MY TOP 10 Also throughout the magazine

Movie: Taxi Driver (with an incredibly evocative soundtrack by Bernard Hermann). Band/Musician: Currently Kitt Phillipa, winner of the Best Album at the 2020 NI Music Prize. Book: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Restaurant: Made in Belfast in Cathedral Quarter and The Old Inn at Crawfordsburn is full of charm and character.

Holiday Destination: Japan, after going to Tokyo for buisness I brought the family there in 2016 and they still talk about that trip as one of our best family holidays. Drink: A pint of draught Smithwicks, I really miss that at the moment. Meal: Chana Masala or freshly caught mackeral cooked over the fi re on a beach in Donegal (I miss that as well!).

SHERIDAN TONGUE

Composer and Artist

1. What do you love most about your job?

I love music especially composing soundtracks to pictures and bringing drama to life. My wife Pam often reminds me how lucky I am that I get to spend my days in my recording studio earning a living from my passion to create new musical sounds.

2. What has been your career highlight to date?

I had the priviledge of composing the soundtrack for ‘Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking’ a few years back and getting to meet the emmient Professor in person at the press screening in London was certainly a career highlight. More recently I felt honoured being asked to compose the music for BBC NI’s landmark Troubles series. If you had told me as a teenager living through those dark days in Belfast in the 70s and 80s, that one day I would compose the music for a major documentary series about our history, I would not have believed you!

3. What are your favourite hobbies/ activities outside of work?

Walking our dog Bella, an 11 year old bearded collie. Spending the weekend relaxing with the family. In normal times I love going to art galleries around the world and fi nding inspiration. Art can really nourish the soul.

4. What is your daily routine?

Every day starts with an early dog walk, usually it is still dark as I like to be in my recording studio by 8am. I am defi nitely more of a morning person. I am usually working to production deadlines so I have a certain number of minutes of music that I have to compose each day for a television series to meet those deadlines. The composing day is interspersed with speaking to my music team and assistant (often all working remotely), new updates/cuts arriving from the production and usually a few quick texts/emails with my marketing director about my website or socials. Sometimes I will catch up on Zoom with my music publisher or agent in London.

5. Do you have a fi tness regime?

In the summer I like to cycle long distances and often do 50 miles on a Saturday morning and maybe another 50 miles during the course of the week. This time of year I tend to mountain bike more off road. I also have a good indoor bike trainer, so I can bring my bike indoors to keep fi t.

6. Do you have any tips for staying positive during this time?

I always feel so much better after exercise and fi lling my lungs with fresh air. I have found that reaching out to friends and colleages in the music business during the lockdowns has been very postive. Just chatting and sharing stories and experiences is really benefi cial. Some unexpected musical collaborations have even been set in motion that otherwise would not have happened.

7. What is the best thing about Northern Ireland?

The people, the buzz around Belfast city centre, the musicians and the easy access to the sea.

8. What is your mantra or favourite quote that you live by?

‘Luck is when preparation meets opportunity’.

9. Who has been your biggest infl uence? My clarinet tutor Arthor Acheson at the City of Belfast School of Music. Not only did he teach me clarinet but he opened my ears to the world of jazz music, improvisation and synthesizers. I can honestly say that the reason I entered the music business was because of the following producers, artists and composers: Quincy Jones, Trevor Horn, Roy Ayres, Enya, John Barry, Stravinsky, Prokofi ev and Philip Glass.

Belfast born composer and producer Sheridan Tongue is internationally acclaimed for his incredible soundtracks for fi lm and TV as well as his albums as an artist through his pseudonym IN-IS.

Gil and Joan Biggam.

Tom and Davina Adair.

CARNFUNNOCK COUNTRY PARK

Families, friends and dog walkers enjoyed the open air and sunshine at the country park and walled garden on the Glens of Antrim coastline.

Deborah McAllister and Eleanor Ross.

Ruth and Alan McGuffog with Teddy, Tess and Heath.

Heather and Colin Baxter with Buster and Roxy. Joan Hayden and niece Lorraine Lynn. Deborah McConnell, grandson Jude with dog Joe and mum Cheryl Crawford.

Sarah Rea with Zack and Mia and grandparents Paul and Shirley Begley.

Tommy Knox, Billy McCluggage, Tommy Saunderson and Jack Shields with dogs Stanley and Bonzo.

Helen and Robert Stewart. Jeanette McCord and Lucy, Shashama Cummings and Minnie. Janice Hagan and Hazel McKay with Leo.

Kimberley O’Neill, Olivia Saunderson, Jack Magill, Carolyn O’Neill and Joshua Saunderson.

Elise Cameron and Nuala McGurk with Bawnie, Charlie and Rico. Kate Gault with Misty and June Bell with Holly.

GEMMA MCCARRON

Business Manager at East Belfast Dental & Implants

10. FAVOURITE

Movie: The Usual Suspects Band/Musician: REM or U2 Book: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese Restaurant: Villa Italia with family Holiday Destination: Portugal Drink: Bubbly Meal: Fresh tomato and onion salad with peri-peri chicken- preferably on the beach!

1. What do you love most about your job?

Everything – especially helping people. It is wonderful to see people leave our practice, who may have been historically hesitant to attend the dentist or who are now pain-free for the fi rst time in years! This year has been one to really go back to basics and for me that means refocus on exceptional customer service and communication. As a practice, we have had to evolve rapidly to the current pandemic and the subsequent prescribed changes. Our team worked with a smile on their faces everyday and have succeeded in creating an environment that clients feel safe and happy attending. We were able to quickly ensure that all the right precautions were put in place, which allowed us to re-open as soon as was feasible to do so, and with great confi dence.

