This cartoon is available on t-shirts, mugs, cushions and other gifts from the Sterry Cartoons Shop.
Silly Methods of Musical Transport:
Boat Bass
Paddling to a gig in a fibreglass double bass. Apparently someone used to make fibreglass double basses in Salcombe, and they were perfectly fine if you used the body of the bass as a boat.
Walking/Weightlifting
Walking back from a gig with a very, very heavy keyboard because me and H had missed the last bus home and the taxi companies weren’t answering!
Gigs on Transport!
I have played a few jazz gigs on a ferry. We had to connect the keyboard up to a car battery for power and it was strange playing at any tempo that didn’t match the whirring of the engine, but it worked.
Last weekend I was lucky enough to catch up with some amazing friends in Bristol. We played board games, drank mead and ventured in to the City Centre for a quick bit of Christmas shopping!
This week has been a bit quieter, so I’ve been working to improve the selection of products available in the Sterry Cartoons Shop (note: prices may vary).
I’m an experienced jazz and classically trained flautist regularly performing with a variety of local and visiting musicians (see Live Music & Events). Most recently I’ve played with Hamer & Isaacs gypsy swing band and The Sterrys as well as being involved with a number of local events, including Malborough Amateur Dramatics Pantomime and Hope for Howard. I am also available to perform solo on the harp.
Recording
I have recorded a short selection of relaxed pieces, all available for free download.
Teaching
Able to teach classical, folk and jazz flute, I aim to inspire students to enjoy music and to share it with others. See my Teaching Page for more information and pricing. If you wish, I can also offer lessons on Skype.
Testimonials
“As a professional musician for nearly four decades, I have been very impressed by Hannah Sterry’s contribution to our gypsy swing band as a deputy flautist over the last few months. She has deputised at short notice for both our lead guitarist and swing violinist, not easy roles to fill, and I have been awed by her levels of competence and creativity. Her improvisational techniques display an intuitive flair and inspiration well beyond her years, and she exhibits the stage presence expected in a seasoned veteran. I would heartily endorse her as a flautist to any potential employers, whether in the fields of jazz, rock or classical music.” ~ Julian Isaacs of Hamer & Isaacs Gypsy Swing Band
“[Hannah] is a brilliant musician and I love working with her in the gypsy swing band. Her flute solos inspire me to up my game!” ~ Melanie Scullion B.A Hons.P.G Cert. P.G Dip.Perf. Professional violinist, violist and peripatectic music teacher.
Contact Me
Feel free to ask any questions or have a friendly chat online using the contact form, tweet @HannahSterry or comment on this blog!
If you like, you can also follow my musical adventure on facebook on the Hannah Sterry Music page.
Hope to hear from you soon! 🙂
Gallery
Here are a selection of images from performances around South Devon. The pencil sketch is thanks to Jazz Greenhill.
Sterry Cartoons began with a simple interest in illustration and comedy. The comic has received a great deal of interest online, partially due to the viral success of “Musical Compliments” (a cartoon featuring a joke about naturals and sharps), which has been shared by over 20,000 people worldwide.
Inspire us to create more amusing cartoons and help share the smiles (and groans) by supporting us with your thumbs on Facebook / Google+ / Twitter / Tumblr.
Musical Cartoon Gifts
Here are just a few of the products I’ve made so far. They’d probably make great gifts for your musician friends and music teachers, or (if you’re anything like me) you might just want to treat yourself because it makes you giggle. There are all sorts of products to choose from on my Zazzle and Redbubble shops.
About Sterry Cartoons
Sterry Cartoons is a webcomic featuring educational music jokes and animal-related humour. The comic has received a great deal of interest online, partially due to the viral success of Musical Compliments (a cartoon featuring a joke about naturals and sharps), which has been shared by over 20,000 people worldwide.
I am now “Plymouth’s top jazz flautist” according to twitter. I know this because I am probably the only jazz flautist in the whole of South Devon (with the exception of my dad, who often prefers to play saxophone).
This post is a bit of everything – music I’ve recorded, pictures from the past year’s worth of gigs and news of gigs to come and some lovely testimonials from people I’ve played for – I hope you’ll enjoy it and feel free to ask me anything you like in the comments!
Logo by Hannah Sterry.
