Ted Chapman : Saxophone, Vocals, uke

I`m pretty much self taught, initial influences being rock, blues and jazz including Van Der Graaf Generator, John Martyn, Miles Davis and Pharaoh Sanders.I spent 10 years playing and touring with a traditional roots / dance group called Prego - this broadened my palette and, at the same time I also developed a deeper interest in reggae.
During summers spent busking I found that using short reggae loops allowed a great deal of improvisational freedom and having noted the response of the public I began looking out for the right musicians who would use the busking set as a starting point for a full band to gig with.
I have written poetry since my teens which comments on my own experiences and observations on philosophical questions of human existence.
I lost contact with my daughter in 1996 and suffered a long period of deep depression followed by what I view as a series of spiritual emergencies, and what the medical world views as mania / psychosis. There were periods during these times that were very creative both lyrically and musically. I believe that this form of mental illness is greatly misumailto:[email protected]nderstood by western society, particularly the medical and pharmaceutical professions. Infact this is another reason I wanted to form the Cactus Room band, that is: to raise awareness of mental health issues in general and the inappropriate way society deals with and treats them.
The Cactus Room supports the Root And Branch Derbyshire's project that aims to create and set up places which provide alternative ways of supporting people in mental / spiritual crisis. This has become a vocation for both myself and Deb (my partner, also diagnosed bi-polar).
http://www.rootandbranchderbyshire.org
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Root-and-Branch-Project-Derbyshire/227023103980175?fref=ts
During summers spent busking I found that using short reggae loops allowed a great deal of improvisational freedom and having noted the response of the public I began looking out for the right musicians who would use the busking set as a starting point for a full band to gig with.
I have written poetry since my teens which comments on my own experiences and observations on philosophical questions of human existence.
I lost contact with my daughter in 1996 and suffered a long period of deep depression followed by what I view as a series of spiritual emergencies, and what the medical world views as mania / psychosis. There were periods during these times that were very creative both lyrically and musically. I believe that this form of mental illness is greatly misumailto:[email protected]nderstood by western society, particularly the medical and pharmaceutical professions. Infact this is another reason I wanted to form the Cactus Room band, that is: to raise awareness of mental health issues in general and the inappropriate way society deals with and treats them.
The Cactus Room supports the Root And Branch Derbyshire's project that aims to create and set up places which provide alternative ways of supporting people in mental / spiritual crisis. This has become a vocation for both myself and Deb (my partner, also diagnosed bi-polar).
http://www.rootandbranchderbyshire.org
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Root-and-Branch-Project-Derbyshire/227023103980175?fref=ts