Before embarking on an accidental career in Higher Education, I grew up in Guildford, Surrey, UK and got my undergraduate degree from the University of Surrey, studying music. The first 40 years of my life were dominated by music; writing, recording and peforming both original and covered songs with bands formed at University for almost 20 years after graduation. I’ve had the privilege of recording at Abbey Road Studios,
As a mediocre singer, self taught bass player, piano player (let’s not say pianist) and guitar noodler, my primary focus was on songwriting, writing over 300 songs and cowriting another few dozen with friends. My songwriting heroes are Lennon/McCartney, Ben Folds, Sara Bareilles, John Mayer, Sting, Stevie Wonder, The Doobie Brothers, Sam Fender, Hall & Oates and Alison Krauss amongst others.
I am an avid 5th generation Newcastle United supporter, my great, great grandfather having owned a pub directly adjacent to St James’s Park, Newcastle when the first match happened in 1892. My wider interests lie in music, film (almost all genres), documentaries about history, science and technology, US political podcasts, collecting musical instruments and I’m generally an early adopted of technology (depending on my bank balance at any given time).
I live in Farnham, Surrey with my wife and primary school-aged daughter, having become a father at the age of 40 and since the Covid 19 pandemic, I’ve all but stopped playing, writing and performing to concentrate on being a parent.
As I near 50, I’ve been successful in my professional life as a Director of Marketing, Communications & Engagement for 3 UK universities over a 20 year period and prior to that, had a 7 year spell working with elected officials in the students’ union movement.
