About Me

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I’ve been playing guitar for 42 years and in a wide variety of styles.

In 1990 I moved to London to study at the Musicians Academy under Ed Spieght, now head of the Jazz guitar at the Royal Academy.

This was followed by a move north to Salford, Manchester for two years achieving a Higher Diploma in Popular Music and Recording. Again there were many gigs and I also held the guitar seat in University College Salford Big Band Jazz Orchestra who at the time were BBC National Champions. This included many performances including with the British jazz guitar great Martin Taylor!

Moving back to South Wales in 1993 I began teaching in all styles professionally and was also the main rock/jazz guitar specialist tutor at The South Wales Guitar School based in Cardiff.

I also worked extensively for Community Music Wales training unemployed musicians as part of the Governments “New Deal” scheme until about 2004.

I also helped to run the Sain Byw residential Rockschool courses for the Princes Trust in 2002 and 2003.

I joined the Cardiff County and Vale of Glamorgan Music Service in 2004 and am still with them. The work here is peripatetic, in and around the schools in Cardiff and the Vale; it involves group and individual tuition with some ensemble work. This is all in addition to my private work.

Many of the people I have taught work professionally within the music industry and include top session musicians and “West End”  players and recording engineers. Two years ago one of my pupils, Alun Elliot Williams achieved the highest marks in the whole of Europe in his Rockschool Grade 8 exam!! (see testimonials)

In 2011 another pupil 12 year old Callum Williams was a finalist in Guitarist magazine “Young Guitarist of the Year” competition, he made it to the final five in the U.K. and was the youngest entrant- a truly HUGE achievement!! (see links/photos/testimonials). He was also asked to be demonstrator at World Guitars PRS event demoingthe guitars in front of Paul Reed Smith himself! There are many adults who'd find that very intimidating; Callum dealt with it totally calmly and blew everyone away with his skill. "He has maturity WAY beyond his years!" - Paul Reed Smith

Currently my teaching schedule is busy. I use and support most exam boards including Trinityguildhall classical exams, Rockschool, RGT and Associated Board Theory exams. Although exams are not for everybody and no-one is made to do them. I’m just at home teaching a beginner simple chords and tunes as more advanced levels and styles - music is for everyone!

I also run one day workshops for up to ten players, these usually centre around a particular theme e.g. rock guitar/jazz guitar/ technique etc. These are a way for people to come together, play and cover a lot of material to see them through in the future.

I can also be found playing with the bands Rolling Thunder and Theory of Index.

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