When I started to write a formal CV listing my musical education and achievements, it became evident that this would become a long document that contained many facts and figures about the past but said very little about me as a person and what I want to achieve musically in the future.
Therefore I have tried to set out a few of those musical moments that are precious to me. But first just a quick musical history of myself.
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- Born 14-10-1950 (This is probably the most important event in my life event so far)
- The first piece of music I heard was my mother playing Fur Elise on the piano.
- Age 12 received a slap around the head from my form teacher for my first attempts at composition. Apparently it was quite a reasonable attempt so naturally they thought I was cheating. (Normally I did cheat but on this occasion I didn't)
- 1966 buying my first second hand saxophone, it cost me a months wages and came with a Tune A Day book. The instrument had pads missing and the case fell apart when I got home.
- My first Gig. I received £2.00. (I still have one of them)
- Every music lesson I ever had.
- Tuition was hard to get then and each lesson with Barry (Cole) was a treasure of excitement.
- My parents' expressions when I informed them that I wanted to be a professional musician. I was 16 years old and they tried to dissuade me by saying that the world of music was all sex and drink. I thought I'd struck gold.
- I first realized how powerful music was when I was about 18years old. I was playing in a bar when an old lady came up and ask us to play "Time On My Hands" for her husband. We played and he sat there in tears. Apparently he was a retired pro saxophone player and this was the first melody he every recorded. He never thought that a bunch of spotty kids would know that tune.
- Being asked to take a solo from someone who had told me only a year previously to leave the stage because I was not up to it.
- My first commercial recording session at EMI with Bob Barrett (A truly wonderful character)
- Being asked by a major record company to compose and record your own work was not just exciting. I just never realized that I had come that far. For the first and only time I travelled first class on the train that day.
- Quite sadistically those disappointments, failed promises and broken contracts for without them the occasional success would not taste so sweet.
- My first contract to play in the USA. I thought the phone call was a mate winding me up so I nearly blew it. It was only when air tickets came through the post that I realized the offer was genuine.
- In those days your passport stated what you did for work and my passport said "Musician." How proud I felt that day.
- 1986 being accepted into PRS.
- Receiving the STEMRA MUSIC AWARD for the most imaginative use of film music.
- Strangely, paying income tax for the first time. It was a milestone for not only was I a full time musician but now I was paying my way as well.
- Hearing my work for the first time on a commercial film and in a TV broadcast was a very strange sensation.
Personally I have always been fascinated by the sound of a single instrument. Having over the years slowly reduced the size of musical groups that I worked in I finally, back in 1980, settled on performing with backing tracks. There were many technical problems to overcome then but an electronic accompaniment meant that I could turn them down and even off in order to experiment with the solo sound without explanations and fighting any inter-musician negativity.
Things developed quickly with major publishers like Chappels & Carlin Music requesting work.
I have discovered far more musical textures, colours & sounds in performing unaccompanied then I ever imagined, (for a completely different view of solo saxophone check out John Klemmer) Strangely though the traditional musical tools of harmony, composition & and fundamental music theory that I studied all those years ago have formed a foundation for the development so far. (my thanks to Barry Cole)
For myself this is a captivating & exciting area of performance & composition that I would like to develop further & bring to a larger and more diverse audience.
Music for me could easily become totaly encompassing so my other interests are very important. They allow me to see my musical work from a different perspective and with a renewed freshness and excitment for the subject.
I share two life long interests with my wife Janet
Our motor sailer "Tracy Ann" has been in the family since 1986. Our three children grew up spending the summers exploring the fasinating creeks and esturies of the east coast of the UK.
The children now grown up have their own sailing boat called "Kelji" that they share between them.
Quarter full size Tiger Moth powered by a 30cc four stroke engine.
This aircraft was a joy to build and is equally a lovely model to fly.
