From a very young age I was subjected to all sorts of music at home from rock, pop, soul, funk and even jazz. My parents would listen to the radio, CD’s and old LP records and I did too. My Dad also happened to work as a radio DJ which meant he used to have to listen to lots of promos from artists new and old. This helped me greatly because I now have such a wide taste in music and have generally been influenced by them all in some way or another. However, I was grabbed musically by that great thrashing ‘A’ chord at the beginning of ‘The Who’s’ ‘We wont get fooled again’ where the intro still gives me goose bumps every time I hear it! This was around about twelve years into my life and from then on I decided I must learn the guitar.

I was in a bit of a minority in my family, as no-one but myself could play a musical instrument except, of course for the dreaded school recorder which most of us claim to have played at some time (‘London’s burning’ anyone?). So with that in mind I had no-one really to help me or encourage me to play the guitar which is what you need in the beginning. I didn’t pick the guitar up seriously though until the sudden death of my Grand Father a few years later. As a proud Grand Parent, he wanted me to pursue a career in music when truthfully I wasn’t sure. He always said to me ‘think positively’ which I will always remember.

With G.C.S.E’s out of the way a trip to Music College was in order where, I kid you not, I just played music all day every day for nearly two years. This is where I found the ‘rock n roll’ buzz and the thrill of playing in front of live audiences even if it was only to one man and his dog. After College I enrolled on a specialist Guitar course in London for a year called ‘Guitar X’. When I started the course I could play the guitar but after finishing it I certainly became a musician. It gave me some invaluable knowledge about music and I achieved the ‘top performer award’, but more importantly it helped me write my own material.

This brings me to the present where I’ve been a teacher and a session musician for nearly three years in London. I have also experienced playing around the world including Budapest and Sydney of all places. But honestly nothing compares to hearing your own music on radio, Cd or even online, which is why I’ve written an album about my budding local town of ‘Watford’. Songs on the current album ‘These Four Walls’ includes ‘What I’m Seeing’ and ‘Same Old’ which have hidden meanings about my local town. You get a great sense of pride and satisfaction when you finally complete something like an album, even if it has been a long time coming! I hope you get the same enjoyment listening to it as I have in writing it.

Cheers People