2. What has been your career highlight to date?

Building a business alongside my husband (our lead dentist) has been a project that enthuses us everyday. We are exceptionally proud of the fact that we love to learn, improve and bring our continuing professional development and insights into our practice. The highlight in my work is being able to work alongside inspirational colleagues and witnessing the diff erence we are continually making to the people of Belfast.

3. What are your favourite hobbies/ activities outside of work?

We enjoy walking together every day, keeping fi t, spending time with our teenage children and going on holiday (when we can again!).

4. What is your daily routine?

Happily, our children attend a nearby school that they can easily get to on their own. So our mornings are pretty easy; up and into the surgery!

5. Do you have a fi tness regime?

I walk every day and I also run a few times a week, an activity that I adore.

6. Do you have any tips for staying positive during this time?

Don’t watch the news (the negativity is extreme) and always have a plan. One that excites you and drives you forward… It makes the tougher days easier to handle.

7. What do you think is the best thing about living in Northern Ireland?

People are warm, loving and kind. We are a welcoming lot! We also have access to wonderful scenery and lanscapes in Northern Ireland that I really enjoy visiting with my family.

8. What is your mantra or favourite quote that you live by?

Too many quotes to choose. Oprah Winfrey is a favourite inspirational person for me. I also love Jim Rohn and Simon Sinek. I’ll go for ‘Dream Big, Start Small. But most of all, Start’ – Simon Sinek.

9. Who has been your biggest infl uence?

That is impossible to answer. So many people have helped me, moulded me, improved me, made me think outside the box, question old habits and inspire me to create new ones – all past experiences shape who I am and my current goals and aspirations. My overarching ambition is to never stop learning.

www.skeaeggs.com

Julia and Pete Snodden with daughters Ivana and Elayna.

BANGOR CASTLE

Bangor Castle and the grounds of Castle Park were a welcome destination for families escaping lockdown for a sunny outdoor weekend visit.

Alan and Arlene Mann with grandchildren Finley and Emily-May. Betty and Alice Armstrong.

Simon and Debbie Milligan and Jack.

Debbie and Graham Mason with Sasha and Jake.

Jax Bryson completeing his Primary School scavenger hunt homework with great grandmother Helen Hemphill and granny Louise Bryson. Dad and daughter, Desmond Wright and Carol Wilson.Rachel Calder with Ellie and Noah. Jonathan Hunter with Ryan and Madison.

1. What do you love most about your job?

The spontaneity and uniqueness of every day, and spending lots of time with talented and intense people who are the best around.

2. What has been your career highlight to date?

Supporting Alice in Chains on the Irish dates of their world tour in 2019 was amazing. We performed in Dublin’s Olympia theatre for the fi rst time, which was incredible! Recording our album was also a massive highlight. We brought an entire studio from Belfast to a valley in central Portugal, where we built the studio in an abandoned factory. We lived there for a month and recorded the album with Bill Ryder-Jones, and we hope to release it in 2021.

3. What are your favourite hobbies/ activities outside of work?

On the side I hand-make porcelain jewellery and small homeware items (under the name “Moonsoake Ceramics” – named after the title of our album; “Moonsoake”.) I’ve plans to launch an online-store in 2021 but to date I regularly sell at artist markets around Ireland. being diff erent, which is probably why I enjoy touring. On our longest tour (Russia, 2017) the closest thing we had to a routine was eight hours of travel in a tour bus every day, but it was pretty amazing waking up somewhere new every day to perform.

5. Do you have a fi tness regime?

I don’t but I would really like to get back into yoga. I like to walk to the studio from home, daily (which is around four miles per day unless I take a detour!).

6. Do you have any tips for staying positive during this time?

Don’t watch the news. If some news is really important it will fi nd you, but watching the news avidly can make you worry a lot. I recommend focusing your energy into something creative, there is no better feeling that holding a tangeable thing in your hands that you’ve created, or listening to a demo or a piece of music you’re proud of.

7. What do you think is the best thing about living in Northern Ireland?

I feel our music scene is great, it’s so small compared to the bigger cities we play in, that you can meet lots of really talented and friendly people. There’s a lot of talented artists you get to work with, and generally the

MELYSSA SHANNON

Vocalist for Wynona Bleach.

10. FAVOURITE

Movie: Wayne’s World Band/Musician: Placebo

Book: Trainspotting Restaurant: It’s a mashup between Jumon on Fountain Street Belfast, or Castle Street’s, La Taquiera Holiday Destination: Portugal is amazing, and I have great memories of Tallin (Estonia) & Helsinki (Finland.)

Drink: Tequila & Lime soda Meal: I love the spicy caulifl ower veggie tacos from La Taqueria, their guacamole is the best I’ve ever had.

people are pleasant and friendly. This part of the world has had a rocky past but I feel connected to a generation who wants change and don’t accept the tribal standard.

8. What is your mantra or favourite quote that you live by?

Make your art for yourself and not for anyone else. Its up to others to decide what they think of it.

9. Who has been your biggest infl uence?

Truthfully I don’t really have any big infl uences. I often feel like I’ve just tried to be the best version of me as I could, with what things infl uence and inspire me the most. My band members, my friends and the people around me infl uence me for the better in their own way and I try to be around these postive infl uences as often as possible.