Several long time members of the band have now
left, Karin being one of them. Dr A is heading for more blues club gigs,
which unfortunately seem to take place mid week, which proved impossible
for those members with a full time job. She will be missed greatly and we
wish her luck with her future endeavours.
Karin can't remember exactly when she first started singing! But she
joined her first choir when she was old enough to read (5 yrs old) at
church in her native Netherlands. She spent many years singing with
various choirs including, at the age of 17, a year in The United States
with the Concert Choir of her High School. Whilst in The States she also
sang in two musicals at The Sioux Falls Community Playhouse ("Hello
Dolly" and a "Celebration of the Musicals" medley), as
well as her High School's production of "The Wizard of Oz". On
her return to The Netherlands she went back to singing in her church
choir, until she decided to spread her wings and moved to Scotland for
work. There she struck up a friendship with the fabulous Jimmy Campbell,
local keyboard legend, whom she asked to learn one of her favourite
Gershwin tunes 'Stairway to Paradise'. He said he would, if she would
sing it. This led to hour-long guest slots in Jimmy's weekly
performances at the Hotel where she lived. This really gave her a taste
for "live" performing as a solo singer. When she eventually
left Scotland and moved to Cambridge it took winning a Karaoke
competition to get her back on stage. She started doing solo gigs with a
backing track, but soon discovered that this was not something she
enjoyed. She missed the interaction with other people on stage. When her
work took her to Peterborough, she met and started dating Tommo, who
asked her to sing backing vocals with his band The Mary Hinge
Experience. This band lost some members, but was then reformed including
David Astell and Mick Castellano. When Dave mentioned he was forming a
blues band, Karin jumped at the chance to be a part of it and the legend
that has become Dr A's Blues Consortium was born!
You can find more information on Karin on her MySpace page:
www.myspace.com/flyingdutchbird
Stop Press:
- Karin and Tommo got married (to each other) on March 29th 2003
thereby bring domestic harmony to the dance floor!!!!!!!!!
Musical Influences
- If this section is for music that she has heard and which has also
influenced her in one way or another. The list would be endless…
Some of her favourites include: ·
- Annie Lennox
- Anastacia
- Anything written by George and Ira Gershwin
- Creed
- Les Miserables
- Blues related: ·
- Eva Cassidy
- The Commitments
- Bonnie Raitt
- The Blues Brothers
- David Astell
- Neil Johns
Musical Ambitions
Singing Jazz and joining David on the Jools Holland show…
Favourite Position
Right in Front of Valli's Kick Drum!!!!!!!
Karin van Driel