Over the years, I’ve studied and owned many instruments. The trumpet, violin, organ, recorder and guitar. I studied classical guitar for four years, from the age of 15 to 18. It was after that training I transitioned to the piano, I’m so glad I did.
It’s been said that the piano contains all the other instruments, because of its wide vocal range and its ability to change tone colour and resemble other instruments. It’s the instrument most classical composers use to create their orchestral and other works.
Musically, you can do so much with a piano. The scope of a piano gives composers the opportunity to write for so many other instruments.
While studying the piano for seven years I also learned orchestration, due to my love of classical and post-classical music. Between the ages of 22 and 35, I wrote four symphonies, dozens of piano and string works, choral pieces and so much more. I once had a piece performed by a school orchestra and choir. It was called Home. You can find that song on my album, I am as you know me.
Here is a piece for a small ensemble to highlight the Resilience & Resistance of Aboriginal people in Australia.
Today, as an old guy, I find it's jazz that moves me the most. While it's hard to break out of my classical training, jazz has changed me as a musician and composer. One of the great beauties about jazz is, it doesn't have an expiration date. You can't really compose classical music like Mozart or Bach did today, and why would you, but Jazz is always contemporary.
I think jazz has more forms than any other style of music because it's so flexible and most of the time, a happy and joyous sound. It's hard not to like jazz.
I have so much music in me, and if you listen to just some of what I write, that will make me a very happy man.
