Glen Taylor

It's been a long and interesting road to get to where I am today. It all started a long long time ago in a galaxy far far....

As a kid I wanted to play the piano, but we coudn't get one easily into our house at that time, so mum said to learn the violin and if I stuck at it, we'd find a way of getting a piano. Violin lessons began at my primary school.

I think I was about 9 when I had my epiphany. I heard Handels Messiah at school, desperately wanted it for my Christmas present that year, and that set the rest of my life in motion really. Piano lessons started at 11 and by 14 I was playing for the local dancing school (my mums!) To his day, I thank her for that opportunity, because without it I doubt that my sight reading would be anything like it is, or be able to play in as many styles. Nor would I know as many songs of the 30s and 40s. Thanks mum :)

I think I was a bit geeky during my teenage years living, eating, breathing classical music. At school I took up the Tuba (couldn't get on with the trumpet) and later the trombone and flute. I remember very well a lesson during my A levels after a composition homework: It had been the first time I had been allowed to compose freely and openly and Andrew Clarke (the lecturer) sat us all down and told us all what we would go on to do. Now, as an older man I could be a bit cynical about this, but I enjoy the rose tinted spectacle view that he meant it when he said I would go on to be a composer; it certainly had an impact, because from that day to this I have called myself a composer, took lessons and began writing in ernest. Oh yes, and learned the clarinet so I could write for it!!

So, on to Music College where so many things in life appear before us. Wider musical influences, new life long friends and colleagues and greater opportunities to play and record. Three years later -as in so many young adult cases- I had no direction and became a high school teacher. ...

I actually really enjoyed the two years teaching, it helped me grow up a lot. And seeing your students love of music grow as I enthused about the subject is an awesome experience; one that has been repeated many times throughout my life. By 1986 I was working with winner of the BBC Carol competition - Singer/Songwriter Paul O'Brien. Our partnership took us to london and I stayed there for 6 years, gigging, writing, recording and playing for many well known artists. I did a few TV and radio commercials and a couple of corporate promotional videos, but nothing that set the world alight. A producer friend introduced me to the Musical Director of Winchester Cathedral and I ended up arranging Christmas Carols for a recording of the choir with Brass Quintet Cambrian Brass . One of my great inspirational moments came on meeting (a soon to be very good friend) Simon Bates - a truly stunning alto sax player, and it was he who opened my eyes to jazz- and specifically jazz fusion. So much so that Promises Promises (my first solo album) was influenced greatly by this. Simon even played on the track Spirit of 69. Check it out on the listening page for some simpy awesome playing.

By '92 I was back in Birmingham after the partnership with Paul fizzled out, and working again with Wendy Austen - I'd worked a lot with her during my music college days. That Summer I did a season at Butlins (arghhhhh) and whilst the music on stage brought home a salary, it gave Wendy and I the time we needed to get some ideas down. Sadly that project never came to fruition as the master tapes got lost in a move and we never got to redo them (sigh...) What did survive is on the Listening pages.

Music took a back seat during my marriage and I immersed myself in teaching full time once again. My son Cam was born on the 28th of April 1997 and had a sobering effect on my life path. I started composing again, (serious stuff as opposed to jazz and rock and pop). Simple light piano music for Cam, serious works for the pros and music for school ensembles. Perhaps I should record these for posterity and pop them on the site so you can have a listen (lol). What do you think?

A friend of my (then) wifes' husband (does that make sense?!) is a fabulous Dance Music technician, he comes up with the most fantastic stuff. So much so that I was inspired to have a go myself. We collaborated on a couple of tracks and I wrote a few of my own. Nothing ever came of this, but I got an insight into the workings of how Dance music composers work-it's very different to my normal working methods, which is why I probably failed miserably at it (lol). If you want a giggle have a listen to some of my efforts on the listening pages :)

During this time I met up again with Ralph Allin who I'd met only in passing at college and I've been playing in his swing quartet on and off since. I took the jazz thing by the horns and got back into listening to great players and groups like Chick Corea, Yellowjackets, Steps Ahead, Weather Report and such. I felt confident enough to commit some ideas to CD by 2005 (see Ever So Quietly). Pretty soon after that the work was put on hold for the best part of 2 years whilst my marriage went through the wrangler. For those of you who have experience of such things (and I wouldn't wish it on anyone) the brain goes into some kind of mental and emotional meltdown, and suffice it to say not a lot of creative juices were flowing during that time. Anyhow, I meandered aimlessly for a couple of years or so- surviving with the support of some very good friends whilst I found myself again.

And here we are :) I've recently completed writing and recording piano music for the BATD Ballet Company, the length of which spans three CDs (a compilation on solo piano is planned and I've put a couple of montages up on the listening pages too). A brand new band (GTQ) is soon going out on the road promoting the new album (Ever So Quietly) so please keep an eye on the gigs page for when we are in your area, it'd be great to see you - please come and say hello :)

Glen