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Music Based Qualifications:

HND - Popular Music Performance (Distinction), Cert HE - Popular Music Practice (Distinction), Diploma in Vocational Education - Music, Grade 5 Music Theory Royal Academy of Music, Double Bass Grade 6 Royal Academy of Music, Piano Grade 2 Royal Academy of Music, GCSE Music. Currently studying towards BA (Hons) Music.

Seeing a Double Bass for the first time at primary school in Poole (Dorset), Greg was offered the opportunity to learn through peripatetic school lessons. His classical training on Double bass began at the tender age of nine. Greg first played a minature (1/4 size) Double bass until he grew in size progressing to a true 3/4 standard size concert bass. He progressed through the Royal Academy of Music exams under the supervision and instruction of Double Bassist, Barry Glynn. Greg also played in many classical groups including the Dorset and Wessex Youth Orchestras. These youth orchestras gave him fundamental training in playing as part of musical groups, also enabling him to mix with and gain inspiration from fellow young musicians. These experiences served him well in his early adult hood and enabled him to later play Double Bass in; The “Buddy Holly” Musical (Tivoli Theatre - Wimborne), “Basso Profundo” in the Royal Festival Hall (London) and with the Big Little Theatre Company’s performance of “The Classics” at the Bournemouth Winter Gardens.

For his 13th Birthday Greg got his very first electric bass guitar. This was a sunburst Hohner 4 string bass along with a 25 watt practice amp. Self teaching of the electric bass guitar had now begun. Looking back, Greg admits he would “probably not be playing today without this present and the support from my parents”. Amongst his very first electric bass gigs was a jazz-fusion band at school. After his successful GCSE exams he studied at Bournemouth College gaining a City and Guilds in Communication and Entertainment. During this period he began to develop his own unique style by playing with various bands including 60’s & 70’s covers band “Icarus”. His love of the “Low End” was now really growing!

After College, Greg’s musical tastes changed. He filled the bass slot in some progressive rock bands. One of the most challenging was learning the bass parts to play with rock covers band “Mind Switch” - playing anything from Iron Maiden to White Zombie!! Greg’s later resignation from “Mind Switch” was due to moving to Manchester (for personal reasons) - this proved to be a huge mistake being one of those life changing moments that lead to Greg almost giving up playing completely.

Thankfully, fate taking its hand returned Greg to Poole. A chance phone call from local music shop, Guitar Mania, led to Greg joining a relatively new original progressive metal band “True Belief”. This band was later renamed Empty Cage. After what seemed like years of songwriting, gigging and recording demos with Empty Cage, the partnership of Lee Stoten (Dead Head Records) and Lionel Hicks (Film and Record Producer) heard a demo and were compelled to sign the band on a one album recording and licensing deal. This took Greg to America (Minneapolis) to record in Winter Land studios with Todd Fitzgerald (engineer for artists such as Sting and Sheryl Crow). In the States Greg also met up with American singer-song writer Tamrah Aeryn, for whom he now plays occasionally on her visits to the UK.

Since returning from the States Greg has been working as a professional freelance musician, playing with many bands from all different genres of music. He also enjoys passing knowledge on by teaching students, of all ages, the bass guitar and music theory "there's a lot more to music than just 4/4 time signatures!". More recently, he has joined “Dielle” an original folk rock band. He also fills the bass position in "The Jazz Triangle" and the “Matt Morgan Jazzbag”. Greg has also continued to receive ongoing tuition himself stating “the learning process never stops”. He has been mentored, whilst studying at the Academy of Contemporary Music (Guildford), by various world renowned bass players, including Mike Nichols, Nik Preston, Pat hughes, Vic Cox and Paul Francis. Greg has also attended master classes with; Todd Johnson , Reggie Hamilton, Steve Lawson, Stu Hamm, Paul Turner, Julian Crampton, and Lorenzo Feliciati.

Greg’s playing style continually changes and progresses always seeking inspiration. He would like to acknowledge the influences made on him by the legends of Jamerson, Hope-Taylor, Balzary, Wooten, Jaco, Sting and all the other masters of the Low End…..

Here's a selection of the venues Greg has played:

Royal Festival Hall (London), Tivoli Theatre (Dorset), The Lighthouse (Dorset), Winter Gardens (Bournemouth), various classical music venues in France & Germany, Concorde Club (Southampton), Blue Keys Hotel (Southampton), The Edge of the Wedge (Portsmouth), Detling Music Festival (Kent), Electric Theatre (Guildford), The Central (Dorset), The Joiners (Southampton), The Boiler Room (Guildford), The Hobbit (Southampton) Mr Smiths (Dorset), Bullet Bar (London).