I was born in Gateshead and have lived all my life in the North East of England, except for five years in London, while I was studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the City University. I am currently teaching piano privately and working in two very good schools in the North East as a peripatetic piano teacher. I am involved in a ‘Fresh Expressions’ Anglican church in Newcastle, directing the worship team. I have a wife, five children (all of whom are married and living locally) and thirteen grandchildren. I am a rich man indeed!
My career has, of course, been centred around music. I have a BSc in Music and two diplomas from the GSMD (AGSM and LGSM) and also a school teaching certificate.
When I finished my studies in London, I started teaching piano, working privately in Hexham and Newcastle. About 1990 I branched out into full time work as a Youth Pastor and Musical Director at Bethshan church in Newcastle and then around 1996, I moved into school teaching for about 8 years. I taught in middle and primary schools mostly as a music specialist, being involved with school choirs, musical productions and assembly worship. I also recall creating ‘times tables’ songs for the lower-set maths pupils, which were very popular and helpful.
Over the years, I have performed in many local concerts and also pioneered my own brand of ‘in house’ piano recitals, which are something like the soirees that classical musicians used to give, about 150 years ago, before the invention of TV. I have put on concerts in conjunction with Steinway Pianos and The Tyneside Piano Company in Ashington; have performed at corporate events and have also played a part in several of the local music festivals, variously as performer, teacher and adjudicator. I have made several CDs of my performances and arrangements, and have composed several worship songs.
I have been involved in leading church Worship since 1982 and I think of myself primarily as ‘a worshipper of God, who also performs and teaches’. The thrust of my life is to serve and glorify Jesus foremost in all that I do and say and compose. I became Musical Director in my church in 1982 and, for most of the years since then, I have been involved in training people and leading worship. More recently, I have had the opportunity to preach several times. This is something I love to do and will be posting the occasional sermon on my website..
Why have a website? This the question I have been asked and which of course I ask myself.
Well—I want to share my compositions and arrangements with a much wider group of people and also to share what I have learned in the areas of PIANO TEACHING, PERFORMANCE and WORSHIP. In order to do this I have created 3 clear sections on my website and plan to use it to: share many of the things I have discovered to be helpful in teaching the piano and the ABRSM piano exams; catalogue compositions; and get down in writing many of the things I have learned through leading worship sessions and worship groups.