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Musician • Survivor • Figure Skater • Writer
Redefining the Impossible: Bouncing back through Music, Figure Skating, Family, and Unbreakable Will.
Quick Links: Inspired By Languages | Inspired By Reading | Short Form Inspiration | Why Baldi Blogs - The Art of The Spark | Inspired By Music | Inspired By Web | Baldi's Published Articles | Baldi In Print
Inspired By Languages
Communication is at the heart of all I do and forms the thread tying my life together. I speak, and continue to learn a number of Human & Artistic (Heart), and Web (Machine) Languages.
Human & Artistic: Music, Stage Performance, Figure Skating, Swimming, Cycling, Photography, Videography, Walking, English, French, German, and Writing / Creative Writing.
Web: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Artificial Intelligence (A.I), and Web Design.
Currently, one of my life goals is to ensure:
The languages of Music / Stage Performance, Breathing Techniques and Sports rightfully gain their places next to other languages like, English, French etc, and are taught in all Schools, Colleges, and Universities Worldwide.
Inspired By Reading
Reading has always been one of my favourite hobbies as I feel it allows me to enter a new exciting world of the Author's Mind, just as in a music composition.
Whilst travelling I always take either a physical book, Kindle, Phone, or Laptop with me, and at home, I have my Desktop and iPad, meaning, I am able to continue where I left off.
I find being constantly inspired by reading or listening to Audio Books helps me to visualise, concentrate, find community, question everything, view things differently, Foster deeper connections, raise my standards, reduce stress, improve my sense of purpose, create routine, focus and learn.
I also find reading and listening help improve my language, public speaking and critical thinking skills, resilience, vocabulary, imagination, sentence construction, comprehension, structure, emotions, empathy, brain development, cognition, conversation skills, emotional intelligence and compassion.
In this vein, I have compiled a Liszt (pun intended) of my some of my favourite Books, and Audio Books. I hope they inspire you as much as they have me:
James Scott Bell - VOICE: The Secret Power of Great Writing (Bell on Writing).
Evie Woods - The Lost Bookshop.
Angela Sirbu - AI For Everyone: How Artificial Intelligence Will Change Your Life.
Keith Donald - Music & Mayhem - Passion, Addiction and Redemption in the Golden Age of Irish Music.
Ursula Le Guin - The Books Of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition.
Melinda Chohin - The Professional Coach: Cultivate Credibility, Attract High-Paying Clients, and Create a Thriving Business.
Mustafa Suleyman - The Coming Wave, AI Power and Our Future.
Grann Davidson - The Wager, A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder.
Sebastian Lockwood - The Epic Of Gilgamesh.
Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol.
Chip Zdarsky - I Am The Night Life.
Arthur Ransome - Swallows and Amazons.
Tristan Higbee - 101 Blogging Tips: How to Create a Blog That People Will Find, Read, and Share.
Bram Stoker - Dracula.
Freddy Silva - The Missing Lands.
Neil Gaiman - Norse Mythology.
Jules Verne - Journey to the Centre of the Earth.
Levison Woods - Eastern Horizons - Hitchhiking The Silk Road.
Kevin Hand - Alien Oceans, The Search For Life In The Depths Of Space.
Sam Knight - The Premonitions Bureau.
Phillip Coppins - The Lost Civilization Enigma.
Gillian Cross - Homer's Iliad and the Odyssey.
Travelpayouts - Top Resources For Travel Bloggers 2025:Insights From 1000+ Creators Around the Globe.
Tiago Forte - Building a Second Brain.
I Love Print On Demand - 17 Hot-Selling Print-On-Demand Products That Can Pay Your Next Vacation (and More!).
John Lamerton - Evergreen Assets.
Lacy Boggs - Make A Killing With Content - Turn Content Into Profits With A Strategy For Blogging And Content Marketing.
Dominic O'Brien - How to Develop a Brilliant Memory Week by Week.
Sonke Ahrens - How to Take Smart Notes.
Ben Angel - The Wolf Is at the Door: How to Survive and Thrive in an AI-Driven World.
Lynne Kelly - Memory Craft.
Jeff Walker - Launch.
Shelby Van Pelt - Remarkably Bright Creatures.
Kevin Crossley-Holland - Norse Myths.
Curtis D Frye - Microsoft Excel 2010 Step by Step.
Graham Cochrane - How to Get Paid for What You Know.
Christopher Mari - Ocean of Storms.
David Holland - Personal Branding Secrets.
Steve Stockman - How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck.
Ryder Carroll - The Bullet Journal Method.
Andrew Collins - Denisovan Origins - Gobekli Tepe.
Tim Berners-Lee - This Is For Everyone, Narrated by Stephen Fry.
Sean Cannell - YouTube Secrets.
