blog

THE SWIMMING POOL SESSIONS: CHAPTER 1

ON HOW ADVERSITY, THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN AND DESERT ISLAND DISCS WERE CATALYSTS FOR CHANGE

“I am a conductor, musician, speaker, and Artistic Director of Paraorchestra. On Sunday 24th May I bared my soul on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. In an interview with Lauren Laverne I discussed deep-set trauma from my childhood - it was both petrifying, and incredibly liberating. The pandemic is a time of vulnerability; we all face uncertainty, adversity, anxiety and loss. But this collective experience has made it feel - more so than ever - OK to be vulnerable. For me it’s been a time of reflection, a time to face and embrace my professional failures and shame and be 100% true to who I am. I'm left feeling stronger and more whole; and genuinely ready to take on the future and finding joy in whatever is ahead of us. Whether that be creating exciting new orchestral experiences with Paraorchestra, or trying my hand at vlogging and the wizardly of homemade videos!”

CHARLES HAZLEWOOD MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER

As a motivational speaker and after dinner host, Charles draws from his rich experiences as an international conductor and Artistic Director of Paraorchestra to demonstrate the simple ingredients of orchestrating success that anyone can adopt in their professional - or personal - life. Through story-telling, music-making and interesting anecdotes, Charles delivers dynamic presentations on themes of adversity, disruption, creativity, trust, authenticity, teamwork and leadership. Following his revelations on Desert Island Discs Charles shares his process of recovery in the hardest of times, and how sharing vulnerabilities builds trust and creates connections in a new presentation, Dare to be Vulnerable.