Early musical career
I began playing music aged 6 in a Marching Band playing cymbals before moving up to the snare drum. At 8 I began learning the guitar and at 12 I was playing double bass in my secondary school ‘big’ band. I played guitar in a couple of bands before choosing bass guitar as my main instrument. Over the years I have played semi-professionally in locals pubs, wine bars, jazz clubs, weddings and festivals. Notable venues I have performed in include The Jazz Cafe, Dover Street Wine Bar, Wembley Arena and The Royal Albert Hall (5 times). I have also sung on the West End stage (once, it’s a long story but a very brief appearance).
Sound recording experience
Over the years I have played on various recording projects. My first experience was on an early TEAC 4-track reel to reel tape machine in a friends front room (with some great results!). Then into a cramped, professional 8-track studio using 2″ master tapes ‘bouncing’ tracks endlessly (if you know, you know!). Over the years I have played on many demos and albums in professional 24-track digital studios and now have come full-circle back to recording at home, but totally digitally in Cubase on a Mac, with almost unlimited possibilities and superb quality.
Change of direction
When health issues cut my playing career short, I returned to my love of recording sound in many different fields, from the ‘natural world’, and then in specialist areas such as church bells and choirs (church and non-religious), always trying to capture the sound as authentically as possible. I am also very interested in recording classical ensembles, capturing the unique sounds of each player and of their beautiful acoustic instruments. I can record in a “recording session” type format, or “live” through a 16-channel mixing desk.
Superb quality at a fraction of the cost
The entire recording, mixing and mastering processes can now all be done digitally at home “in the box” with results comparable to very expensive, professional recording studios, but at a fraction of the cost. Even CDs can be ‘cut’ at a very reasonable cost today.