Hello, I’m Mags
I am a community musician and somatic wellbeing practitioner, specialising in Tension or Trauma Release Exercise also known as TRE.
As a community musician I have had the pleasure of working with the beautiful instruments of Central Javanese gamelan for over 25years with people of all ages and abilities.
In the 1990s, I joined a community gamelan group, gamelan Naga Mas. I fell in love with the music and the instruments and took every opportunity to play and learn more from teachers in the UK and Indonesia.
On completing my music degree in 2000,
I began offering gamelan workshops for Glasgow City and South Lanarkshire Councils in schools, day centres and arts venues. Across 2007-2023, I worked with the UK charity, Good Vibrations facilitating gamelan workshops in prisons, secure hospitals and community settings. In recent years I’ve given workshops for the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, National Orchestra For All, Paragon and G20 Works. I continue to play with gamelan Naga Mas and facilitate their weekly rehearsals.
As a somatic wellbeing practitioner,
I specialise in Tension or Trauma Release Exercise known as TRE . I completed my training with TRE Scotland in 2022 and I’m registered with TRE for All. I continue to expand my learning through advanced training and masterclasses with the TRE Centre , TRE Australia Train TRE and Neurogenic Integration.
I also offer community wellbeing groups and workshops drawing on various practices including Capacitar, Mindfulness and the foundational practices of TRE of grounding, embodiment and regulation through a Polyvagal lens.
Why glimmering?
Like most people I am always delighted when I see sunlight glimmering through trees or shimmering on the water. When I work with the gamelan the golden metal on the instruments literally glimmers in the sunlight and you can create shimmering musical textures with some simple playing techniques.
For a time I also worked as a storyteller and I used the word glimmer to describe the way an insight would appear when listening to or working with a story through symbols, myth and metaphor – opening up new understanding.
And finally, I loved hearing Deb Dana’s definition of a glimmer when I learned about Polyvagal Theory during my TRE training. She describes glimmers as a small moment when the nervous system settles and feels safe enough – a moment of regulation.
All of these definitions chime with me. Noticing and treasuring how I experience being in nature, playing music, listening to stories…noticing what restores me… remembering where I find my joy.
ALCM Music Diploma 1992
BA (Hons) Applied Music with community 2000
Permaculture Certificate 2012
Youth Mindfulness 2016
TRE Provider 2022
Capacitar 2023
Memberships and Registration
Musicians Union
TRE for All
Qualifications
Contact me
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