Akash Karla - TED Talks Storytelling.
Kathryn Croft - While You Were Sleeping - The Christmas Party.
Daniel Priestley - Oversubscribed - 24 Assets.
Charles Duhigg - Supercommunicators - Smarter Faster Better.
Brad Stulberg - Peak Performance.
Brendan Kane - Hook Point.
Marc Jacobs - The Coordinate - The Final Coordinate - The Hidden Coordinate.
Joe White - The Nox.
Roald Dahl - The BFG, Big Friendly Giant - James And The Giant Peach - Danny, The Champion of the World - Charlie and The Chocolate Factory - Fantastic Mr Fox.
JK Rowling - The Christmas Pig - The Tales Of Beedle The Bard - Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them - Harry Potter - A History of Magic - Pottermore Publishing - Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone - Book 1 - Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets - Book 2 - Harry Potter and The Prisoner Of Azkaban - Book 3 - Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire - Book 4 - Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix - Book 5 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Book 6 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Book 7 - From The Wizarding Archive, Curated Writing from The World Of Harry Potter.
Jesse Tevelow - The Connection Algorithm: Take Risks, Defy the Status Quo.
Rob Bisenbach - Unleash the Power of Storytelling.
Will Storr - The Science of Storytelling.
Annette Simmons - The Story Factor.
Yvette Fielding - The Ghost Hunter Chronicles - The House In The Woods - Book 1 - The Ripper of Whitechapel - Book 2 - The Witches of Pendle - Book 3.
Chip Heath - Made to Stick.
Sophie Keetch - Morgan Is My Name.
Matt Higgins - Burn the Boats.
Daniel Hooper - At the Edge of Time: Exploring the Mysteries of Our Universe's First Seconds.
Donald Miller - Building a Story Brand - How to Grow Your Small Business.
Matthew Paulson - Email Marketing Demystified: Build a Massive Mailing List, Write Copy that Converts and Generate More Sales.
JacksonCrawford - The Saga of the Volsungs.
Edgar Allan Poe - Classic Stories.
Gian Quasar - Into the Bermuda Triangle.
Gerard Grogans - The Jumpstart 90 Day Course Creation Program.
Stephen Kotler - The Art of Impossible - The Rise of Superman - Stealing Fire.
Jonathan Milligan - Your Message Matters - The 90-Day Coach: From Zero Clients to a Fully Booked Coaching Practice in 90 Days or Less - The Quick Start Messenger Series.
Adam Davidson - The Passion Economy.
Arnold Schwarzenegger - Be Useful.
Wade Roush - Extraterrestrials.
Mendocino - The Smoothie Recipe Book: 150 Smoothie Recipes Including Smoothies for Weight Loss and Smoothies for Good Health.
Emma Gannon - The Success Myth.
Salvador Briggman - Become a Business Coach: Kick Off Your Coaching and Mentoring Career.
Louisa Doughty - Platform Seven.
Smiling Satyr - Friendly Neighborhood Wizard: A Cozy Fantasy, Book 1 - Friendly Neighborhood Wizard: The Fae Next Door, Book 2 - Friendly Neighborhood Wizard: Land of the Leylines, Book 3.
Jimmy Soni - The Founders - Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and the Company that Made the Modern Internet.
Stephen Fry - Ghost Stories: Stephen Fry's Definitive Collection.
Michael Zipursky - The Elite Consulting Mind: 16 Proven Mindsets to Attract.
Shane Leach - Prehistory Explained.
Das Harshajyoti - Be The Genius You Were Born To Be: 10 Secrets That Will Transform You Into A Superhuman (Health, Abundance, Happiness & Positive Thinking).
Julian Austwick - Amber's Donkey: How A Donkey And A Little Girl Healed Each Other.
Patrick King - Fearless Public Speaking: How to Destroy Anxiety, Captivate Instantly, and Become Extremely Memorable - Always Get Standing Ovations.
Roger Hargreaves - Mr Men Series - Mr. Tickle - Mr. Honk - Mr. Happy - Mr. Bump - Mr. Greedy - Mr. Messy - Mr. Nosey - Mr. Silly - Mr. Sneeze - Mr. Bump - Mr. Snow - Mr. Topsy-Turvy.
Akash Karia - Charisma: 34 Tricks to Unlock Your Charisma, Master the Art of Small Talk - Develop Personal Magnetism.
Luis Elizondo - Imminent (Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFO's).
Crystal McVea - Waking Up In Heaven.
Russell Brunson - Expert Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Creating a Mass Movement of People Who Will Pay for Your Advice.
Jordan Gray - How To Be The Most Engaging Person In The Room... Every Time.
Jeff Goins - The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do.
Eric Yaverbaum - Public Relations For Dummies.
