About Neil...

 At  a very young age, I was introduced to music. I had a wonderful  upbringing and Saturdays were just fabulous as this was the day we would  always go to nana and grandads. My grandad played the organ and  although he had no formal training, he could knock out a tune and my  nana would sing the words. As a really young kid in the early 1970's my  grandad would sit me on the organ stool and I would actually play some  of those songs. I was about 4 years old.  

My grandad saw that there could be some potential from me and he set me up with some organ lessons. They started out in a local music store when I was 7 years old - and then I went on to private tuition on electronica organ and pipe / theater organ until I was 15. I performed my first organ concert when I was 8 years old. I played piano a little as a kid and in church, but it wasn't until I worked on cruise ships that I really had to adapt from organ to piano. 

My teens were the 80's. In 1983 I was 15 and I have the most amazing memories of True by Spandau Ballet, to name just one fantastic song - so, the 80's is my vibe and I learned these songs intimately from playing them over and over again. I still believe that it's the greatest decade of music ever! I have a huge repertoire of 80's hits and they're all amazing to play on piano.

I played professionally from 1997 to 2005 on cruise ships, river boats and hotels around the world - and I often tell people that it was the best job ever. I was being paid to do what I loved and I was seeing the world too. I worked on the rivers in Europe and Holland America Line and Cunard which took me all over the world - including two round the world voyages on the Saga Rose and Queen Elizabeth 2.  I met my wife Vanessa on the Cunard Caronia and I performed on the inaugural season and Maiden Voyage of the Queen Mary 2. It really was the best!