I am a musician – an orchestra conductor of ballet and Broadway musicals, a pianist and composer – originally from Manchester, England. I first landed in the U.S. (more than a few years ago!) as a grad student in Miami. Since then, music-making has led me to visit (or live in) all sorts of places on five different continents: From Shreveport to Budapest, The Philippines to Swaziland. Of course, along the way I’ve enjoyed, encountered, or endured hospitality of all styles: a room-for-rent in a stranger’s house (100% language barrier included), corporate apartments, a corrugated-tin shack in the jungle, hotels ranging from 5 to 0 stars, cruise-ships, dive-boats, and leaky barges, private island mega-mansions, African desert tents – and most recently, living on a very high floor in a glass-and-steel skyscraper! My latest musical ‘posting’ was in vibrant Chicago where I was the Music Director of “Hamilton” for almost three years, following on from long periods working on Disney’s “The Lion King”, “Wicked” & “Billy Elliot”. At the same time as I was conducting “Hamilton,” I frequently headed North to Door County, WI – a very special and different place, with all the ‘small-town’ charm and ways of a bygone era; whether during its pristine white winters, fresh springtime greens, exciting summer buzz, or the stupendous fall colors. Today, I live here year-round – and Green Gables (along with other local musical projects) has provided me with more than a full-time job, presenting me with a steep learning curve!
I like meeting people of all ages and from different places and walks of life, and am interested in art, architecture, and history, while always staying on the lookout for completely new experiences. I enjoy scuba-diving (I’m a licensed PADI Assistant Instructor – although I’m probably a bit rusty), longer-than-planned hikes, creating music & lyrics and outrageously improbable plot-lines for new comedic musicals, escape rooms, chess, puzzles, campfires (but not at Green Gables!), playing games on my iPhone that keep me up all night, foreign films, LEGO, and reading.