PhD. (London University: Goldsmiths College), 2006
M.Phil. (York), 1994.
Mus.M. (Manchester), 1987.
Mus.B. (Hons.) (Manchester), 1982.
G.R.N.C.M. (Upper), (Trombone) 1983.
L.T.C.L. (Trombone Performer's), 1977.
F.T.C.L. (Trombone Performer's), 1978.
A.R.C.M. (Trombone Performer's), 1980.
1983-84: Lecturer in Music at North Manchester College.
1984-90: Lecturer in Music at University College, Salford.
1990-98: Senior Lecturer in Music, Kingston University.
1998- 2017 promoted to Principal Lecturer for pedagogic excellence.
MA Music Courses Director/Leader 1994-2017
Member of Academic Board of Kingston University 2003-5
External Assessor for post graduate Screen Music at the Royal College of Music 2017-
External Examiner for Essex University 2008-10
External Examiner for Ulster University 2001-5
External Examiner for Salford University 1993-7.
Served as external music specialist on validation panels at Bath Spa University, Canterbury Christ Church University, Brighton Institute of Modern Music, Salford University, and Thames Valley University.
Arias and Ghosts (2006) for saxophone quartet to be released as a DVD in 2011 by FMR.
Two Images for Four Chinese Instruments (1998) commissioned for Spiritual Pursuits CD published by Hugo (1999)
Lament and Dance for Solo Trumpet (1997), published by Brass Wind Publications (1998) Commissioned for the opening of the Picker Gallery, Kingston University.
Research interests include:
Twentieth and Twenty-first Century compositional and analytical techniques, particularly focusing on the music of György Ligeti;
methodologies of the teaching of music composition in Higher Education;
peer assessment and its applications in music education (HE).
Ligeti’s Stylistic Crisis: Transformation in His Musical Style 1974-1985, Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2010.
‘Ligeti’s ‘Third Way’: Non-atonal elements in the Horn Trio’, Tempo, 216 (April 2001), pp, 17-22.
'Peer Assessment in Composition', chapter in Peer Learning in Music (a Resource Pack), University of Ulster, 2000, pp. 106-114 (ISBN 1 85923 143 8) (with Dr. Tim Ewers)
‘Ligeti the Post-Modernist?’ Tempo, 199 (Jan. 1997), pp. 9 - 14.
Book reviews of American Pioneers by Alan Rich and Minimalists by Robert Schwartz, Tempo,199 (Jan 1997), pp. 42-3.
‘An Evaluation of the Use of Peer Assessment in Higher Education: A Case Study in the School of Music, Kingston University’ Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, Vol. 22, No.4, (1997), pp. 155-163 (with Dr. Tim Ewers).
‘Peer Assessment in Music’, The New Academic (Summer 1997) (with Dr. Tim Ewers).
‘Peer assessing composition in Higher Education’, British Journal of Music Education, Vol. 13 (1996), pp. 155-163 (with Dr. Tim Ewers).
Record review of Vol. 1 of Ligeti’s Piano Music played by Fredrik Ullen, Tempo, 198 (Oct 1996), pp. 58-9.
‘Ligeti’s Chamber Concerto: summation or turning point?’ Tempo 168 (March 1989), pp.30-4.
Marabou (2007) for soprano and piano, written for, and performed by, Jane Manning http://eprints.kingston.ac.uk/6283/
Arias and Ghosts (2006) for Saxophone quartet, written for the Delta Saxophone Quartet (recorded for DVD – 2009) http://eprints.kingston.ac.uk/6285/
Two Images for Four Instruments (2000) arrangement for western instruments of the above work for Chinese ensemble. Performed by Fibonacci Sequence 2000
Two Images for Four Chinese Instruments (1998) recorded on Hugo CD (1999)
Lament and Dance for Solo Trumpet (1997), published by Brass Wind Publications (1998) Commissioned for the opening of the Picker Gallery, Kingston University.
Soundscapes for Wind Band (1995) performed by Kingston University Wind Band 1995
Soundscapes and Pathways for Chamber Orchestra and soloists (1993) performed by Kingston Chamber Orchestra (2000)
Brasswork for brass ensemble and percussion (1992)
Ten Sketch Variants for amplified piano (1992) written for Roger Beeson
Four Larkin Songs for Chamber Choir and flute (1991)
Variations for Tuba and Tape (1991) written for Melvyn Poore
Kaleidophones for mixed ensemble of ten instruments (1990-91)
I managed a Research Informed Teaching project (2009-2010) which is focused on interviewing composers and performers about their work. These were submitted to the PRIMO music research website for dissemination – composers include Judith Weir, Michael Finnissy, Steve Martland and John Lunn.
In March 2009 I gave a pre-concert talk for the BBC on Ligeti's Violin Concerto and also talked about the work on BBC Radio 3. I gave a pre-concert talk for the BBC in December 2009 focusing on works by Kurtag (Quasi una Fantasia), Bartók and Kodaly.
‘Ligeti’s Le Grand Macabre: an experiment in postmodernism?’ a research paper delivered at RMA Research Student Conference, Royal Holloway, January 2004
‘Death or Rebirth? An investigation of style and structure in Ligeti’s Le Grand Macabre’ a research paper presented at Goldsmiths College April 2002.
‘An investigation of phrase structure in the first movement of Ligeti’s Horn Trio’ a paper presented at TAGS conference, Birmingham Conservatoire May 2001
'The benefits and pitfalls of peer assessment in composition' Conference on Peer Learning and Peer Assessment in Music and Cognate Disciplines at Ulster University 10-12 September 1998
(article published Music Teacher Jan 1999).
‘An Examination of the Structural Features of Ligeti’s Harmonic Language in the 1980's.’ Presented at Cambridge University Music Analysis Conference, August 1997
‘Peer Group Assessment in Composition’ (with Tim Ewers) Presented at Good Practice in HE Music Teaching Conference (Leeds University), July, 1995.