My father was a keen amateur musician who played any popular music he heard by ear along with the classical repertoire that he had studied - from Beethoven and Strauss to Greig and Debussy. His favourite instrument was the piano-accordian, along with the piano, although he had also played some banjo and electric Hawaian guitar in the 1940’s before I was born. He particularly liked Latin-American music - tunes like Cumbanchera, Brazil, and lots of tangos. My mother sang everything from Irish and Scottish songs to all the popular music that she liked and she had a great voice.

 

My earliest recollections from 3 or 4 years old are that my dad had a box of assorted percussion instruments, maraccas, castanets and the like, and things like a Hohner Melodica and a tin whistle. While they played and sang, my brothers and I, and any house guests, were encouraged to play along to accompany them.

 

I took piano lessons for about 18 months when I was 10, and my dad taught me some piano accordian when I was 12, but my motivation really kicked off when I discovered the guitar at 13 years old...