In the picture I'm the thorn between two roses,
my sister Lesley and my nephew, Matthew,
the other friends are Mick, Lesley's partner
and Kat, Mathew's wife.

I was lurking around the 50 songs list On Yahoo.
I had lost any interest in
writing lyrics because I had lost my voice but I was interested to 
see who was doing what in this particular Yahoo list. I found a 
bouncy lyric of Cynthia Lin's and set that, found a lyric by 
Rick Norton and set that, sent another midi file off, 
found some nice lyrics by Lisa Downer and set those, sent them off.

Everybody came back to me and said thanks very much, so when 
Marge actually asked for help in an email I felt 
encouraged enough to reply and introduce myself.

A day later she sent me a lyric and I set that. She was 
delighted with the result and sent me another. So far 
(3rd Oct 2001) we've done six songs and I like to think 
it's getting better. Have a listen to the lively 
"It's What You Make Of It" and the very latest 
"Did you ever get a feeling?" with it's relaxed 
Madonna Latin feel.

By way of further detail about myself I wrote this to 
Marge in a recent email:

I no longer work so I have loads of time to work on music. 
Because of my disability (I have a condition called 
motor neurone disease) I can't dance round the bars 
with my tail on fire like I used to, so it's music, music, music.

I'm now 54. Libra. Size 17 collar. I got started around 
the time of The Beatles first record, 1963, I bought 
a guitar and my peer group were impressed by the noises 
I was getting out of it after a few months!

Started writing songs in 1971, writing imitations of 
everything - folk, jazz, hard rock, pop. Been in a dozen groups 
doing all kinds of music, one group was hard rock, 
another was folk dance. 

Right now I am at work on albums of my music, all new stuff. 
So far this year I have produced two albums of guitar music, 
electric guitar and sequences, right now I am working with 
an Electribe synth on a collection of dance music as well 
as writing melodies which need words. 
Working with others in the "real" world, I have a friend 
called Henny I used to live with, I play guitar for her 
singing and we do some of my songs as well as standards.

I work with a friend called Roddy who has excellent taste 
in contemporary songs, plays guitar and does a few of my songs 
- didn't I just say he has excellent taste?

I currently live in a small town called Stony Stratford 
on the edge of the medium-sized town of Milton Keynes 
in the middle of England, I live in lodgings with 
Ivor and Yvonne who run an alternative therapy centre.

About the midi files:
I always use piano for the lead voice as it is easily 
the clearest and least ambiguous midi voice. If you're trying 
to find the tune, that's where it is. It's always 
louder than the rest as well.
Backings are done in Band In A Box, a wonderful program, 
and sometimes I add the odd string part. Finding a 
counter tune for the instrumental
break is good fun, and then combining it 
with the main tune at the end.