"Keep your options open and don’t make final decisions until you have to"

Hometown
Born in Croydon and now live in Leeds/Bradford, but work all over the country

What do you do?
Composer, musical director and pianist (freelance)

I also hold the following part-time posts:
* Lecturer in composition and performance, Leeds College of Music
* Artistic director, Hexham Abbey Festival
* National project coordinator, CP4P (Creative Partners for Progression, a joint project with Creative Partnerships and AimHigher)

How long have you been at it?
Ever since I can remember – the jobs may have changed, but the all-round involvement hasn’t

What was your very first role in theatre?
Wrote music, directed, played and sang in numerous school and university productions. I was later musical director (MD) for dance groups.

What have you done in theatre?
Musical director at Chipping Norton Theatre and Chelmsford Civic Theatre, and more recently Bradford Alhambra, Lawrence Batley Theatre Huddersfield and Yorkshire Women Theatre

As a composer, I have just completed a commission for Northern Ballet Theatre.

Have you got qualifications?
A degree in music and AMusM (Masters of Musical Arts) in music (composition)

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Happy, and somebody who spreads enjoyment through music

What do you do all day?
Today I have principally been working on programming for next season, in particular composing a new staged choral venture

My last piece, In A Strange Land, was staged with lighting effects and an ever changing sequence of slide backdrops – a choral concert but with movement, colour and drama. The new project has to go one step further. It will incorporate dance and film. It explores the way people’s lives are more or less determined by circumstances, except for the very few strong ones who self-determine their destiny.

In between times today I have:
* written programme notes for some forthcoming recitals
* checked entry details and requirements for the Choir Olympics in Austria in July 2008 for a youth choir I am taking there
* edited music and script for a dramatic presentation on the abolition of slavery
* phoned a couple of artists to check availabilities and possible programmes for my festival at Hexham in 2008

What’s the best thing about your job?
There’s always plenty to do – no risk of ever getting bored – and plenty of variety

And the worst?
There’s always plenty to do!

What’s your dream job in theatre?
Creating a work in which music, spectacle, words, scenery, drama and emotion all come together in a combination that is greater than the sum of its parts. It happens occasionally, when everyone is working together with the same vision and sense of purpose.

Got any wise words for someone who wants to be where you are now?
Keep your options open and don’t make final decisions until you have to, by which time they will become clear. You may often find yourself taking a different and more exciting path than the one you planned. On the other hand, look for opportunities and seize them when they’re there – they won’t come round a second time.