Stephen king - On Writing, A Memoir Of The Craft.
Florence Scovel-Shinn - The Secret Door to Success.
Bill Chiaravalle - Branding For Dummies.
Inspired By Short-Form Writing
If, like me you are short on time, Short-Form Writing is for you.
What Is Short Form Writing?
For me, Short-Form Writing is inspiring as I find it clean, quick, easy on my eyes, an Art Form, certainly a Craft. Essentially a way to distil large amounts of data comprehensively, providing me with a simple explanation and a significant edge honed through my life-long experiences of, Piano Playing, Public Speaking, Public Recitals, Figure Skating, Authorship, Teaching, and Code Writing.
Just like the precision of a clean edge on the ice, a more efficient line of Code, or the clarity of finding and bringing out a Piano melody.
Why Short-Form?
Reading is not a chore, it is the spark of Creativity and Inspiration for me.
In a world that never stops turning, Short-Form Writing allows me more time for other activities, like a perfectly executed jump on the ice, it requires precision and focus; however, I feel it is worth the effort as your reader will appreciate it.
Advantages of Short-Form
Efficiency: Bite sized chunks. A smart way to absorb information quickly.
Growth: Allows your skills to grow faster through rapid learning.
Focus: Holds attention in our fast-paced world, empowering you to move forwards.
Clarity: Life is short; I love taking in information that improves my focus, knowledge and delivers a rhythm that fits modern life.
Reach: Drives more traffic to your Website and captures a broader audience.
Sustainability: Prevents Creator burnout and keeps Brand awareness high.
Confidence: It is low-pressure and builds momentum for you, the Creator.
Empowerment: Ignites your discovery and builds on your current knowledge.
Disadvantages of Short-Form
Attention: It can promote shorter attention spans.
Memory: It may be forgotten quickly if not impactful.
Storytelling: It is not always suited for technical, deep, or complex storytelling.
Over Use: Over-consumption of Short-Form Writing can lead to mental tiredness or eye strain.
Substance: It can lack depth, leading to oversimplification.
Why Baldi Blogs - The Art of The Spark
Inspirational content is both the heartbeat and Backbone of All Wired Up, the Digital Home of Amonn AL-Mahrouq (Baldi).
In an age of automation and algorithms, I deliver the ultimate rarity: Human Experience.
Every Performance I give, Master Class I hold, Lesson I take, Inspirational Speech I give, Paragraph / Blog Story I Write, Image I take, Pixel on my inspirational Website, Video I take and edit, Line of Code I write and Recommendation I give is a 100% Human-Crafted bespoke creation. A direct output of my unique lived journey, purposefully engineered to awaken your creativity and passion.
Forged from years of deep knowledge, inspired by the places, and people that fuel my relentless creative fire and passion for life, this is my unfiltered perspective, created to inspire, obliterate your boundaries, and unleash the colossal power of your potential.
Why? Because we don't just need more content; we need more connection.
Baldi's Published Articles
- 02 October 2024: "Figure Skating Benefits" • Published by Spectrum for "Quest Audit".
- August 2023: "Music, Music, Music" • Published in SOSA (Sibford Old Scholars Association) Magazine.
- 01 December 2015: "Amonn Skates to Golden Success" • Written by Baldi, published in "The Sibford Rocket".
- 15 November 2015 (Issue 82): "Surgery, Survival and Skating to Success: How a Heart Patient Survived and Skated to Success" • Published in GUCH News & The Sommerville Foundation Winter Newsletter.
- 29 May 2015: "Living in Spite of the Things That Scare You Half to Death" - Ice Skater Who Overcame Disability to Win Double Gold in International Contest Tells of Challenges" By Stephanie Hunter, published in The Community section of The Portsmouth Evening News.
- 06 June 2013: "Man Takes Gold in Ice Skating Event Despite Paralysis" • By Ben Fishwick, published in The Portsmouth Evening News.
- 01 March 2013 (Issue 7): "Olympic Volunteering: Living the Dream and Seizing the Moment" • Written by Baldi on his London 2012 Olympic Drummer & Athlete Marshal experiences across all four Ceremonies, published in GUCH News.
- 27 August 2012: "Best Experience Of My Life" • Self-published reflection on London 2012, MSN UK Stories.
- 14 July 2012: "Best Experience of My Life" • Published on Microsoft Blog detailing the Industrial Revolution Opening Ceremony & Paralympic Marshaling.
- 29 March 2008: "Fighting Back" • By Hazel Davis, published in The Guardian Newspaper, highlighting adversity and triumph at University.
- 22 September 1983: "The People Who Backed Brave Amonn's Fight for Life" • Interview with Karen Bray, published in The News, Portsmouth.
