Back in the first lockdown of 2020 I was a teacher who suddenly found myself with a lot of free time on my hands. I had been wanting to take music more seriously for a long time so I decided to take the opportunity to build myself a website and social media presence and dip my toes into making some recordings from home. My wife had also set me a challenge in 2020 to write a song every month, and I might not have succeeded every single month, but some of the songs I wrote, particularly in lockdown, have become staples in my repertoire. Once schools went back in September I found I didn’t have the time or energy to keep up with what we had started in lockdown.
In the Summer of 2021 we moved from Sheffield to Aberdeen, which was quite a big adjustment, but I made the decision to become more active in the local folk scene, which I hadn’t been able to do in Sheffield. Since moving to Aberdeen I have been attending weekly sessions at the Northern Bar, and I’m also a member of Aberdeen Folk Club, sharing songs I learned growing up on the Wirral as well as those that I’ve picked up along the way in Reading and Sheffield, and a few of my own songs.
In 2022 I was asked to perform for St Patrick’s day at the Northern Bar along with Bob Knight, a slot I was invited back for this year. I was also invited to take part in a showcase hosted by Leopard Arts in Spring 2022 at the Blue Lamp where I performed alongside other local musicians, poets and artists. I also won my first shanty singing competition at a local festival, and have been performing for entertainment nights at the Aberdeen Cricket Club. I left my teaching job in November 2022 to pursue a career in education outside of teaching. Since then I have continued to engage with the local folk scene, and I have reignited my passion for writing my own material and have been taking on more performances at local venues.
Back in lockdown I made the decision to perform under the pseudonym Ally McLeod to protect myself from any students of mine who might try and engage with me outside the classroom. Now that I am no longer a teacher, I am performing under my own name, Alex Cummings, and look forward to performing more locally and further afield. My social media presence and website went neglected for quite some time, in fact I haven’t posted on my Instagram since April 2022! I have, however, been taking some time to develop a new website and update my social media presence to reflect the progress I have made as a musician, and I look forward to sharing my musical journey with you!
Alex
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Alex Cummings Music 