What sparked your passion for music, and how did it lead you to pursue a career in education?

I first began my music journey in recorder club after school in Year 4 as well as my local church choir.

Do you have a favourite musical genre or style that you enjoy listening to or performing? If so, what draws you to it?

I don't have a favourite musical genre or style.  I am classically trained, have been Assistant Musical Director for the We Will Rock You musical, have vocal coached West End lead roles and become number 33 in the world as a Jazz Pianist.  I believe that there's excellence to be discovered in all styles!

Are there any musical instruments you play or have always wanted to learn? Why?

I play piano, organ, sing, trombone, clarinet, trumpet, violin, Gambian drums and recorder.  Perhaps Aysgarth will lead me to add bagpipes to this list!

Can you share a memorable musical performance or concert experience that had a significant impact on you?

While at college I took a Music Therapy unit.  There was a young autistic boy who had never engaged with his teachers or people around him.  In one session he got up, held the hands of a young girl and danced with her in the middle of the room.  His teachers were in tears.

Aside from music, what are some of your other hobbies or interests that you enjoy in your free time?

Music is my life.  I have been a paid musician since the age of 15 and it's what I do from dawn to dusk 7 days per week.

Is there a particular artist or composer who has had a profound influence on your musical journey? How have they inspired you?

The most amazing person who transformed me was Mr Valery who I met in Cairo.  He taught me how to play "without the dots" and freed my musical soul!

What do you find most rewarding about being the Head of Music? Are there any specific moments or accomplishments that stand out to you?

Being Head of Music gives me the opportunity to change a person's life for ever.  Of course, many pupils will do exceptionally well in music exams, but most important of all is establishing a love for music that will last a life time.

How do you approach incorporating creativity and innovation into the music curriculum? Do you have any unique teaching methods or approaches you find effective?

Yes, I follow the Zoltán Kodály philosophy (for which I spoke at the first ever world aural training symposium in the Royal Academy of Music and was subsequently published by Routledge) as well as Edwin Gordon's MLT method, amongst others.  I research the methods of all leading musical pedagogues and seek to absorb them into my own teaching style.

If you were stranded on a deserted island with only one musical artist's discography, who would it be?

That's a hard question!  Can I have a compilation album?!  Let's go for Harry Connick Junior who hugely inspired me after I saw him, in my mid-teens, in a broadcast concert on Channel 4.

Have you ever had a student who was determined to make the recorder sound like a symphony orchestra? How did you handle their enthusiasm for "creative interpretation"?

Actually, that question should be rephrased.  I have accompanied a Grade 8 recorder player.  Recorder played at that level is absolutely stunning and I encourage anyone to watch professional recorder players on youtube - they are phenomenal.

What's your secret recipe for keeping a music class engaged and excited, especially on Mondays when everyone's suffering from a case of the "weekend blues"?

Games, games, games!  Interactive games distract young learners from self-consciousness about their own ability and train them with movement, rhythm and pitch on many different levels simultaneously.