Radio with Chico Arnez Impact of Brass and The Trevor Anthony Big Band to name two. He has had many engagements in the theatre including a season with the Welsh National Opera. Clive has also performed with a variety of Pop/Rock groups however, his personal preference is playing Jazz with a variety of groups he leads and as a guest at Jazz venues around the country. He is a regular guest at the Trumpet in Bilston and the Feathers Bar Jazz Club at the Royal Hotel in Weston Super Mare

Conducting has been a passion of Clive’s throughout his career and the variety of ensembles he has trained reflects the broad outlook he has on music. At present he is the conductor for Walsall Symphony Orchestra and is engaged freelance to provide workshops for Harmonie Wind Band and groups in the MYJO organization. During his ten year association with Stourbridge Youth Swing Band he produced two albums (Groovin Hard and Checking The Cell Structure) and took the band on a successful tour to America. As a result of the tour he was booked to MD the UK tour of the Rockford Senior High School Swing Band from Chicago. The highlight of this partnership with the Stourbridge Youth Swing Band was being awarded Gold at the NCBF finals in the Open Class.

Clive’s interest in writing music has included all genre he has performed in. From arrangements for radio commercials, ballet, swing bands, Lyn Paul, Solomon King and wind ensembles. The suite Three Autumn Stones was commissioned for and performed at a BASBWE conference at Warwick University. The Harmonie Band commissioned a piece for their Brass section called, New York Suite. This received its first performance at the bands summer concert in June 2008. This success was followed with a Suite for Wind Band (British Folk Song Suite) and a Sonata for Euphonium for a final year student at Dartmouth College. Clive is working on a commission for an Overture for wind band. He has also contributed articles for the magazine Winds, which include In Search of the Blues.

Working in music education his work is as diverse as his own music making. Indeed, general brass teacher for Solihull Music Service, lecturing on the Dominant circle and improvisation and group composition at the London Institute or adjudicating at the NCBF at the Royal Northern Collage of Music are all in a terms work for Clive. He has recently retired as Head of Saturday Music Centre for Solihull Music Service to dedicate more time to performing.

CTS

Clive worked as a general brass teacher for Solihull Metropolitan Borough, for 33 years. Although principally he was the trombone teacher he had to teach all brass instruments from beginner level to Grade 8. There were times when his keyboard and bass guitar skills were called upon to give tuition to pupils in the County.

Clive ensemble training skill were also called upon which saw Clive conducting and training a variety of groups from the Senior Wind Band and Orchestra to Swing and Rock bands. Clive trained the Stourbridge Swing Band for 12 years during which time they won the open class at the National Concert Band Festival at the RNCM and toured USA. He continues his ensemble work as Director of Walsall Symphony Orchestra.

Clive’s interest in improvisation led him to running and teaching a weekly Jazz Workshop at Cannon Hill Arts Centre in 1978. This was the first Jazz Workshop of its kind in England which caused dismay amongst some commentators as their opinion was that you can either play Jazz or not, if you haven’t got it you can’t be taught it! With the support of Roger Siviter as a mentor the course proved these opinions wrong and was very successful. One of the students who moved on to become a leading exponent in the field of Jazz is Mark Nightingale.