I suppose I was six or seven when I started piano lessons but I'm told that from about three I would creep into the sitting room to listen spellbound to my father playing Beethoven Sonatas and other things. Anyway, the piano has always been top of the list for me and this proved very useful in class music teaching and, more recently, in much of my arranging and composing.

My first 'teacher' was a kindly aunt who, I'm told was a more than competent pianist herself (although I never heard her play a single note!). My first few 'piano' lessons consisted of sitting in the same room as the piano whilst drawing treble and bass clefs. Looking back I can't help thinking that this was not the most insiped way of teaching a beginner! However, a 'better' teacher was found although apparently I 'passed' her when I played the Moonlight Sonata first movement! Next came the music teacher at school who was a brilliant pianist himself but wasn't terribly interested in teaching me the piano. Still, I did achieve grade 5 theory whilst with him.

When, in the sixth form, I suddenly discovered that A-level maths was not my forte, I hurriedly changed course entirely, I began lessons with a superb teacher who was the first teacher to tackle my poor piano technique. (Sadly, this was a bit late for me because my musical skills in other ways were far ahead and I had already developed the brilliant ability to 'get round' difficulties in other ways - meaning that poor practical technique has plagued me ever since.) However, my final and most inspiring teacher, Gordon Green, at the Royal Manchester College, gave me new insights into playing and demonstrated and taught the theory of piano technique in a way which has been the mainstay of my own piano teaching ever since.

Well that's about it really. Yes I know, those of you who've ever had the misfortune to hear me play recently might wonder whether I'm actually describing my own experiences or talking about somebody else! However, in my defence, I did develop ways of making up accompaniments in class singing lessons and accompanying Gilbert and Sullivan rehearsals and other useful things to do with a piano, so it wasn't all a waste of time!