I come from a long line of musicians in my family, so having started to play piano at three years old it was always likely I’d end up playing on a stage somewhere though it this point I was still struggling to stretch to an octave with my tiny hands!
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At 23 years old, and having just been made redundant from my job, I figured it was time to give music a fair go and despite being completely self-taught it was either sink or swim. Between 1993 and 2011 I played keyboards and guitar at live gigs ranging from small bars to large stages, holiday parks to boats, both solo and with bands. I've also been hired for session recording work with various artists and played on live radio. In 1997 I was diagnosed with Charcot Marie Tooth, a condition that effects around 25,000 people in the UK.
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CMT is a progressive hereditary neurological condition that effects motor skills and subsequently leads to muscle wastage in the lower legs and hands. This has an effect on my mobility and my hands. The muscle wastage and reduced motor function means that I cannot expect to play as I once did, so I am finding ways to adapt my playing style to suit my new reality.
I retired from full time music in 2011 I went to University to study for a Bachelor’s Degree and eventually sold all my gear in 2015. As it turned out leaving myself with no instruments was not a smart move as I fell into a depressive state.
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During a therapy course in 2023 it was quickly identified that music had always been a huge part of my life from an early age, and by pure chance this therapist was also a musician! She advised that I obtain another keyboard, a music software package, and start to play at home which I did and fell in love with music all over again and​ I have now been commissioned to compose some original music score for upcoming videos by a local charity. I’ve always preferred the thrill of live gigs to recording, so it wasn’t long before I hankered after playing live again so here I am in 2024 undertaking new music projects.
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​Being the owner of a disability is not easy and it can be really frustrating as a musician, but we do have a choice to make; give up and quit, or embrace it and work with our differences. I've now chosen the latter!
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So after a few years away, the story continues! ​
