The Glasshouse

This opportunity to take part in the RNS moves project has been beyond thrilling. It gives me a chance to develop my soft skills and personal qualities, while establishing a career in the professional industry as a visually impaired musician. This opportunity also allows me to work with fellow musicians from the Paraorchestra, which I am very happy about.

My name is Rachel Starritt and I was born blind as a result of Retinopathy of Prematurity. I started playing the piano at school and have been a student at the Royal Welsh College since 2006, with my piano teacher Alison Bowring. I am currently a postgraduate student there. My passion is Classical and Jazz piano, including improvisation in both genres.

This project for me will enable musicians to get together and develop music for sharing, which will be appreciated by everyone during these difficult times. Improvisation is a human activity, since life changes from one moment to the next and we learn to deal with sometimes unexpected situations along the way and get out of them smoothly. RNS moves is the platform challenging innovation.

It is not only important for ensembles to be integrated on a professional level but also to see it live in action. Freelance musicians are struggling to find performance-based work now due to COVID-19, so the purpose and timing of the project couldn’t be more poignant.

RNS Moves facilitates a wonderful opportunity to make music and explore a varied repertoire in new ensemble formats. The improvisation aspect to old and new works, brings them new life.

This project brings together a collection of instruments that have never played the Vivaldi, making the preparation process for this work particularly exciting due to the endless musical possibilities.

I am thrilled to be returning to work with RNS Moves. The commitment to diversity and genuine inclusion is of course at the heart of RNS Moves; But this is not a token gesture to tick a box. As a musician who has a disability, it is the sense of artistic adventure and musical ambition that defines this group for me.

Diversity is having a disabled guest artist. Inclusion is collaborating with musicians who have disabilities, sharing perspectives  and discovering new ways of working. At the end of this journey, I am simply one musician among equals. Groups like RNS Moves simply didn’t exist when I was young; in fact they didn’t exist five years ago. This is what gives RNS Moves such a feeling of energy and vibrancy and what makes it special for me.

As a blind musician, taking on a gig like this with a programme of entirely new music is exhilarating and challenging in equal measure. My first job is to get scores translated into braille which I do using some brilliant software called Goodfeel. I then spend a considerable time familiarising myself with the scores before picking up a recorder. There is always a time for me when the dots on the page turn into living, breathing phrases of music. It is then that the nerves turn to adrenaline and I can look forward to the gig.