about
biog
Michael was born way back in January 1965 to a very much non musical family! Before the age of 5 he had been bought a typewriter as he seemed keen to use his fingers on a keyboard – little did he or his parents realise that 40 years on music would be such a large part of Michael’s life!
Michael started playing the piano ‘by ear’ when visiting friends to play at the tender age of 6 – he was far happier ‘playing’ on the piano indoors while the friends he was meant to be playing with were outside playing in the fresh air!
When 7 his parents decided to buy him a piano and send him for piano lessons. The piano cost £10 and came from an old pub and was no where in tune and at full concert pitch, but that didn’t matter – it did the job – Michael was hooked!
He went for his first piano lesson and when back home announced that he wasn’t going any more as he could play better than the teacher. Not the case at all but having learnt the infamous ‘Chopsticks’ by ear he felt the two handed scales he was being asked to do by the teacher were way beneath him! He never went again and has been self taught from that point on.
At primary school Michael played the recorder and occasionally the piano in school assembly – this not pleasing the headteacher on the day the rest of the children announced to him that Michael knew the tune to a new hymn the children had been taught by their peripatetic music teacher and they wanted Michael to play it. The head didn’t allow it!
However things at High School were much better when Michael was taught by Paul Tarrant and encouraged to play whenever he had the chance. Within a few terms Michael was playing the piano for whole school assemblies every day and then for school productions. While at High School Michael learnt and played several other instruments and became a member of the South Norfolk Youth Symphonic Band and played numerous concerts with them as a tenor horn player and later as a flautist.
Michael performed the role as Musical Director for the first time while still at High School aged 16 – a pantomime for his village drama group – Pulham Players. This became the start of his drama work which still continues today.
Michael left school and went to work in retail selling keyboards, performing at concerts for the music store along with organists such as Brian Sharp & Peter Hayward and once performing a duet with magician Paul Daniels. He also started doing some part time teaching. In his spare time he continued to play for several local drama groups and also perform concerts both locally and also further afield for organ societies – using Yamaha multi keyboards, first an MR700, then a HS8 and then on to his trusty EL 90. Michael took delivery of a new Yamaha Stagea ELS – 01C in June 2005 which had to be ordered direct from a music store in Japan as Yamaha no longer supply multi keyboards to the UK. It is thought that this model is one of only a handful currently in the UK.
Michael’s great musical passion is musical theatre and he greatly enjoys trips to both the West End and Broadway and gains inspiration from these productions. Michael finds that many songs from these shows work well as instrumental pieces and he has based his recent concert programmes using songs from the likes of Les Misérables, Phantom Of The Opera, Miss Saigon and The Lion King to name but a few. His current Yamaha Stagea ELS – 01C has such a vast range of orchestral sounds that he is able to re-create these pieces with great effect and his current concert programme along with productions including Songs From Stage & Screen and the recent NODA award winning production of Jekyll & Hyde both performed with the Mere Players have met with much praise.
Michael lives in South Norfolk with his wife Kate and their 'children'.... Morris & Archie (Marble Bengal cats!!) and Charlie & Gracie (Lhasa Apso dogs!!)
Enjoy - Michael