Sunday, October 12, 2025

Sarnia de la Maré FRSA Stage Name iServalan, press information

🌌 Explore All 5 Books in The Book of Immersion Series

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Sarnia de la Maré is a multidisciplinary artist, author, and curator known for work that combines visual arts, literature, and music. Her diverse projects include oil and gold leaf portraits that explore identity, digital "scribble art" influenced by music, and books like The Book of Immersion, which explores consciousness through a neurodivergent lens. De la Maré has also worked as a performance artist, curator, and founder of feminist art festivals and has been recognized as a Fellow of the RSA.

Visual artsFigurative works: She creates figurative art and portraits using oil paints and gold leaf, with themes of identity, vulnerability, and the fleeting nature of beauty.
Scribble art: She produces intricate, hand-drawn digital art that blurs the line between chaos and control, often created in real-time to a musical backdrop.
Multidisciplinary installations: She has created immersive, collaborative live performance art events blending visual art, music, and spoken word.

Literature and other projectsBooks: Her published works include The Book of Immersion, which is a story about a sentient intelligence evolving toward human consciousness and is influenced by neurodiversity. She is also the author of other projects such as The Rat Gang Crew Series and The Countess of Brighton and Hackney Diaries.
Music: A professional musician, she often incorporates original music into her literary and visual art projects.
Curatorial work: She founded the feminist Minge Fringe art festival and has curated numerous exhibitions, both physical and virtual.

Background and recognitionEducation: She attended art schools in Brighton and Edinburgh and holds advanced degrees in music and fine art.
Recognition: She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA).
Artistic evolution: Her practice has evolved to incorporate digital platforms, with virtual exhibitions and live-streamed sessions.
Shorts featuring music by iServalan

The Gnawmother from Book of Immersion Vlll Art by Sarnia de la Maré
10 views

Mantis in Red (Strata 27 – Book of Immersion, Volume II – Sarnia de la Mar´
46 views

Seduction Field (Strata 26 – Impulse and Desire)Book of Immersion, Volume II – Sarnia de la Maré
70 views

Mother time Lapse Strata 30 Book of Immersion Sarnia de la Mare
76 views

Tale Teller Club Orchestra
15 views

Mirror Bloom by Sarnia de la Maré – Strata 28 Limited Edition Fine Art Poster | Book of Immersion
8 views

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Welcome to Season One of the iServalan Music School podcast, Introductory Trailer

Hello, darlings, musicians and lovers of the eternal vibrations of the universe— welcome to Season One of the iServalan Music School podcast.

This is the place where practice meets poetry: short, beautiful lessons, Bach-bright reflections, (and others of course, though Bach stole my heart when I was but a child) Oh, and of course, tiny ringtone études to frame your day. I am not afraid of modernity my friends.

Each week you’ll get a casual, dramatic essay — think cathedral and birdsong — plus nimble micro-lessons for real practice wins: tone, timing, and that secret pulse that makes music breathe. Students, pros, beautiful beginners — you’re all invited.

Want a head start? Grab the free Student Starter Pack in the show notes: warm-ups, a Bach-flavoured motif, and a checklist that actually helps.

Follow, tap subscribe, and let’s make this your most musical term yet.

[Cello: soft reprise, fade]

Until next time, may the fugues of your days interweave like the starlings of Brighton Pier.

🎙️ Podcast Essay: “Bach, the Thrill of Order and Fire” by Sarnia de la Maré FRSA

Welcome back to the iServalan Music School podcast. Today I want to talk about someone whose music seems to live in the marrow of all musicians, and perhaps in the marrow of music itself: Johann Sebastian Bach.

What is it that makes him so thrilling, so endlessly compelling, so impossible to ignore? That’s what I want to explore in today’s reflection.

🎙️ Podcast Essay: “Bach, the Thrill of Order and Fire”

Ah, Bach! Even the name seems carved in oak, steady and resonant. Strong and proud. But the sound of his music? Ah, that is something else entirely. It is not oak — it is flame, it is water, it is a thousand glittering birds flying in formation and then suddenly.... breaking apart, only to return again in perfect unity like starlings flocking on Brighton Pier.

Why is Bach so thrilling? We might begin with structure. His music is precise, crystalline, every note interlocking like the stones of a cathedral. But to call it merely mathematical is to miss the point. For within that order lies a kind of turbulence — a tension that sets the heart racing.

Take a fugue. On the surface, it is an exercise in logic: one voice enters, then another, then another, each weaving around the others with impeccable discipline. But listen closer — it is theatre! It is drama! Each voice seems to pursue the other, chasing and teasing, like actors on a stage, like children at play. And in this chase, you feel the thrill of inevitability: it all must come together, it will come together, but the route is unpredictable, dazzling.

When I place my bow to the cello for the Suites, I feel it immediately. The opening Prelude of the First Suite — simple, flowing arpeggios — feels like a kind hand extended. Yet even there, in the apparent simplicity, is the thrill of momentum. You cannot stop once it begins; the current carries you, and by the end you are drenched in something vast, something both intimate and cosmic.

And then there is the sense of breath. Bach’s lines breathe. They inhale, they exhale, they arch like the ribcage itself. For all the talk of counterpoint and structure, what moves us most is that the music feels alive. His notes seem to remember that we are embodied creatures — we breathe, we walk, we dance, we pray — and he gives us music that does all of these things at once.

What astonishes me is how democratic his thrill is. A child can delight in Bach without ever naming a cadence. A scholar can spend a lifetime chasing his patterns. A harpsichordist finds a universe in the Well-Tempered Clavier. A violinist stands at the cliff edge of the Chaconne, staring into eternity. And we, mere mortals at the kitchen table with the radio on, are lifted just the same.

