It’s coming up on a year since I made one of the pivotal decisions of my photography career. My daughter was coming up on 9 months old and I was invited to the ABC Concert in Winchester by some friends that was called ‘Jingle Bell Jazz’. I was intrigued… I had heard of the concerts but not managed to attend due to nap times, lunch times or just not being able to get myself together to get out of the house on time…

Advertised as a ‘family friendly’ event, on the final Saturday before Christmas, it sounded right up my street. As a musician myself, live music is particularly exciting to me. I grew up in a family who celebrated music, appreciated music and I have many happy musical memories from my childhood.

Whilst growing up there were the obligatory ‘Recorder’ lessons in primary school and I had the honour of joining ‘Recorder Choir’, performing a whole range of interesting pieces, much to the delight of my very supportive family. During Middle School I graduated to the Flute and spent many hours practising for various grades and performances. From there my love for music developed as I learnt the Tenor Saxophone, the Piano and finally the Oboe. I sang in the choir, performed in a range of school productions, and loved a very eclectic mixture and range of music – I still do! So any performance involving music is one for me…

I was lucky enough to learn how to read music at a very early age and my friends and I enjoyed singing in harmony in our spare time – we really were that cool. Looking back now I can see that music was and remains a significant part of my identity and it is my intention to continue sharing this love of music with my family as it grows.

Last December, I booked my tickets and off we went to the concert. It was located in a beautiful, hidden gem of a building in Winchester – The United Church on Jewry St. If you ever get the chance to visit this building and walk beyond the room in which the Child Health Clinic takes place, it is truly wonderful. Once there, I noticed a sign about a photographer being present, I looked around but couldn’t see anyone actively taking photographs, so I started snapping away…

I didn’t go over the top, just captured a few of the performers in action. After the event I approached Neil and his wife and asked them if they would like to see the images and they said yes! It was here our partnership was born…

In January we started attending concerts regularly and I really cannot rate them highly enough. Unique to Winchester, and now expanding into Southampton and Portsmouth, Neil and his family work tirelessly to provide a wide range of professional, classical performers in a relaxed setting, for families to enjoy. It is about teaching babies and children to appreciate music, and become music lovers. It is about bonding as a family and sharing something special, sharing the music.

The concerts are informal, babies and children are invited to join in with the concerts and enjoy them however they wish. Dancing, singing, jumping, screaming, eating, feeding, whatever makes them happy! Adults are asked only to keep their talking to a minimum to ensure they demonstrate and model the behaviour expected by concert goers and music lovers.

The effect music has on young minds is incredibly significant. Songs, rhythm, music impact the physical, emotional and intellectual development of babies. It can also strengthen their cognitive and sensory development. All this can be going on and you can be having a positive impact on your baby’s development in just 40 minutes at an ABC Concert.

There is a massive amount of research about music and babies, how it can affect them in positive ways as they grow as well as a close link between music and linguistic development. All this, plus the fact that it is lots of fun, gives you more than one reason to book your ticket for the next concert.

We love the ABC Concerts, we attend as many as we can and our photography adds that extra special opportunity for the parents and performers – to capture the moment they are sharing together, on their musical journey, and enable them to treasure it forever. We love seeing the families return to the concerts each month, to see the families grow and the children change and be on hand to seize the moment and develop images that reflect the true power of music.

If you haven’t been to an ABC Concert then check out their Facebook page for the upcoming events. There is one THIS FRIDAY in Winchester! Why not have a look? Their concert in Portsmouth this week was SOLD OUT, which speaks volumes. Children and babies are free and we promise you, once you’ve been to a concert you will be filling up your diary with their future dates…

We love ABC Concerts and we are proud to be working in partnership with them to bring music to the families of Hampshire. One of the best decisions I have ever made was photographing that concert and looking deep into the souls of the music lovers. The reaction of the babies and children clearly show the impact the music is having and capturing such magic is a deep honour.