Name: Jay Mackie
Age: 46
From: Cardiff
Lives: Cardiff
Occupation: Freelance composer/instrumental music teacher
Favourite Pastime: Collecting and reading magazines
Us creative types remember only too well when upon being asked what we wanted to be when we grew up, we excitedly shared our dreams of seeing our name up in lights at the West End; becoming the next Picasso, starting a girl group that would go on to be bigger than the Spice Girls, or launching our new collection at Paris Fashion Week, and we were very encouragingly told by our parents to... get a proper job!
Well meet Jay Mackie. Not only did he follow his dreams of pursuing a career in music but he proved that it is very much a real job (not that he was ever told that it wasn't!) Angel's brother-from-another-mother Jay is a composer and music teacher, who not only studied at the prestigious Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (where Angel would have killed to have gone to!) but he also went on to work there. He has a career in music composition that spans more than twenty five years which is hard to believe as he still only looks about twenty five! We'll have whatever he's having!
Welsh born and raised, Jay still resides in his beloved Cardiff with his lovely family, and when he's not composing his musical masterpieces, he's an avid vintage magazine collector; a lover of old-school telly; an eighties enthusiast, and is addicted to retro fashion. As with music, vintage was made for Jay the same way eyeliner was made for Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes - a band of whom Jay is a big fan.
We caught up with Jay to find out more about his career in music; what's influenced and inspired him over the years... and why he played Give Us A Clue during PE!
A big, fat welcome to you, my lovely! Help yourself to a slice of pie and something to wash it down with. What are you having?
I’m already with a slice of my favourite pie (Cherry Bakewell) and a large mug of Earl Grey Tea
Excellent choice! I'm partial to a cherry Bakewell myself. Let's take this way back when! What do you define as 'your era' and why?
Well my favourite era is the 1980s which was during my childhood and teenage years from 5-15 years. My happiest memories was of primary school and my large family. I have a lot of cousins (30 odd!) as my father was one of 11 - large Catholic family! So we were very close as a family and I spent a lot of time playing with my cousins. I also have lovely memories of family holidays during this decade. So I’d say this is ‘my’ era.
Gotta love the eighties! You’re a composer. Tell us a little bit about your work.
I started composing when I was 15 as it was a component of my GCSE music course. On spec, I sent some early pieces to a music publisher which was accepted for publication when I was 16, just after I’d begun my A-levels in Music, French and Spanish at sixth form college.
I knew then that I wanted to go far with composing as it was getting more serious and taking up all my time. I was hooked on it and just wanted to be a professional composer. The idea of creating music then hearing it played was just so thrilling to me and an unusual career.
After A-levels I worked for four years to gain some experience in the ‘real’ world and obviously to earn my own money. During this time I also paid for private composition lessons at music college as I’d decided by now to study composition as the main subject of a music degree. I started my degree in 1997 and graduated in 2000. I went back for more as I did a Masters in composition from 2002-2004.
Composing is a funny thing as only a tiny percentage of composers actually do it as a full-time job. The rest combine it with a main teaching or lecturing job or work as a professional musician. Some just do a totally different job and compose as a hobby.
For me it took years to realise I wasn’t going to be a full-time salaried composer so over the years I’ve done various main jobs. These include retail in my younger days and following that I trained as a primary school teaching assistant. I did this for 15 years off and on and after that I worked as an instrumental music teacher in piano and woodwind and a classroom primary music teacher. After that I moved to Nottingham and resumed teaching assistance.
During all my full-time jobs, I’ve always composed and still had things published and performed. So I guess it’s always been a part-time job in a way.
You’re also a music teacher. What do you remember about your music lessons when you were at school and how awesome were your music teachers?
I started piano lessons when I was 8 years old as my uncle had lessons and I used to love messing around on his piano. My teacher was 83 at the time but he was too strict and I didn’t take to it as I hated practising! So I quit but always knew I’d go back to it later as it felt like I was a bit young to appreciate it.
My real musical epiphany didn’t come until I was 13 and at high school. A very inspiring new music teacher called Liz York started and I just wanted to be involved in all the great things she was offering as she turned the musical life of the school around. I could already play recorder and a bit of piano and I started guitar lessons after school, sang in the school choir and began flute when I was 14. A year later I felt more mature and experienced enough to resume piano lessons with the same teacher - who was 90 by now! But with my extra experience and musical knowledge I took to piano better second time round.
I had a lovely flute teacher at school called Trish Jones who I idolized. She and Liz encouraged me no end as in my last year of high school I was already grade 6 standard. After GCSEs I won a scholarship for free flute lessons for 2 years at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. I did these flute lessons weekly and had passed my grade 8 flute by the time I was about to sit my A-levels in the summer of 1993. During this time I was also playing in a small jazz ensemble full of other high school and sixth form students. This was really cool and about a year previously, I’d acquired another instrument - the clarinet - which I’d taught myself to play and was a useful addition to the flute in the jazz ensemble.
