ghmusicprep.com

­­Born into a non-musical household (this was later to prove invaluable in his chosen career as a drummer) in 1960, it wasn’t until the age of 14 that I became interested ­­­­­­in all things percussive. Up until that time my energy was being channelled into becoming an actor, following my great, great grandfather, the legendary Actor/Manager Albert Hall.

Nottingham in the early 70’s was a vibrant place for the amateur player, with an abundance of orchestras (both adult and youth) and a music service that cared about standards and the promotion (through excellent teaching staff and funding) of young musicians. This system allowed me to study with the master percussionist of the time, the late, great James Blades, my parents making the long drive once a fortnight to his house in Cheam, Surrey.

After a 1st failed attempt I scraped a place at the Royal Academy and “enjoyed” all the benefits of such a lofty institution. Wanting to give something back to an authority that had supported him so much (and, let’s be honest, to earn some money), I took up a post as a peripatetic percussion teacher and very nearly enjoyed it. However, the lure of white tie and tails and the chance to use my acting skills in playing a Bass Drum proved too much and the call of the freelance percussionist came in 1984. 

Various orchestras used his services, notably ViVA (the orchestra formally known as EoEO) in which I played in the inaugural concert (and last year I was awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society/Association of British Orchestras Salomon Prize, awarded to orchestral players who have been nominated by their colleagues for their contribution to the orchestra’s work.)

1992 allowed me to sell my van and join the hallowed ranks of a full-time band, the Orchestra of Opera North. “It’s a job from heaven,” said I on hearing the news. “It allows me to still play with ViVA, live in Pinxton and because most of the playing is from a pit you can hardly hear the singers”

 In 2005 a ­misguided orchestral manager asked if I would be interested in orchestrating some children’s songs and then arranging various tunes. This has led to a big increase in the amount of money I have spent on various laptops and PCs and also in the number of times my wife, Janet, has yelled up the stairs “YOUR DINNER IS ON THE TABLE” 

Pre November 17th 2014 I was thinking about how to step down the playing and step up the music prep. Finale, Sibelius and Photoshop (the 3 Riders of Preparation) were keeping me busy, And then disaster! The gas, electric, water and broadband connection in my brain stopped and aphasia trampled my language and rearranged my life puzzle. I was transposed into a distant key and the music sounded strange, as if Bach heard Stravinsky for the very first time with lyrics by Sondheim.

 Everyone at Opera North and Viva were, and still are, supportive and the bloody bugger, the clotty slugger, was a chance to re-orchestrate my life, to stop shilly-shallying and every day since the infarct occurred, I practised with my brain, and make some sense of my life, music and speech and day-to-day I've got to outsmart, reword and practised with my brain and make some sense of my humour, life is a “beach!”