I've been enjoying the opportunity to play in some classical music settings recently, and the challenge of getting my flute chops up to scratch! Following on from Northern Lights Wind Quintet's Saturday lunchtime performance at St Paul's Cathedral, Dundee, I've two more concerts coming up in October. Flutes en Route is an ensemble that started life while its members were all students at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). I joined the quartet in 2010, and since then we've had lots of great times from recitals to community concerts and the development of a musical storytelling project in conjunction with Live Music Now. We'll be playing a varied programme at Stranraer 'Music For All' (St John's Church, Stranraer) on Friday 3rd October at 7.30pm. October also sees the launch of The Glasgow New Music Expedition, a group I'm very proud to be part of. The ensemble performs music by living composers, and will open its concert season at the Arches, Glasgow, on the 17th. Our Artistic Director, Richard Greer, has been working hard to organise it all: no mean feat. GNME now needs an extra boost to its infrastructure to ensure that everything runs in a smooth and professional manner, doing justice to everybody's hard work so far. If you're interested in giving the group a hand, take a look at GNME's kickstarter campaign here. Earplugs at the ready, I'm off to practise the piccolo now...

I'll leave you with this fascinating video - discovered by accident this morning - reminding us all that everything has its purpose and part to play in a bigger system.