Above: At home in the garden.Right: Playing the lovely Celtic Harp built for me in Wales by Teifi Harps.
My professional life has been very diverse. I could never choose between music, painting and writing so have done it all! I received classical training on the piano for eight years from the age of ten. My school didn't offer music and I concentrated on Fine Art for a few years. After a year at Art College, I decided the art world as it was then was not for me. I ended up with a BEd. honours degree in Fine Art and Education and then taught virtually everything bar metalwork! I became Head of a Music Department in my second year, taught both children and adults and have spent a lot of time working with Warwickshire County Music Service. Alongside teaching and bringing up a family, I worked as a freelance illustrator and ghostwriter but took every opportunity to sneak off and work on my own projects!
I was born in Meriden, the heart of England, and grew up on the edge of Coventry. Welsh genes from my mother and some Irish ones from my father, conspired to give me a love of music and story-telling that would not be denied!
As a child, I badgered my parents for a piano! They finally gave in and let me study classical piano and music theory. Then I discovered guitars (and a great many other instruments besides).
This is the part where I have to blow my own trumpet, which I hope you will forgive. I studied Music Production Software at Coventry Technical College and Sound Engineering at Glasshouse Studios, which enabled me to set up my own music studio.As a result, I produced two albums which received three ZMR award nominations - Best New Artist, Best Neo-classical Album and Best Electronic Album. I then went on to produce more albums and audio books too.
My first musical animation screenplay with libretto and score, character sketches and storyboard examples won the 2008 Hi8tus 'Boost' Initiative, aimed at discovering and fast-tracking new creative talent in the West Midlands. In August 2022, my first book project containing audiobook, e-book, illustrations and music, won in three Outstanding Creator Award categories: Audiobooks, Fantasy and World-building. The book also came third in the Overall category of Best Fiction Book of Summer 2022. In April 2024, 'The Well' won the 'Best Audiobook' and 'Best Narrated Book' awards from the OCA.
Now I live and work in Wales UK, taking much of my inspiration from the wonderful countryside around me. I'm working hard to bring to fruition all of my ongoing projects whether they be in sound, words or images or all of these together!
