Newstart student Iain Donald hopes to develop his creative skills to help enhance his musical career – which will see him jet off to an iconic hill country blues festival in Mississippi, USA later this year.
Iain, 37 from Alloa, aims to progress to a Graphic Design course at Forth Valley College once his Newstart subject taster course ends this year. He hopes the creative insight he has gained on the course with enable him to become self-sufficient as a musician, artist and performer.
The Delta Blues man Iain – who under the nickname ‘The Gator’ has been performing for the last 20 years - also recently recorded a tribute to his mum Karen Ann Donald, who died at only 56 in 2018. Iain played guitar on a cover of ‘See That My Grave is Kept Clean’, which was originally recorded by Blind Lemon Jefferson in the 1920s.
Due to Iain’s wide circle of contacts in the blues world, he recruited Candice Ivory from St Louis, Missouri, to sing vocals and Martin Mullady a local singer songwriter from Alloa to help record and produce the song.
Along with his partner Fiona Gault who he presents a show with on Dunoon Community Radio, Iain has also been invited to the Alice Mae Festival in the USA, in November 2023.
Former butcher Iain, said: “I really wanted to release some music in memory of my mum as she never got to see me perform, so this recording was quite bitter sweet for me. In many ways it was the last part of closure for me and a conscious effort to pay tribute to her as I don’t think I really grieved properly for her. I am sure she would have loved it.
“I think being a musician is what I was made to do. I was a butcher for 20 years, but even though I have less money now than I ever had, I am a lot happier being a professional musician. I am glad I followed my dream.
“The Newstart course has been really good for me as it gives you a taster of a lot of subject areas and has helped me to focus on graphic design. I think pursuing a course in this will help me become self-sufficient as an artist and allow me to be even more creative.
“The facilities and the lecturers at the College are really good and I would really recommend it to anyone.
“As far as the Alice Mae Festival in November is concerned Fiona and I are really excited about it. Through the radio show on Dunoon County Radio, we were invited along by the son of one of my blues heroes, RL Burnside. We interviewed his son Gary on the show and he invited us both to come across to play.
“I love Delta Blues and Hill Country Blues and there is a following in Scotland, but I believe it is part of my job to keep it alive.”
Kirsteen Wright, a FVC Creative Industries Lecturer, said: “Iain has thrown himself into the Newstart course and is learning new skills every week that will follow him through to his next course in NC Graphic Design. He is a very enthusiastic student and with his music skills it’s going to be brilliant to see what Iain comes up with next creatively.”
For more information on Newstart Creative Industries courses and graphic design visit https://www.forthvalley.ac.uk/courses/creative-industries-and-media and https://www.forthvalley.ac.uk/courses/art-and-design