About
Micah and Lewis are CYMBIOSIS. Bringing Percussion and Tuba together; the duo creates an entirely organic performance of their own compositions and arrangements. This unique instrumentation is capitalised by the intuitive exchange between both Micah and Lewis, and their vibrant conceptions. No musical style is off limits for the duo, who relish immersing themselves in all genres. The duo pride themselves on staying authentic to their deep-rooted musical passions, whilst embracing new and unexplored ground. Their sets are filled with grooves and melodies from Jazz, Folksong, Latin, Afrobeats, Pop and contemporary classical sources. Their debut performance at Kings Place won them Trinity Laban’s Gold Medal Award Showcase and Audience Prize, 2023. “Micah and Lewis are excellent communicators in their own right, and this collaboration utilises all of their skills”.
MICAH BAKER is a drummer, percussionist and composer living and performing in London. Originally from Bedfordshire, he grew up in West Africa before returning to the UK for higher education, eventually completing a Bmus degree in percussion and drum kit at Trinity Laban Conservatoire. During his time at Trinity he studied with acclaimed percussionists Gary Kettel, Lewis Wright and Steve White, completed with first class honours and was awarded the Adam Collins Prize for Advanced Percussion. He became a key member and percussionist of afro-pop group The Amalgam, drummer in an award winning brass ensemble, and began working extensively in commercial music groups and musical theatre production companies around London, which he continues to do. More recently he has dedicated his efforts to playing jazz drums and vibraphone, completing an MMus degree in jazz percussion at Guildhall School of Music and Drama. In 2023 he joined the National Youth Jazz Orchestra’s Emerging Professionals, with whom he has played concerts around the country including Soho’s Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. He freelances as drummer and percussionist in a variety of pop, orchestral and jazz ensembles including Oxford Maqam Big Band, Electric Earth Orchestra and as a member of post jazz/rock group Tenderhost as vibraphonist/percussionist. Micah is a keen composer and writer, and has released his own songs, written for other bands, composed contemporary works for solo percussion and chamber groups, and is currently expanding his personal repertoire of original jazz tunes which he plans to perform with The Micah Baker Quartet in the near future.
Lewis Chinn is a versatile freelance musician and multi-instrumentalist. He recently gained a first class honours degree from Trinity Laban, studying tuba with Les Neish. Originally from Suffolk, Lewis first picked up the tuba when he was eight. As a student at the Royal College of Music Junior Department, he won the John Fletcher Award, the Wolfson Award, and the Constance Farrington Brass Prize. In 2023 Lewis won Trinity Laban’s Gold Medal Competition and Audience Prize, with the adjudication commenting on the “enormous amounts of joy and exuberance [he brought] to his playing”. From this formed CYMBIOSIS, Lewis’ own tuba and percussion duo, which frequently performs his compositions and arrangements. From a young age, Lewis has consistently written and arranged music in various styles; having two original tunes recorded by the SFB Brass Band in 2019. He has always struggled to stick to only one instrument and genre, and thus can be found performing around the country; whether playing Sousaphone in a nightclub, Tin Whistle in a Cèilidh band, or singing Renaissance madrigals in a cathedral. While a Tuba player at heart, Lewis’ deep passion for British folk music permeates his musicianship. Lewis will be performing the UK premiere of Lauri Porra’s Tuba Concerto in Decemeber at Blackheath Halls.
