I am a professional musician of some ten years standing. I graduated from Leeds College of Music in 1997 with a BA (Hons) in Jazz Studies. I split my time between freelancing as a trombonist (more of this later) and teaching brass instruments in schools. This involves spending more time than anyone would willingly choose in confined spaces with groups of little scrotes who are making a racket on instruments that are older than my dad. ("Play me a C. No, that's a G. No, that's a G. No, that's still a G. Okay, play me a G. No, that's a C..." And so on.) As you can imagine, I readily spring from my car and stride into each school with a sense of purpose and eager anticipation. I exaggerate, of course. It does have its lighter moments. Like when one pupil couldn't attend his lesson because he had broken his arm playing on a trampoline whilst wearing rollerblades. Laugh? I nearly shat.
Thankfully, my mental stability is tempered via the cathartic process of professional trombone-playing. Since graduating, I have been busy playing in a variety of musical styles and settings: from brass ensembles and symphony orchestras to big bands, pit bands, pop and function bands and jazz groups. I have had the good fortune to play alongside numerous national and international artists such as: DENNIS ROLLINS, MARK NIGHTINGALE, JULIAN JOSEPH, DEREK WATKINS, PAT MCCARTHY, JOHN DANKWORTH, BARRY FORGIE, PETER GRANT, ROBBIE WILLIAMS (that's a lie, although I have worked with his dad), PHIL WOODS, ROB MCCONNELL, DIANE SCHUUR, the TV actor MARK MORAGHAN (of 'Holby City' and 'Just The Two Of Us' fame) and, most recently, the Motown legend, MARTHA REEVES.
I have been married for three years and live in a 180 year old cottage in Lincolnshire with my beautiful wife, Stephanie (a fellow musician), and Candy, our 7 year old pedigree Maine Coon.
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