ABOUT ME

Growing up in Glasgow, I began playing piano at the age of 8.

My father, himself an accomplished pianist, showed me how to play some simple tunes; right hand first, then left. Putting them together was the tricky bit! From there, I began to develop an ear for music so I could reproduce the songs I was listening to as I was growing up.

To this day, it is true to say I still play largely ‘by ear’.

I listen to a piece of music, analyse it, work out the chords and melody - and then practice it! Having had little formal training, I do not need to use sheet music. This means I can flow seamlessly from one song to another without stopping every few minutes to set up the next piece of music.

My first professional ‘gig’ was in the cocktail bar of a large hotel in the west end of Glasgow. I remained as the house pianist there for over 10 years. I also worked as musical director for musical theatre groups, putting on shows like Oklahoma! and Chicago. In 1995, after a number of years playing in hotels and restaurants throughout central Scotland, I was lucky enough to be offered a position as one of the resident pianists at the world-famous Gleneagles Hotel. All these years later, I am still there, entertaining guests at the grand piano in the flagship restaurant, the Strathearn.