Well I finally got round to writing my biography and after been told I had to write more than "I play tuba!" I realised it was going to be a lot harder than first anticipated! In the wise words of Homer Simpson and I quote "D'oh!" Well for one thing I haven't even played my Tuba in the Ceilidh just played Bass Guitar, never the less I have set aside my Sunday evening to instead of the constant practise, write my biography, so here I go…

I was born in 1980, on the 17th October in Bradford in the land of brass, little known to my brother James and I at the time, at the age of a year and a half my family moved down to Telford, the new and almost un-heard of new town in Shropshire. Still not an instrument in sight as not even my folks played one or sang, but it was discovered they had owned a Black Dyke Mills LP for quite sometime. It was not till the tender age of 9 and after ignoring my constant wishes for a Drum Kit I finally got handed my brother James's old cornet, not a Drum Kit, but despite my disappointment I took to it quite well and started to have lessons at Abraham Darby School on a Saturday morning with Bill Holyhead who was my tutor and got me through them dark days of Tuner Day Book 1 and the oh so tuneful Little F and G march, those were the days! Bill also ran the Junior Brass ensemble, soon had me on the demanding seat of 3rd cornet, which soon I had out grown and was moved to 2nd then to 1st and was also invited to join the senior brass band on 3rd cornet, all before the age of 11, little did I know, what started off as something my parents made me do would grow into my hobby and life!

In the summer term of 1991, I was approached by the head of music and was asked if I wanted to change instrument, with little or no thought I said yes and that morning when my dad came to pick my up from band much to his surprise I had what looked nowadays like a Baritone was a little Tuba, which opened up a lot of opportunities to me further down the line! Well for one as soon as joined Abraham Darby School, I was asked to join the Showband, the flagship band of the School an opportunity I would have had to wait longer for if I had stayed on cornet!

Three years on I had grown out of the junior band and had started sitting in on the Jazz Band Rehearsals, putting in the odd bit of aux percussion at every opportunity I got, I also had started having Piano lessons which proved very useful as I will explain. By September as old pupils moved on to University releasing the places in the Jazz band I seized my opportunity to take the Bass guitar seat not deterred by the fact I didn't know how to play the bass, with my new skill of reading Bass Clef which I gained through taking Piano lessons put in the bass lines on keyboard whilst I developed my hand at bass playing, something I found quite easy to pick up, playing in the Jazz Band was something new and different and lead to win various prises awarded within the school and also out at competitions , one of them being "Most Outstanding Instrumentalist" presented in the Jazz Band section of the National Concert Band Festival held at the Royal College of Music in Manchester.

Out of school I got asked to join the Jackfield Elcock Resien Band, a 1st section Brass Band based down in the valley and made up of local musicians at least a third of them ex-pupils of Abraham Darby School them selves, with this Band I started to develop my love of competitions and the test pieces that were set.

At the age of 17 I moved onto New Collage 6th Form where again joined all the bands I could including the Big Band where I became friends with Jacob, "The Banger" though our love of music and what can only be described as our childish, sometimes sick sense of humour, oh and beer fits in there somewhere, how we ever got girlfriends I don't know! May because they thought we were talented, well I entered in the concerto competition and Mc Clure awards both in 1997 and 98 been beaten by some woodwind player, Not Uncle Numpty!

After taking a gap year I was accepted onto the Bmus Music course at the Birmingham Conservatoire using Tuba as my first study, I am sad to say this is when I parted with bass guitar and concentrated on Tuba, I also moved on from the Jackfield Band and joined the Woolley Pritchard Sovereign Band, later moving down to the Rolls Royce Band, now known at the Jaguar Coventry Band, both of championship status. After 2 years at the Conservatoire I decided it wasn't what I wanted to do and moved back home to Telford rejoining the Jackfield Band who were enjoying brief success in the championship section. It wasn't long till word got round of me being back in Telford where I was asked to do a one off gig with a couple of old friends from New College and some now new friends!

Out of the five members of Ceilidhography, I think I am the only member to be introduced to Ceilidh rather than be brought up on it, but I am happy to be proven wrong! It was through "the banger" I was introduced to Ceilidh, I borrowed an acoustic bass and was dragged into playing I am my very first ceilidh at Little Wenlock Village Hall, then venue of my first mistake, saying yes to playing for them, it also being the venue of my second mistake of the evening, by expressing my enjoyment of the ceilidh, dare I say it something to with the many pints of ale consumed that evening that brought out such openness, this regret I will always feel but will take great pleasure in making those responsible for Ceildhography suffer for the rest the time I am a member! Did I also mention I play Tuba?!