User:Blake Noble (the musician)/sandbox

Blake Noble is a composer and multi instrumentalist originally from Australia, who moved to Seattle, Washington to continue to develop his music and expand his audience base. He specializes in Australian themes by combining the ancient Australian Didgeridoo with his modern take on Percussive Acoustic Guitar. He focuses on the 12-string guitar which he plays in a percussive way, hitting the face and body while holding funky bass lines and adding rapid fingerpicking on top. Blake is one of very few musicians in the world who plays percussive 'lap tap' guitar (12-string). Blake began touring internationally in 2009.

BIOGRAPHY Blake was born in Port Macquarie, Australia on April 8th, 1981, the fourth of 9 children. His mother was a professional piano instructor so Blake as well as his brothers and sisters all started their music education on the piano. As he got older he switched from the piano to the drums and from there to the guitar and didgeridoo. Blake is self taught on the guitar, and learned Didgeridoo from an Aboriginal man at the age of 13.

Blake has a deep connection with the local Aboriginal people of Byron Bay, NSW on the East Coast of Australia. Blake received permission from an Aboriginal elder to both perform and teach Didgeridoo on his travels around the world. Blake also received a blessing from Australian musician and fellow Didgeridoo player Xavier Rudd during a chance meeting in Seattle. Blake conducts school workshops on his travels, giving talks about music, the Didgeridoo, Aboriginal and Australian culture.

MUSIC In 2011 Noble released his first album, Music For The End of The World. The main track - Bundjalung (named after his spiritual home in Byron Bay, Australia), made the top 10 on the Triple J Unearthed charts as one of few instrumental tracks to do so. The album was recorded in less than 3 weeks in the bedroom of Melbourne singer/activist Oliver Butterfield (Ollie MC).

Noble's second record, Underdog, was released in June 2013. Recorded in Seattle at Digital Vendetta Productions, and mastered at the famous London Bridge Studio, the record leans more to that Seattle rock sound by using a full band, string section, and collaborations with Seattle vocalist Cody Beebe (Cody Beebe & the Crooks). Underdog was created following a successful Kickstarter campaign, where Noble raised over $10,000 to record and produce the album, and two accompanying music videos.

LIVE PERFORMANCES

AUSTRALIA Festival of the Sun, Port Macquarie, NSW Bluesfest Busking Competition, The Beachy, Byron Bay Akoostik Festival, Wingham, NSW The Rails, Byron Bay, NSW The Treehouse, Byron Bay, NSW The Great Northern, Byron Bay, NSW Buddha Bar, Byron Bay, NSW The Arts Factory, Byron Bay, NSW The Pier, Port Macquaire, NSW The Beach House, Port Macquarie, NSW The Fig, Port Macquarie, NSW Finnians, Port Macquarie, NSW The Aztec, Forster, NSW The Empress, Melbourne, VIC The Edinburgh Castle, Melbourne, VIC

NEW ZEALAND The Cavern, Wellington Bodega, Wellington Temperance, Wellington

UNITED STATES: The Neptune Theater, Seattle, WA Triple Door, Seattle, WA The Crocodile, Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern, Seattle, WA Nectar Lounge, Seattle, WA The High Dive, Seattle, WA Conor Byrne, Seattle, WA Big Al's Brewery, Seattle, WA Feedback Lounge, Seattle, WA Caffe Mela, Wenatchee, WA Icicle Brewing, Leavenworth, WA Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop, WA 4th Street Theater, Yakima, WA 5 North, Yakima, WA Pickled Fish, Longbeach, WA The Emerald, Richland, WA Republic Brewery, Republic, WA Silver lake Winery, Zillah, WA

Doug Fir, Rock Bottom, Portland, OR

IDAHO: Eichardts, Sandpoint, Millies, Priest Lake, The Porch, Hayden

MONTANA: Great Northern, Whitefish, Seeley Lake

FESTIVALS: Joshua Tree Summer Roots Festival, CA Summer Meltdown Festival, Washington Chinook Festival, WA (2012, 2013, 2014) The Bite of Seattle Folklife Festival, Seattle Fremont Fair Elkfest, Spokane, WA Lavender Fest, WA Downtown Summer Nights, Yakima, WA Moonfest, WA People with Instruments Festival, WA Goodstock Festival, WA Leavenworth Alefest Central Washington State Fair