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 I
started learning instruments at the age of five and now play Piano,
Organ, Clarinet, Keyboard and Accordion. won the "All Scotland
Accordion Championships" on a number of occasions at various
sections and went on to represent Scotland at the National Championships,
winning a number of titles in my amateur career.In 1978 I started teaching music part time in the Paisley area while working for Rolls Royce as a mechanical engineer and in 1982 turned a professional musician. A large musical company approached me to set up a network of musical tuition centres in the borders and so I started teaching in Hawick, Alnwick, Rothbury, Melrose, Tranent and Edinburgh (along with my own Paisley centre). Eventually my own Music Academy became so successful that I stopped all the others to concentrate on the Paisley centre. It's open seven days a week, where the Accordion (Piano & Button), Keyboard, Guitar, Piano and Drums are taught to a very high standard of excellence. The pupils ages range from 4 years up to 82 years and a lot of them have went on to become Champions at various festivals including the Nationals and others to become Teachers and Recording Artistes in some of the top Scottish Traditional Bands. Music is my business, but also my hobby as I compose pieces for the accordion, a number of which have been published (Traditional Scottish and Continental Styles) and play in a very busy and successful function band.  The
Scottish Qualification Authority approached me to construct a list
of relevant graded pieces for the accordion, to be used in the schools
National Curriculum for the whole of Scotland. I have also been kept
busy by being asked to use my vast experience and expertise to adjudicate
at various music festivals throughout the UK since 1995 and at the
National Championships in 2002, 2003 and 2004. In April 2003 I was
given a great honour by being invited to become an examiner for the"
British College of Accordionists". This involves me visiting
many of the examination centres throughout the UK.More recently I have had the pleasure of adjudicating at the Confédération International des Accordéonistes (CIA) International Competition for Accordionists held in 2004 in Pontarlier, France, 2005 in Castelo Branco, Portugal and 2006 in Asker, Norway. In September 2006, I was honoured by being made Vice Principal of the "British College of Accordionists". In 2008, I am looking forward to co-hosting the CIA Coupe Mondiale in Glasgow on behalf of the NAO. ©
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