Aside from flute and clarinet, are there any other instruments that you can play?
I play piano and flute (my main instruments) but I also have grade 6 recorder, and I can play the clarinet and saxophone too.
Man of many talents - and instruments! Who are your musical influences?
My popular musical influences haven’t really influenced the music I write but I’ve always loved these artists and followed their careers: Gloria Estefan, U2, All About Eve, Matt Bianco, Basia, Pink Martini.
I have really eclectic tastes in music encompassing classical and jazz but I also love old school popular music by legends such as Elton John, Neil Diamond, Fleetwood Mac and many others.
You’re a fan of TV shows from the seventies and eighties. What’s your favourite TV score?
This is a hard one. I used to love the very jolly old theme tune to the iconic ITV holiday show, Wish You Were Here…? but I’ve always liked film scores. Anything by John Williams so any film score to classic 80s films by him such as E.T. Indiana Jones films etc.
Is there a theme for a film that you wish you’d composed?
Wish I’d have been good enough at music technology as I might have become a successful film composer then! So yes, I wish I’d composed a John Williams’ film score to make my Hollywood name and fortune!!
Who in the world of music would you most like to work with?
I’d love to have collaborated on a film score with John Williams - obviously!
What influences from your childhood and teen years steered you towards the path of a career in music?
My biggest influences were my high school music teacher Liz York and my high school flute teacher, Trish Jones. I owe all my subsequent musical experiences and successes to them!
This or That
1980s or 1990s?
1980s for the memories and fashion
Chocolate chip or vanilla bean?
Chocolate chip definitely - mint chocolate chip is my favourite ice cream!
Grunge or Techno?
Do I have to choose between grunge and techno? Well, neither is my bag but I’m not a fan of clubby dance music so I’ll go grunge!
Neighbours or Home and Away?
Always followed Neighbours much more than Home & Away.
Top of the Pops or The Chart Show?
TOTP no contest! That’s what kept me up-to-date with the week’s new releases. I lived for 7.30 on a Thursday night! It’s a shame it was stopped, as now, I haven’t a clue what’s in the charts any more. And I could be missing some great new artists. (Agree a hundred per cent! - Angel)
LA Gear or British Knights?
I was never a ‘must-have-those-cool-new-trainers- kind of kid, or adult really! But if I made a choice based on how they look I’d go for British Knights.
West Side Story or Grease?
Two iconic musicals - what a choice!! It’d have to be West Side Story, mainly for the music. Leonard Bernstein wrote some of the finest musical songs in WSS. Still sound awesome today.
Loungewear or Sportswear?
Never been sporty really so sportswear has been always been largely absent from my wardrobe - but loungewear rocks. I have many pairs of fleecy loungewear trousers. I live in them - well during lockdown staying in was the new going out, wasn’t it? Even before that for me actually..!
Take That or Bad Boys Inc?
Bad Boys Inc! I Had a major crush on David Ross for ages and you’d have found him adorning my bedroom walls c. 1994.
I only actually recently found out he is gay and lives in Los Angeles. Yes!!!!
P.E. or Double Science?
Oh god - horrible memories of high school. Wasn’t a fan of this period in my life - except for the music but I hated everything else.
I’m lucky as I was medically excused from PE and Games due to me being born blind in my right eye, so during this time I’d have a laugh with my friends who used to take it in turns to bunk off and keep me company. It’d usually involve us finding an empty classroom and trying to avoid getting rumbled by a wandering teacher. I think we used to play Give Us A Clue and muck around with those silly stories you’d all take it in turns to write a line, fold it over then pass it on so you’d end up with a very silly and often hilarious story!
Hated all sciences at school and was rubbish at them. I used to zone out, chat and muck about with friends and generally have a good laugh!
And Finally…
What do you think of sea shanties? (that one's from The Fella!)
Sea shanties?! Well…I heard recently a guy has tried to make them popular again?? Nathan Evans that’s him. Apparently he loves them and he’s gone viral singing them on TikTok!
They were essential during long sea voyages to maintain morale amongst the sailors and rowers below. I think shanties were the equivalent of the black workers in Africa singing blues songs whilst working on the plantations. Just one musical style was at sea and the other on land.
I bet if I delved into it sea shanties have an interesting history…I wonder if anyone has written any contemporary ones? (Um, maybe you could??? - Angel!)
If you enjoyed our post with Jay and you'd like to collaborate with him on a project; hire him as a music teacher; ask him more about a career in music composition, or just say hi (he's super friendly!) You can connect with Jay at any of the following:
Instagram - @greenjourney94
Facebook - @JayMackieMusic
Jay - it's been a pleasure. Cheers mate! xx
Photos: Courtesy of Jay Mackie, Pixabay and Wix
Word Cloud: Angel Noire
