Milton Mermikides - Top Trump Card

Age: 33 (26.05.71)
Born: Hampton, Middlesex
Ethnicity: Greek Descent
Religion: Jedi or N/A depending on mood
Trouser size: 32 regular
Height: 172.5m = 5’ 8”
Weight: 63kg (10 stone) and dropping!
Number of guitars: 10 or 11
Number of Hats: 9
Middle name: John
An artist he likes: M.C. Escher
Favourite Film: "It’s a wonderful life" and "You CAN Square-Dance, Vol. 2"

Who the hell is Milton Mermikides?

No need to be like that. But if you are twisting my virtual arm, here is a quick biography (note the dramatic shift to the third person):

Son of an Indian-born Greek nuclear physicist and Egyptian law-student, Milton moved around a lot: He also traveled extensively. Despite showing early promise, he never kept his word. Initial musical activities involved tuning the radio between MW stations creating interesting, albeit infuriating, soundscapes. He discovered the guitar at the age of eight, yet insisted that he had 'invented' it. His first guitar composition, entitled 'Ghosts'- involved letting the E-string resonate then pushing the A-string against it, creating another example of the interesting-yet-annoying texture that was becoming a characteristic of his oeuvre. Seven-hour performances of the work still failed to endear him to an increasingly alienated public. An innocent mistake in his late teens resulted in an economics degree from LSE. Composing himself, he then set off to Berklee College of Music, where a right royal time was had by all.

On return to jolly old Blighty, he got stuck into guitar-teaching, playing, composing and arse-ing around. A mix-up involving a carnation, a man with a briefcase and a late train at Paddington Station resulted in:

A professorship at the Royal Academy of Music (Music Technology)
Jazz Guitar professor at the Royal College of Music
PhD research work at UniS (Guitar Improvisation)

Current Positions:

Royal Academy of Music: Head of Music Technology. A wonderful institution with a flourishing electro-acoustic department and excellent Jazz course.

Royal College of Music: Jazz Guitar Professor. I am very honoured to be part of this excellent faculty.

 

Current Projects:

MiltCentral: A website promoting a positive approach to healing and delaing with serious disease. Response has been nothing short of astonishing. I have BIG plans for MilCentral - but they can basically be summarized as: Inspire people to follow their bliss, lead their best lives.

Music of the Body: Collaboration with the brilliant artist/sculptor Angela Palmer. I have developed systems to convert the complex interactions within the human body into musical compositions. The results are, I suggest humbly, beautiful. Here is an excerpt of a compositional extraction from a coronal suture (the tracing of the human skull) : Listen

Improvisation: Despite what my supervisors may claim, I am busy working for my PhD in Guitar Performance (Well more like a heuristic enquiry into improvisational techniques and methodologies towards a more unified analytical model but you didn't need to know that). This is under the supervision of the brilliant composer - and friend/sufferer of mine - Dr. Steve Goss at the University of Surrey. Dr. Goss I'll post up some material before you know it.

Rat Park : An exciting trio performing an eclectic potage of original and refreshing music. Influences include, but fortunately not limited to: Jazz, Greek Folk, Funk, Stravinsky, John Cage, Death-Metal and the theme from Countdown. Stylistic leaps, rhythmic surprises, harmonic liberties and an industrious use of technological effects conspire to create an emotional, if not religious, entertainment experience. Co-conspirators are the disgustingly talented John Calvert (Bass) and the equally repulsive Adam Betts (Drums) : listen to this one.

 

Current Buns:

Pardon?

 

Use this info as you see fit. It is unlikely to self-destruct any time before May 2017.