I am a single dad, a professional classical pianist, a choral conductor and a piano tutor. I teach classical piano at my own music school, Ottantotto Piano School, during the day and write music and lyrics at night. I am currently also in the last year of my BA (Hons) in Music.
My approach to music writing is somewhat academic. If I come across a music genre I don't know or am not particularly fond of, I will (still) research it in depth (i.e. typical forms, rhythms, harmony, instrumentation, vocals, cultural, social and religious contexts, and biographies of well-known musicians), and I will likely have a go at writing something in that genre to ensure I understand how it ticks.
But my "soft spot" is minimalist contemporary, Indie/Pop/Folk/Country and Pop Rock, and I am partial to a good old power ballad. If I had to name a few composers/musicians who inspire my writing, I would say, Donizetti, Stravinsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Einaudi, Glass, Zimmer, Williams, Dolly Parton, Colter Wall, Laura Pergolizzi and Rammstein.
Still, with all the above said, my primary motivation for writing music is simply to have fun and unwind after a long working day!