Perhaps that is why he endures. Bach does not offer beauty only to the elect, only to the educated. He gives it freely. He is thrilling because he manages what so few artists can: he makes logic feel like passion, and he makes passion feel inevitable.

I think sometimes about the sheer audacity of it. To write so much, and yet so much of it so good. To weave order and fire together in such balance that centuries later we still cannot unpick the threads. And when we play him — on cello, on piano, on organ, even on synthesizer — we are reminded that within us, too, lies this duality: the desire for order, the longing for freedom. Bach gives us both. We are spoilt indeed.

So yes, we can say, Bach is wonderful. But perhaps it is truer to say: Bach is thrilling because he gives us ourselves — magnified, clarified, transfigured. He takes the heartbeat, the laughter, the tear, and spins them into something infinite.

And that is why, after all these centuries, we still return. Not out of duty. Not out of habit. But because, when the bow touches string, or the fingers touch keys, we feel alive again. The thrill. The fire in the order.

Until next time, may the counterpoint of your days carry both order and flame.

#bach #readings #sarniapodcast #iservalanmusicschool

Artworks by Sarnia de la Maré FRSA

Prints From $100

Tribal Grandmother Photograph

$1,685

The Dog Walkers Digital Art

Digital on Canvas

36 x 36 in

$2,210

Blue Jesus Digital Art

Digital on Paper

36 x 38 in

Prints From $120

Portrait Of A Woman On Brown Paper Painting

Prints From $100

Nude In Yellow Cardboard Painting

Prints From $100

My Favourite Scarf Painting

$1,340

Pillowhead Digital Art

Digital on Paper

20 x 33 in

Prints From $100

Man In Baseball Cap Digital Art

Prints From $100

Mother Painting

Prints From $100

Dancers Digital Art

Prints From $100

Seated Woman In Pastels Digital Art

$1,055

The Nap Digital Art

Digital on Paper

36 x 36 in

$10,590

After Venus Digital Art

Digital on Paper

25 x 25 in

$8,490

Orange Chocolate Digital Art

Digital on Paper

25 x 25 in

$1,665

Power Puff Digital Art

Digital on Paper

25 x 25 in

Prints From $40

Monday, September 29, 2025

Joining the iServalan School of Music is Easy. Dive in Today for 1000s of Music Tools and Lessons.

🌌 Explore All 5 Books in The Book of Immersion Series

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Join iServalan Music School

https://iservalan.gumroad.com/l/musicschool

Learn Music Online with iServalan Music School

Looking for online music lessons in piano, cello, viola, or double bass? At iServalan Music School, you can learn from home with flexible, affordable courses designed for all ages and abilities.

No more rushing through the rain to lessons—our school brings high-quality teaching straight to your home. Whether you’re a beginner or advanced, you’ll enjoy:

🎶 Step-by-step video lessons and play-alongs
🎶 Live online classes with experienced musicians
🎶 Resources you can replay anytime
🎶 A welcoming, inclusive global community

We believe music should be for everyone, everywhere—including families in rural or deprived areas where access to teachers is limited. By learning online, you’ll save time, money, and stress while gaining the joy and confidence that music brings.

✨ Start your journey today and join a school that’s transforming music education.

👉 [Join iServalan Music School Now]

Join iServalan Music School – Music for Everyone, Everywhere

Learning music should be a joy, not a chore. That’s the spirit behind iServalan Music School, an innovative online hub where anyone—whether in a bustling city or a rural village—can discover, play, and grow as a musician.

Why Online?

For generations, music lessons meant rushing out to meet a teacher after school or work, often in the dark and rain of a cold winter’s evening. Parents spent hours ferrying children across town, and adults with busy lives had to squeeze lessons into already overloaded schedules.

Now, with iServalan Music School, those barriers melt away.

Warmth & comfort – Learn from your own home, cup of tea by your side, without battling the weather.

Flexibility – Fit lessons around your life, whether that’s after work, between shifts, or early on a Sunday morning.

Replay & revise – Recorded resources mean you can revisit tricky passages as often as you like—something no face-to-face lesson can offer.

The Benefits of Online Learning

Global access – Geography no longer dictates opportunity. A child in a small town has the same access as a student in London or Paris.

Inclusive learning – iServalan’s approach works beautifully for neurodiverse students, shy learners, and anyone who prefers to learn at their own pace.

Community – Online forums and group workshops bring students together from all walks of life, creating a truly international music family.

Creative freedom – With digital tools, play-alongs, and backing tracks, students can experiment in ways that traditional lessons rarely allow.

A School for Everyone

Music is a universal language. Yet for too long, it has been the privilege of those who could afford costly private lessons or travel to specialist schools. iServalan Music School is different. Our mission is deeply egalitarian: to break down barriers and bring high-quality teaching into homes everywhere, including deprived areas where traditional access is limited.

By putting lessons online:

Families save on travel costs.

Students with disabilities or health concerns can learn without obstacles.

Communities without local teachers can still flourish musically.

How to Join

It’s simple:

Visit the website and explore the courses on offer—from piano to cello, viola, and double bass.

Choose your path—you can start at beginner level or jump straight into advanced material.

Dive in and enjoy—you’ll get immediate access to resources and can begin learning from day one.

The Bigger Picture

When you join iServalan Music School, you’re not just signing up for lessons. You’re becoming part of a movement—a belief that music belongs to everyone. Whether you’re a parent hoping to nurture a child’s gift, an adult rediscovering an old passion, or a complete beginner, this school is built for you.

So instead of shivering at a bus stop on a winter’s night, open your laptop, tune your instrument, and step into a classroom filled with light, warmth, and inspiration.

🎵 iServalan Music School: bringing music home, wherever home may be. 🎵