Ayvin Rogers

Hi, I've been a volunteer 'community activist' based in Lyme Regis, Dorset since the 1990s, with previous leading roles in numerous community organisations and arts projects. I currently chair B Sharp, a small young people's music charity. We started in 2007 and have achieved some wonderful things thanks to the support we've had from Youth Music since 2008. 

Young people have always had my support. Countering bad press, giving them a voice and creating vehicles for developing creativity, enterprise and initiative is something worthwhile. It's good to work with people who share these views. Thank you Youth Music for this network site.

I curate the B Sharp resources website which has many links to progress young people's musical journey beyond our offer (on line music training & further education, jobs, music industry organisations, music education resources/organisations, discovering music, indie self promotion, looking after well being for musicians and support for those affected by injury, illness or disability, music entrepreneurship, funding for new music business, funding for music students, buying/looking after instruments, singing....) and notes on 'Ideas Into Action' - event/project planning for young promoters and emerging leaders to encourage music enterprise and innovation. There are also many links that are useful for music educators. Great for signposting! It needs better organisation/presentation/navigation. As I'm a webmaster amateur, help with this would be very welcome!

My love of music led me into DJing, after a history of putting music together for parties back in the age of cassette tapes. I've an eclectic taste ranging from Jazz, Latin/Brazil/world, funk, soul/Motown, hip-hop, lounge, electronica, swing, rockabilly, remixes & mash-ups. It goes on. 

I think a DJ should give an adventure in music. It has parallels with travel. The hardest thing about travel is leaving home in the first place. It's too easy to get stuck in a musical rut and I'm frequently disappointed to encounter people who are only willing to dance to the familiar/music from their teen/student days. My attitude is 'be curious, leave the familiar, explore, enjoy, share'. There is so much out there and I'm always learning. When I DJ, expect the unexpected. I most enjoy the 'meet and greet' part of parties when there's no pressure to dance and I can introduce great music at a foot tapping backgound level.

You can listen to a few compilations I've made on SoundCloud.

Other interests include: 

The natural sciences - I studied Agricultural Botany (Nottingham) and 'Bio Molecular Organisation' (Birkbeck, London) - relating the 3 dimensional atomic structures of biological molecules to their function. I've been trained to look for evidence to support a position, whether it's in science, philosophy or politics and Youth Music's evidence based policies are very welcome. 

Travel, which I incorporated into my work as a craft importer/retailer for many years (see Fuego gift shop below), with a culmination of over 5 years exploring Latin America, from Mexico to Tierra del Fuego and all countries in between.

Current affairs, politics and 'making things happen'. I'm a BBC Radio 4 & World Service fan.

Food/cooking - while no Master Chef, it's always interesting to see, smell and taste things change as you tweak, prod and generally mess about - cooking has a similar fascination to the hocus pocus of science labs. I often take the advice of a fridge magnet that says, "If in doubt, add more wine".

LinkedIn profile.