How old were you when you first became interested in music?
I was about eight or nine, well knee high to a grasshopper! I was always interested in drums and one of my first memories was going to see my dad in a Christmas concert at the Preston Guild Hall playing cornet/trumpet, but I spent more time watching the percussion section. Just watching them running around hitting, shaking and blowing whistles and sirens fascinated me.
- Who have been your role models and why?
The first guy that got me really interested in drumming was called Brendan Needham and he gave me my first couple of lessons. He was the first percussionist that I ever really saw in concert. The job that he was doing then is the job that I’m actually doing now, in the Corps of Army Music (CAMUS), so I have something aspire to.
- Why did you choose the instrument that you are now playing?
It’s something different and although I personally find it easier to be good with one instrument, i.e. cornet, when you have a whole family of instruments that you have to be good at then it’s a challenge and fun to do. How many times do you watch a rock band and concentrate on the drummer? He is always the one doing the most movement than anyone else in the band. Also you can play the same piece of music several times but play different percussion instruments e.g. timpani one day, xylophone the next.
- How would you describe your achievements and successes?
Achievements: Grade 8 Trinity Guild Hall on drum kit, Grade 5 ABRSM tuned percussion, Grade 5 ABRSM Music Theory.
I’ve played for HM the Queen for the Queen’s Birthday Parade/Trooping the Colour 2018. I’ve done various Buckingham Palace garden parties.
I’ve done two, one month tours of Canada working with Spruce Meadows in their show jumping competition. We also worked out of British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) working in local schools and Canadian legions and also worked with the Royal Canadian artillery.
- How do you feel being in a band has influenced other parts of your life in a positive way?
It helps with people skills because you end up meeting people that you wouldn’t normally cross paths with. It also helps with self-confidence. If you have supportive people in a band, like Andrew White for example, someone who is very good at what they do complimenting you for something you have done then that builds your confidence. It helps with time keeping too! It gets you used to being somewhere on time. You have to be there otherwise the show can’t go on without you as the drummer is vital.
- What is your ultimate musical ambition?
One of my ambitions was to join the army as a musician. The fact that I was able to achieve that and to be able to carry on is my goal. As long as there’s a beat in my heart there’s going to be a beat on the drum!
- What do you enjoy doing when you are not playing an instrument?
Socialising with friends and co-workers, trying to keep fit, listening to other percussionists to see if I can pick up any tips or tricks of the trade from them. I play very contrasting games on my Playstation 4 such as, GTA 5, Far Cry 5, Tom Clancy Ghost Recon Wildlands.
- What was the first CD that you ever bought/downloaded or were given?
‘2007 Regional Brass Band Contest pieces’, I would have been eleven.