Over the past year I’ve been lucky enough to play lots of gigs with a great little gypsy swing band called Hamer & Isaacs. I met them, by chance, at a blues night at a pub where a mutual friend had invited us both along. I thought they were pretty cool and took a particular liking to one of them (that’s a different story) and since then I’ve stood in whenever one of the others can’t make it!
After playing with the band a fair bit, a few of them spotted my Sterry Cartoons creations on facebook and asked whether I’d like to design them an ‘art deco’ logo. I thought it’d be good fun to have a go (having not attempted logo design before) and this is what I came up with (see right).
All of this led to some really wonderful testimonials from people I’ve met through the band:
“As a professional musician for nearly four decades, I have been very impressed by Hannah Sterry’s contribution to our gypsy swing band as a deputy flautist over the last few months. She has deputised at short notice for both our lead guitarist and swing violinist, not easy roles to fill, and I have been awed by her levels of competence and creativity. Her improvisational techniques display an intuitive flair and inspiration well beyond her years, and she exhibits the stage presence expected in a seasoned veteran. I would heartily endorse her as a flautist to any potential employers, whether in the fields of jazz, rock or classical music.” ~ Julian Isaacs of Hamer & Isaacs Gypsy Swing Band
“[Hannah] is a brilliant musician and I love working with her in the gypsy swing band. Her flute solos inspire me to up my game!” ~ Melanie Scullion B.A Hons.P.G Cert. P.G Dip.Perf. Professional violinist, violist and peripatetic music teacher.
I’ve haven’t been playing jazz and designing logos the entire time though. Whenever I’ve had a few hours free, I’ve been working on a few of my own musical side projects! Most recently I’ve been doing a bit of recording with my little sister (she’s ridiculously cool, but you can’t take her anywhere). 😛
If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you might have heard it before, but here’s a little bit of chilled out flute music I recorded as an earlier side project (it’s not jazz, but it’s cool and floaty)!
P.S. If you like any of my music, you can download it for FREE on bandcamp. Just click the link above. If you really like it and want me to make more music, you can donate however much or little as you like with the “name-your-price” button and you’ll get a gigantic smile and thanks from me!
Anyway, I’ve just been told that dinner’s on the table, so I’d better go, but I hope you’re enjoying the story so far and I’ll leave you with a few pictures from the last year and adates of my upcoming gigs! Hope to meet some of you at some point and as always, if you want to ask me anything, or have any great music recommendations, I’d love to hear from you in the comments! 😀
Flautist Hannah Sterry performing jazz flute for The Cottage Hotel’s Summer Music Nights in Hope Cove, Devon.
The Sterrys
Ansa Back playing at Morleigh Village Hall
Hamer & Isaacs live at the Millbrook Inn, South Pool. Photo Credit: timhirstphotography.com
BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY (27th May) Ansa Back will be playing at Bigbury Golf Club from 4pm.
JUNE-SEPTEMBER The Sterrys will be playing every Tuesday evening at The Cottage Hotel, Hope Cove for their Summer Music Nights. Feel free to come and join us, enjoy a cocktail on the terrace and take in one of the most Mediterranean views that the South Hams can offer!
INTRODUCTORY RATES* for anyone wanting flute/mathematics tuition this month:
Flute Lessons:
£10 per 30 minute lesson (normally £12)
Maths Tutoring:
£10 per 30 minute lesson (normally £12)
£18 per 60 minute lesson (normally £22)
Qualifications: A-Level Maths and Further Maths (both Grade A) and 2 years of an undergraduate Mathematics degree at Warwick University.
Hire a Harpist:
£85 for two 45 minute sets with a short interval anywhere in the Kingsbridge, Salcombe area (normally £100).
Also available for gigs/session work:
Experienced live player, with a background in jazz, blues, folk, rock and classical music (see Shows).
Able to play and learn quickly from notation and by ear.
Able to arrange flute/woodwind parts for your music.
Rates on request.
If you’re interested, or know anyone who might be, send me a message or contact me on: o7548 775 o14
*Offer ends on December 31st 2012 (teaching rates will then return to the normal price of £12 per 30 minutes). Any lessons purchased and paid for in advance will still be charged at the lower rate. Flute students will need their own instrument (it is also possible to hire instruments from Devon Music Service: http://www.devon.gov.uk/musicservice ).
