John began his banding years as a young cornet player in Bury, Lancashire.  Here he played in local bands such as Tottington Brass Band, Blackley Brass Band and the local music centre brass band.  John turned his attention to trumpet when he joined the Junior School of the Royal Northern College of Music.  In 1993 John began study at the Birmingham Conservatoire and by 1998 he had graduated with a BA(Hons) and an MA in music performance. 

Although studying in the trumpet John didn’t detach from his brass band roots and joined Desford in 1995.

As a member of Desford, John has enjoyed the highs and lows of the local Area contest, National finals and British Open together with other such contests as the Mineworkers, Masters and Grand Shield.

Touring is at the heart of the Desford movement and John has been fortunate to be a member of 3 Far East tours, a US tour, numerous European tours and is looking forward to the forthcoming tours.  Workshops with school children from Nakhom Panhom in Northern Thailand remains a distinctive memory from these tours.
Perhaps John’s finest Desford moment was the shared concert with the London Symphony Orchestra Brass in 1996 at the Barbican where he found himself sat between Maurice Murphy and John Wallace on 2nd cornet and Rep respectively!

John has been teaching for the Northamptonshire Music Service since 1999 and is settled in Northamptonshire with his wife Kate whom he married in 2005.

Away from music John enjoys any outdoor activities that involve adrenaline and tall things with big views.  Many trekking holidays with fellow Desford cornet player Darren Pearce was followed in August 2006 by a successful ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with Stuart Dean also Desford.  Darren did not join us on this trek so has to climb something bigger to outdo us….Everest Daz?!