Tuned Percussion Instruments
I have been making tuned percussion instruments
for over twenty years. In 1989 I won a three year research grant from
the Leverhulme Trust which enabled me to travel widely in Africa and
Indonesia where I studied alongside the most skilled instrument makers.
I completed a Phd in Music Instrument Technology in 1995 at The London
Guildhall University: "The
Manufacture of Tuned Percussion Instruments in Indonesia and Africa - A Selective
Study".
I gained an HND in Instrument Technology at The London College of Furniture
in 1988.
This unique background of training in the practical skills of instrument
making alongside African and Indonesian instrument makers, coupled with
an academic knowledge of acoustics and instrument construction, enables
me to make strong and beautiful instruments which sound fantastic and
continue an acoustic instrument making tradition.
I make xylophones, marimbas, and other tuned percussion for professional musicians including an African style concert marimba for Evelyn Glennie. I also make instruments for theatre, schools and other groups working with young people with complex disabilities. I have recently been making outdoor musical instruments for schools which combine the ruggedness of playground equipment with the beauty of musical instruments.
Bespoke Furniture
In 1995 I moved from London to Uley in the Cotswolds. When I moved here I became interested in the local Arts and Crafts furniture; especially that of Gimson and the Barnsleys. My furniture is influenced by their work and old country furniture, and by the innate beauty of wood. The timber I use for furniture is all locally sourced, usually in the form of fallen trees. I have the logs planked at a local sawmill and then they are left to dry in my yard.