| I was born in 1956 in Bolton and educated at
Thornleigh Salesian College under the guidance of Father
'Jock' McGovern who totally corrupted me and turned me
into an Eb bass player. I started playing with the then
Eagley Mills Band aged about 13 and rapidly became
soloist. After leaving school had a spell in the army
before returning to do a combined maths and
music degree at Manchester, followed by a PGCE at
Didsbury and then became a music teacher in the Wigan
area. While at university, I continued to run brass
groups, and made many friends. In both of the main
schools I have taught in, I have encouraged the playing
of brass band instruments. I now have over 44 years of experience as a tuba
player. I've always had a love of music but my dad could
never understand why - my mum is more understanding :)
I have been teaching in the same school for 23 years.
That's more than most murderers get - and it feels like
it sometimes. Of course, the kids are never the problem,
and I was appointed as teacher governor at my school in
2006 and again in 2010.
I have played with several bands, including Eagley,
Eccles Borough, Orrell Silver and Old Hall Brass. I
returned to Eagley in January 2008 And bounced back to Old Hall in 2016.
My school band has won prizes at Wigan Festival when it ran. I still do
lots of arranging for bands and the school band and
lately for woodwinds - it's what happens when your
colleagues play squeak-oids :) and now I'm adding choral
music to my oeuvres. Two of my carols were performed at
the school's Christmas service in 2006 - very
successfully, and another in 2007. I retired from teaching in 2012
after a 25 year career and now spend my time playing, singing,
composing and arranging.
I now have lots of published music including a range
of brass/brass band music published by MMI Music,
Devilish Music Publishing and Pennine Music Publishers
and I am now starting to publish music I have written
for other ensembles/instruments but some more brass band
music as well. |
