My Journey

I remember being around twelve when I first picked up a guitar and I began by learning chords from a book that was given to me. I was hooked straight away! After a few years of jamming with bands and playing on the Youth Club circuit, I took myself to study at a local College (B.P.C.F.E. as it was then). Whilst there, I further developed my drumming, piano skills and singing as well as learning about music production and the industry itself. I didn't take my practice very seriously until after I had left though, and subsequently went on to take private lessons with Nir Felder, Ariel Posen, Mike Outram and Chris Montague (amongst others), working hard to develop my interest in Jazz, Rock and Fusion styles of playing over that time. 

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I have also been teaching how to play the guitar for as long as I can remember and have now worked in some great educational institutions (some for over 10 years!). I am currently a Lecturer at the Bournemouth Academy of Modern Music (BAMM) at the same time as juggling any touring and performance commitments that arise. In 2011, I was appointed to the panel of examiners for RSL Awards Ltd and continue to regularly accredit young musicians with grades on Piano, Guitar, Drums, Bass, Vocals and more (along with helping to train new examiners). In 2013, I released a series of guitar method books (called 'The Electric Guitar Workbooks') and am currently developing 'Pentatonic Pathways', an exciting new dynamic for encouraging young guitar players to take an interest in written music whilst they learn.

Playing around 150 gigs a year at my busiest, I've done everything from pit-work sessions, jazz gigs (from small clubs to the Canary Wharf Jazz Festival), countless weddings/parties, 20,000 people festivals and many studio sessions (remote and in person). Over the years, I've worked as a musician/educator in Germany, China, Austria, UK, Switzerland, Poland, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark & probably a few more places. In late 2015, I also began working with Sony's artist; Kelvin Jones. As a session player, I travelled with his band and crew over four or five years and took part in many European festival shows as well as sold-out tours and more.

I continue to enjoy writing my own personal music (having put out a number of albums under different names), as well as writing for commercial and brief based assignments for publishing companies (largely for Hidden Production Music here in the UK). You'll find some of my solos cropping up on other artists albums as well as parts featured on nursery rhyme albums and pop/rock records! You may also hear my writing and production on airlines, TV or any other place that utilises library company for their sonic fulfilment. 

 

It's a varied life... So much so that, In 2019, I also graduated from the Integral Yoga 200hrs basic teacher training program and occasionally offer classes/sessions in a range of yogic traditions. I also co-facilitate quarterly retreats on the U.K.'s south coast and especially encourage musicians to prioritise their health and well-being, where possible.  

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Thanks for reading. I hope that you enjoy browsing the site and would love to hear from you about your own journey. The next page is dedicated to how I might be able to help with that...