With over 20 years of experience as a Freelance Sound Engineer and Producer, I have worked across all areas of the discipline from live sound to studio and post-production projects.
My music production and engineering clients have included: David Gray, Stereophonics, Morcheeba, Hothouse Flowers, Joe Strummer, Dave Stewart, Ronnie Spector, Natasha Atlas, Femi Kuti, Beverly Knight, Tim Finn, Howard Jones, The Jesus & Mary Chain.
I began writing and performing original music from the age of fifteen playing (guitar) and singing in bands and solo on the local music scene. In tandem, I took an interest in sound engineering working as a live sound technician and experimenting with recording.
I cut my teeth on the road firstly as an audio engineer then later as a partner at Scan PA Hire. During this period I also worked as a freelance engineer and technician on many worldwide concert tours.
In the early 1990’s I began a seven-year stint as Managing Director at West London’s Straylight Studios Ltd working with record companies such as Creation Sony Chrysalis PolyGram and EMI. For seven years I managed the studio, worked as the chief engineer, and produced my own and others’ music, see my music production page for further details.
In 1998 I became a visiting lecturer teaching music technology at the London College of Music (LCM) at the University of West London, part of the team that developed a BA (Hons) in Music Technology, a Foundation Degree in Music/Multimedia Technology, and the development and successful launch of an MA in Music Technology.
I was also selected as the Universities Rising Star in the 2004 National Teaching Fellowship awards and became a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) in 2011: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/individuals/fellowship/fellow and was awarded Principal Fellowship of the HEA in 2016: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/individuals/fellowship/principal-fellow. For more information on my views on teaching see my teaching page.
In 2004 I was appointed as Director of Studies (Music & Performance) at LCM and promoted to Principal Lecturer in 2007 I am an active researcher and was part of the team that developed the Art of Record Production (ARP) international conference. I also worked with the Centre for the History and Analysis of Recorded Music (CHARM) and in 2007 I was awarded the title of Visiting Research Fellow at LCM. I have continued to research music technology and latterly music pedagogy and was awarded a Doctorate in Education by the University of Sussex in 2016. See my research page for more information.
In 2008 I was appointed as Head of Higher Education at the Brighton Institute of Modern Music (BIMM) and in 2012 I was promoted to Assistant Principal for three Colleges in the growing BIMM group now re-branded as the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. http://www.bimm.ac.uk/
In 2015 BIMM Institute restructured its academic governance to create a central team to oversee academic standards and quality across the colleges in the group. Following the restructure I was appointed as Dean of Higher Education working closely with the Provost and Academic Director leading on the development of learning and teaching, and quality assurance and enhancement across the BIMM Group.
In 2018 I was appointed as Dean of Learning, Teaching, and Research at BIMM Institute a role with responsibility for the oversight and leadership of learning & teaching, research, and academic staff development, and in 2019 I was asked to lead the BIMM Institute Postgraduate School.
Outside of my work at BIMM Institute I continue to write, perform and produce my own music, see my music page for more information.
Contact me at msi@straylight-productions.co.uk