Philip Howie

@musicianbynight

Materials scientist by day and musician by night in Cambridge, UK. Christian. Percussionist, pianist, flautist, conductor, and instrument maker

1.018 Folgt791 Follower1.131 Posts

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Philip Howie@musicianbynight· 4d

Road trip this evening, to pick up this painting - which turned out to be bigger than I thought, and only just fit in the car (Don't worry; the face of the painting was protected for transport)

A large abstract oil painting of an orchestra performing, lying across the folded down seats of a car.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· 5d

Ceilidh dancing with wheelchairs: alarming, surprisingly physics-heavy, and a whole lot of fun

Two wheelchair users swing each other round fast enough to blur, in the middle of a crowd of dancers.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· 5d

Not a bad day to make my debut with City of Cambridge Brass Band - behind the drum kit, obviously ☀️ 🥁

View from behind a drum kit, looking out over a brass band to a crowd of people gathered in a leafy park.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· 6d

Today's gig: Gypskazz. Because where else can you hear a gypsy ska jazz cover of Saint-Saens, with a guitar solo that quotes Vivaldi??

A small and atmospheric pub, packed with people, with a band playing.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· 7d

Amazing gig tonight from Common Culture. A small audience, but that just left plenty of room for dancing 😁

A folk band plays on stage in a small venue. The audience dances!

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· 11d

I've been experimenting with cleaning some old tools in this new toy. Very effective, but I'd almost forgotten how unpleasant these things sound!

A large ultrasonic bath, with some engineering micrometers sitting on the bench in front of it.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· Jul 11

Drying off the stage and the orchestra pit - things are looking hopeful!

The stage at the Verona Arena, now set for act TWO of La Bohème, with staff sweeping and mopping the stage and the orchestra pit.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· Jul 11

...now taking a break from the opera to shelter from a rather dramatic thunderstorm ⛈️⛈️⛈️

Some very soggy - but well dressed - opera goers huddle in a stone tunnel.

Stone steps leading up to a gateway, open to the night sky. Rain is cascading over the opening and down the stairs.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· Jul 11

Taking a break from the stress to enjoy an opera in rather dramatic surroundings! 🎶

The interior of the Verona Arena, with the stage set for 'La Boheme'.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· Jul 5

Happy birthday, USA. Please, take a moment to remember that your country was built on immigration and the promise of freedom and hope for all. And then do better

The Statue of Liberty, photographed from behind, next to an American flag flying at half mast.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· Jul 3

A traditional end-of-season activity: sorting sheet music while watching the football on TV

Four piles of orchestral sheet music on a sofa, while a football game plays on the TV in the background.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· Jul 3

One of the problems with being a maker is that it's very difficult to throw anything away. This old folding laundry basket is tatty and definitely needs to go. But the 4 m of springy steel wire that holds its shape is bound to be useful for some project eventually, right...??

A white folding laundry basket, slightly ripped.

A coil of thick steel wire, held into a coil with zip ties.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· Jun 28

I've owned these shoes for 22 years and played literally hundreds of concerts in them but I think today was their last...!

A pair of very battered leather shoes, with the sole peeling off one of them.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· Jun 28

All set up for Cambridge Wind Band in the park this afternoon 😁🥁😎

A wind band, under a gazebo in a park, seen from the back.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· Jun 26

In case anyone is wondering, it's hot in my house 🥵

Screenshot from my environmental monitoring app showing that the current temperature in my hallway is 30.5°C. Over the last 7 days, it has been 'Comfortable' for 0 hours, 'Hot' for 168 hours, and 'Cold' for 0 hours.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· Jun 22

I went to work on the hottest day of the year so far and I got... a gilet, branded with the company logo. Thanks, head office!

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· Jun 19

I do not love mowing the lawn. It's hot, sweaty, and - in the height of hayfever season - sneezy work. But I do love the state of having just mown the lawn, and how much better the garden looks

Part of a small but neatly mown lawn, in front of a small cottage with solar panels.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· Jun 18

It is very much the wrong weather to be playing this (iconic) xylophone part 🥵

Sheet music sitting on a music stand above a xylophone, with a pair of hard plastic mallets sitting on it.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· Jun 13

Now ready for Rachmaninov this evening. The Bells...!

Orchestral percussion set up in a concert hall. Tam tam, tubular bells, snare drums, cymbals, bass drum...

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· Jun 13

Today is a double concert day, which made for a rather interesting load out this morning. Small funk kit for wind band in the park at lunchtime, packed into the car with tubular bells for orchestral Rachmaninov tonight!

A small drum kit set up at the back of a wind band, inside a marquee.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· Jun 2

This is my "conducting Tchaik 6 in rehearsal on only 1.5 hours' notice" T-shirt. Time for a very well earned cider... 🍺

Me, sitting on a sofa, wearing a T-shirt that says, "These are difficult times" and then two music staves, one with the time signature 13/8 and the other with the time signature 5/4.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· May 25

On the bench today at Phil's Home for the Rehabilitation of Chronically Abused Instruments... new heads for bongos

Two pairs of bongos - a black pair with Meinl branded heads and a cheaper pair with unbranded heads - on a rather messy workbench.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· May 23

Well, both baits worked, and both Mickey and Minnie have been relocated a good distance from home. I'm sure they'll be eaten by something else, but such is life

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· May 17

The fun continues with an outdoor gig in the Jubilee Gardens in Ely. I'm just outside the back of the bandstand, so hoping the rain holds off! 🥁 😎

A drum kit set up at the back of a wind band, in a bandstand in a park overlooking the river.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· May 16

Kicking off the first of four two-concert weekends in the next month or so with some Symphonic Dances by Rachmaninov. And yes, I've pulled rank and taken the tambourine part 😉

Percussion instruments laid out on stage ready to be played. Visible are a bass drum, suspended cymbals, clash cymbals, tambourine, snare drum, and just the corner of a xylophone.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· May 15

Taking in a bit of culture this evening, with plays by Tom Stoppard and Michael Green 🎭

A stage in a small village hall, decorated as a slightly old-fashioned living room and lit in multiple colours. A spotlight highlights a body lying ominously in one corner...

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· May 14

A friend has just received this in the post from their local hospital, unrequested, and with no context - that's the entire letter (minus addresses, for confidentiality). What are they expected to do with forceps and a surgical blade?? It's the "with compliments" bit that gets me 🤣

A pair of blue plastic forceps and a retractable surgical blade, in sterile packaging, are accompanied by a letter that simply says, "With compliments" and then lower down the page, "Innovation and excellence in health and care. NIHR - Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre."

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· May 11

Oh I do love getting into the workshop to make some chips. And look at that lovely sparkly brass, coating... absolutely everything... #manglitter

A piece of brass being turned down to diameter in a metalworking lathe. Brass dust covers everything.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· May 10

Yesterday was a glorious day to be pit crew to a gang of wheelchair racers. And people ask why I always keep a tool kit in my car...

A metal shed full of racing wheelchairs, in various states of race worthiness, some of them hanging from ceiling winches. A lone athlete sits off to one side, in a day chair, getting into the zone (or maybe just out of the heat).

Two wheelchair racers cross the finish line on a red running track.

Philip Howie@musicianbynight· May 6

I think the tallest I've played were these, at almost 7 feet. But the RWM has a sub-contrabass in Bb made by Adrianna Breukink that's more like 9 feet. Might be a while before I make anything like that myself though 😂