Tom Lyne
Originally from Edmonton, Canada, Tom is a sound designer, composer, and bassist/musician located in Pathhead, Midlothian. Having been a professional jazz bassist and composer for more than 35 years, Tom also works as a recording engineer, music producer and sound designer for film, theatre, and video and he loves to cook and make bread.
In spring 2020, Tom completed a MSc in Sound Design at Napier University in Edinburgh and wrote a masters dissertation investigating the use of sound to enhance narrative. This interest led to work documenting natural locations and exploring narratives found within our local environments.
About sound, Tom says:
” Sound Design has provided me with a way to explore my environment using my ears and a microphone. I recall being inspired by a TV documentary in 1978 that showed how they made the sounds of Star Wars and the recording techniques of Ben Burtt. That program sparked a lifelong fascination with recording sounds and manipulating them. It was fortuitous I became a musician and began recording in studio environments from the age of 15. However, it would be much later before I really headed out into the field (literally) with a microphone and a recording machine. I also believe there is a great worth in listening and understanding what we hear, so I am on a bit of a mission. Come listen.“
About bread, Tom says:
“I bake and cook because I love it. My elder sisters will both tell you I began cooking meals around 7 or 8 years old, which generally consisted of fish fingers, chips, and frozen peas. My fascination and journey into breadmaking began around then when I discovered the Kraft Pizza kits at the shopping store in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – where I grew up. I was probably 10 years old at this time, obsessed with pizza and making my own bases. This led me down the path of making my own bread and discovering the mystery and magic of water, yeast, and flour (and a bit of salt and sugar). Scroll forward many years and having spent a few teenage years flipping burgers, I continued exploring cooking styles and different cuisines. When I moved away to university in Montreal, the food landscape really opened up a lot, but I was still struggling to make bread work for me. I knew very well how to make it, but the results were never quite right, though the pizzas were pretty good. I read every recipe book I could get my hands on and tried as many different methods of breadmaking, but I seemed stuck on something and couldn’t quite figure it out.
Scroll forward again, many more years this time, to the year 2000 when I moved to Pathhead, Midlothian in Scotland. One day not long after I arrived I made a really simple bread recipe that I am sure I have made probably hundreds of times previously, and for some reason, it really worked. I was so struck by this success that I tried it a few more times to make sure and it just worked, more or less, every time. And a couple of decades later I am now here, making plain loaves, focaccias, scones, croissants, pitta breads, pizzas, baguettes, bannock, sweet breads ……….. – every type of bread you can imagine. On reflection, I think the success with bread had something to do with that moment of my life, reflecting where I had finally arrived. Bread is a reflection of life and is able to draw your energy and use that to create the texture and smell of fresh bread that entices everyone who catches a whiff. The recipe is very simple. It is an old recipe that every breadmaker has always used. It takes a bit of time and attention to bring everything together in the right order to get the alchemy working properly. Then you need to make sure you don’t accidentally kill your loaf (it happens!), and give it space to rise and be cooked. This is the experience that makes it all worthwhile.
I can introduce you to this process and help navigate some of the pitfalls and challenges of getting your loaf to the right place. My workshops will guide you through the beginnings, regardless of your experience, and you will find your own way to breathe life into the timeless tradition of bread making. Through a combination of demonstrations and hands-on work you will come away with some new techniques and energy for bread making.”
Sophie Bancroft
Sophie Bancroft is a singer and songwriter with a unique blend of jazz and folk influences. She has released nine CDs to date. In 2019 she was awarded a Masters with distinction in Creative Writing and more recently she has expanded her creative practice to include creative writing, photography and film-making. Sophie’s creative work has often reflected her own personal story. Her current work is inspired by the perspectives of middle age. She has recently collaborated on creative ageing projects with her local choir and with arts organisation Deepness Dementia Media.
Sophie co-leads The Pathhead Choir, and conducting choirs and leading group songs is one of her great loves. She has taught at many of the major music universities in Scotland – currently at the Reid School of Music, Edinburgh University – as well as lecturing and leading workshops on song-writing.
Sophie completed training by Lapidus Scotland to become a facilitator for Writing For Wellbeing groups in 2021 and co-leads HeidSpace, a monthly writing for wellbeing group in Pathhead. She loves how the use of words is accessible to everyone, and another of her great loves is help facilitate others to explore their own creative writing.