Will Embliss      Musical Instrument Maker
   

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The Nancarrow Barrow (musical bike trailer)

Sound Sculptures
& other instruments

Up-beat ~ Instrument-making workshops

Up-beat ~
Science of Sound workshops

Up-beat ~ Instruments for schools & play areas
* outdoors
* indoors

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Will's other projects

Contact details

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Will's Other Projects

Will plays trumpet and valve trombone with Zubop who create their own unique style of world beat jazz. Since 2003 a spin off project, ZubopGambia, has been touring the UK working with traditional West African  musicians. A live album was recorded at Ronnie Scott’s and is available on the “ 33 records” label, as are the previous four Zubop albums. www.zubop.com

Will also makes tuned percussion instruments, notably two for Evelyn Glennie OBE, and runs Up-beat, a music education project offering Science of Sound and instrument- making workshops and occasionally creative music workshops.


Through  2007-8  Will worked as a musician/composer with Rhythm Tree Theatre touring the show “Blue like an apple” raising awareness of climate change using Shadow Puppetry.  Most of the instruments were made from recycled/reclaimed materials. The show was written and performed by Karin Andrews Jashapara  and directed by Zannie Fraser. The performance raised lots of issues which met with a lively discussion in the hall as well as in classrooms later on…...the children were especially impressed by the creative use of recyclable material for those beautiful puppets and the musical instruments. ....’     Mrs Sarah Qureshi, Science Co-ordinator, Camden Junior School

Another important area of work is with Green Candle Dance Company as composer and musician for the annual Deaf Dance Summer School at Sadler's Wells and tours of Mina’s Story (2003) and Listening Eyes (2005). www.greencandledance.com

Previously, Will has worked in various fields including:

* Improvised music, with Phil Durrant, Will Menter, Evan Parker, Barry Leigh and many others.

* Street Bands, co-founding both the Fallout Marching Band, and Crocodile Style. Until recently Will played trumpet with the Bollywood Brass Band, an Indian style wedding band, who frequently tour Europe and further afield with their unique take on popular tunes from Indian films. Movie Masala is their latest album.  www.bollywoodbrassband.co.uk

* Theatre, with Oily Cart (2009) for "Something in the Air" www.oilycart.org.uk 
Also with  Dogtroep (Amsterdam), Welfare State International, Ken Campbell’s Science Fiction Theatre of Liverpool, Emergency Exit Arts, Horse and Bamboo and Quicksilver.

On leaving school, Will proceeded to self-direct his musical education through courses and evening classes at the City Lit and Oval House, under tutors such as Phil Waschmann, Eugene Skeefe, Bheki Mseleku, Thebe Lipere, Annie Whitehead, Mervyn Africa and others.

As a mature student Will gained a TEC diploma in Musical Instrument Making at the London College of Furniture and , much more recently, has passed Level 1 in British Sign Language.

For more details of any aspects of Will's work check the pages of this website or contact him >>