"Drumming with Evelyn Glennie and being a part of 1,000 drummers was the most moving experience of my life... showing how sport and art can bring all nations together with no barriers." — Baldi (London 2012)
Baldi In Print
Some examples of Baldi’s Short Sparks are: New Challenges and Music, Music, Music!
New Challenges
Written for "Spectrum Leisure Centre", Guildford U.K on 02/10/24.
New challenges are always welcome, especially, when they have extremely positive knock on effects in life.
Figure Skating was a sport I very much enjoyed at an early age, however, when my local Rink closed, I was devastated, & continued to pursue my passion for music. Thank the lucky stars I did, as, years later I attribute my survival to my extensive musical studies, performances, & practise, as, in April 2007, whilst playing Badminton, I suffered multiple "Out of Hospital" Cardiac Arrests, ultimately leading to having an "I.C.D", "Implantable Cardioverter Device" in my right shoulder which further compounded my right side coordination issues, however, forced me to completely re-think life.
A friend asked if we could celebrate her Birthday at an "Ice Rink". Not thinking, I duly nodded, & arranged a visit on very busy Saturday evening "Disco" Session. Stepping back on the Ice immediately rekindled another of my passions, unwittingly setting in motion a chain of life changing events, the highlights so far of which are, winning 4 International "Gold Medals" for "The U.K" in Dumfries, & Glasgow "Impaired Skating Competitions", in 2013, &, 2015 respectively.
Very nearly quitting "Figure Skating" altogether in 2014, I finally found the best Teachers for me, who have throughout the years, not only much inspired me, but have also helped improve my overall mental health, wellbeing, & fitness, allowing me to once again fall back in love with a sport close to my heart. From heightening my critical thinking skills, to improving my memory, concentration, communication, dedication, awareness, & mental toughness, "Figure Skating" combined with regular lessons from inspirational professionals tick all the boxes, allowing me to be much fitter, healthier, &, happier with a much more positive outlook on life. Not to mention my much improved levels of confidence, which, after my unfortunate accident in April 2007 are now back to an all time high, thanks to my many "Figure Skating" achievements, being surrounded by like-minded, diligent, thoughtful Professional Teachers, & students within a safe & positive environment helping to propel me forwards, setting, & conquering new challenges, inspiring myself and others along my journey.
Music, Music, Music!
"Music, Music, Music!" published August 2023, in "SOSA" ("Sibford Old Scholars Association") Magazine.
Who would have thought a Sibford pupil would be given the opportunity to perform as one of the "1000 Drummers", progressing to Marshall across all 4 "London 2012 Olympic Games Ceremonies"?
"The atmosphere of the London 2012 Olympic Games was electric. I felt truly inspired to be a part of history and to witness first-hand how sport can bring nations together with no barriers of religion, race, or language and in peace and harmony.
Performing on stage with Evelyn Glennie and Brian May, being a cog in the 1000 Industrial Revolution Drummers was the most moving, thought provoking, and inspirational experience of my life, one, I will never, ever, forget.
Progressing to Marshal across all 4 Opening/Closing Ceremonies, sharing the stage with our World’s top athletes and Musicians made me realise what a small, wonderful world we live in and just how lucky I am.
Sibford, so much to thank you for. Lots of inspirational teaching, loads of performance experience leading to my participation in "Banbury Area, Young Musicians of the Year" competition to winning a Cup for "Outstanding Music Making at Sibford School". Years later, I wonder, what if…. Thank you, I feel, is extremely appropriate.
After leaving "Sibford" I attended my local College studying "A Level Music" (well, what else!). I took GNVQ "Business Studies" because I had studied that at, yep, you guessed it "Sibford". Performing most evenings, passing exams (Business, Music Performance, & Music Theory), playing in "County Youth Wind Band" progressing on to attend "The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, Focus Courses", "The Royal College of Music" "Junior Department", & "Dartington International Summer School.
Whilst at "Trinity College of Music" London, I studied and performed intensively, giving recitals in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, & across the pond in Canada. Whilst in the second year of my Music Degree, I was asked to teach at my local college where I gained my P.G.C.E in Further, & Adult Education writing 2 "Music Performance Syllabuses" at BTec Level.
Adjudicating competitions & performing high profile fundraising concerts for "The Sommerville Foundation", "Portsmouth, Winchester, & Chichester" Cathedrals, "The British Heart Foundation", "The Rocky Appeal", & "Fishbourne Roman Palace" made me proud to have been given so many unique opportunities in life, & especially whilst I was at "Sibford School".
What am I saying? If I can, then you can. I strongly believe Music opportunities should be open to everyone as they could save your life, & if you are prepared to put in lots of hard graft, follow your dreams, take all available opportunities then I feel sure you will succeed both in life & with your chosen profession".
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