Iris Jones - pianist, singer and composer
Music you listen to in the car …
Classical mostly
Favourite Scottish tune or musician …
Spey in Spate. Brilliant structure which paints the picture.
Have you attended any fiddle camps? Which was your favourite?
Three camps. NZ camp's the best.
Other types of music or music groups you are involved in …
Hot Toddy (Scottish music quartet)
Your day job …
Advocate for aged care in the hills. Retired public servant – community development local government 17 years.
Other passions (beside music!) …
Gardening. Politics at all levels although I would never wish to be a pollie.
Any other useful facts about yourself…
I’m not very useful, and that’s a fact. But I do have a sense of humour!
Favourite activity with Perth Scottish Fiddlers …
I love playing with the group and appreciate the community focus where everybody gets to play at their own level.
What you like about playing with Perth Scottish Fiddlers …
As above. I also think you do a stunning job Margaret in pulling everything together and herding the cats with diplomacy and sensitivity.
Favourite non-Scottish music …
Traditional folk tunes (English/Irish) and words interest me. Folk tunes can be of a very simple structure, but the words tell a story and the simplicity of the music creates the opportunity for the words to be meaningful. I come from a family of Scottish traditional singers so I appreciate the folk tradition of passing on music and words.
Pets … do they like music …
Well when I played bagpipes (badly I must say), my dog used to leave the house and the cat used to wail until I put her out. The dog let herself out.
Was it hard to learn to play by ear …
Not for me. I am still a poor reader as a result. My mother played piano by ear and it was only when I started to study music that I discovered how clever she was as she played everything in either C# or F#. I still can’t do that and she never read a note but could play anything as long as it was in those keys! Up and down the keyboard as well. Stunning. She wanted me to learn ‘properly’ so, with money she could ill afford (single parent), she sent me to lessons. But I still can’t play like she did in those keys!
Anything else …
Yes. PSF was a gift to me, as here I was with a piano after forty odd years without it, and didn’t know what to do with it. So thanks for that Margaret.