Nick Stokes (Trustee)
Greetings, I'm Nick! I'm the father of three young brass musicians, and watched them progress through the Hub's specialist groups, wind bands and orchestras, while also coming along to sit in and help out on trombone as well as volunteering at Hub events. Though the kids have now left the Hub groups to go on and study at the Purcell School for Young Musicians, I still help out in the Senior Orchestra brass section and at Hub events. As a musical parent and an active semi-professional musician, I'm passionate about inspiring and encouraging young musicians and I hope that through volunteering with the Friends and the Hub ensembles I can help inspire the next generation of musicians, as well as giving something back to an organisation which gave so many opportunities to my own children!
Some things about me:
- Most memorable performance: Playing in the Minotaur Band for the huge Sheffield community production of The Monster In The Maze, and having our "monstrous" brass sounds favourably compared to the brass of the Berlin Philharmonic!
- Favourite song/artist: A totally impossible question! I listen to everything from classical to jazz to techno to death metal, so the answer to this varies by mood, season and day!
- Hobby outside of work: My main hobby is music, playing in brass bands, wind bands and small ensembles. However, I also go Geocaching, love to cook and bake, and enjoy hiking and the outdoors.
- Favourite food: Another difficult one, I am a true omnivore and just love food! Perhaps a full Scottish breakfast (complete with haggis, black, white and fruit puddings!), a really good curry, or a warm cinnamon bun with a cup of good coffee outside on a crisp winter afternoon!
- Favourite place in Sheffield: Am I allowed to say the Bramall Lane Kop just after a last minute winner for the Blades? No? In that case, out in the hills above Bradfield feeling the wind and watching the clouds fly by!
- Surprising fact: I played a very small part on a track on an album by Richard Hawley, which got to number 6 in the album charts. I'm named on the album sleeve, and on the Wikipedia page for the album!
