I am a musician/drum teacher, my career spans over 20 years. I have had a lot of experience working with many different people in a variety of different environments, having travelled the world from this line of work. I am very professional and do my very best to meet the needs of the clients and colleagues who I work with. I pride myself on attention to detail and striving to get the best results I can.

Freelance drum teacher – E11 Music (2004 – 2006)

Teaching at E11 music has taught me to work with students within a set framework while at the same time developing my own personal touch. I have developed my skills communicating my knowledge to others whether they are a beginner, intermediate or advanced student. I was very keen to share my passion with students. It made me flexible and I was able to adapt to each individual’s way of learning.

Freelance drum teacher – private

This work has enabled me to develop my lessons from the ground up. It gives me a more personal way of teaching, showing how I have developed my skill and knowledge on the instrument, as I am mainly self-taught. I ultimately show students how they can continue to grow and learn on the instrument as a life long process.

Music Workshops:

I have been involved in ‘jazz workshops’ at schools and universities over the UK with a jazz group who I had been touring the country with. In these workshops, we demonstrated our instrumental roles within the group and how they varied through different sections within various compositions. We deconstructed elements to show what was happening in the music, interacting with the students in the process. We explained different musical styles and demonstrated how they differ from one another.

There were also question and answer sections where we got to directly engage with individual students and further develop their understanding. Although these were ‘jazz’ workshops, we tailored them specifically to show how our music works, while encompassing the jazz idiom as a whole.

One of the most notable workshops was at Arnold Hill Academy, a Nottingham school, and was organised by ‘JazzSteps’. This workshop had high critical acclaim, with a press release reporting the workshop’s success.

Music Qualifications & Achievements:

Freelance musician – drummer

My experience as a freelance musician has included working with some of the top musicians in the UK, Europe and the USA in various genres of music such as Jazz, Funk, Soul, Latin, Rock, World-music, to name a few. These are some of the projects I have been and are currently involved in:

The Foreign Exchange – (2011)

This is a Grammy-nominated group from the USA who I was asked to tour with at very short notice. This further developed my ability to adapted quickly and to learn a significant amount of material in a short space of time, which I did successfully. I was able to work well with my colleagues under pressure and establish a professional working environment.

These are some other artists who I have had a more established involvement with:

• Nicolas Meier (Meier Group) – (2003 – present)
• Groove Razors – (2009 – present)
• Preston Glasgow Lowe – (2011 – present)
• Robert Mitchell – (2010 – 2016)
• Gilad Atzmon – (2008)
• John Law – (2013 – 2016)
• Natacha Atlas – (2016 – present)
• Cecelia Stalin – (2012 – present)
• Session recording – drums

My experience in this field has shown how I am able to adapt to each individual’s requirements and needs on the spot. It has put me in situations where I’ve had to be flexible and think on my feet yet deliver what is required. My recording career has led me to appear on numerous albums such as:

Sean Khan – Palmares Fantasy 2018

Working on this album put me out of my comfort zone, it forced me to be creative and think outside the box. The results of which contributed to the album being a success. This has included the album being in the top 50 in the iTunes jazz chart, it was the label’s (Far Out Records) number one seller and was licensed by British Airways to be included in their jazz section on their entertainment systems.

• Natacha Atlas – Strange days 2019
• Meier Group – Kismet 2012
• Robert Mitchell Trio – A Vigil for Justice. A Vigil for Peace 2016
• Preston Glasgow Lowe 2016
• Groove Razors 2010
• John Law – These skies in which we rust 2014

Qualifications:

• GCSE Art A*
• GCSE Music B
• GCSE German C
• Redbridge Music Service
• Drumtech 1 year Diploma