Music has been the ship which has carried me to many shores in life.

From soothing strums in a room of dreams to the primal beat of the bodhrán, the dance of the fiddle, to the porch sitting twang of the rocking banjo overlooking a land of promise. The piano has been a place of great interest to me with its wide range and harmonic complexity. It is the ultimate orchestral instrument perfectly placed under the storyteller’s fingertips. It was through this device that I harboured a love for orchestral arrangements and now implore a journey of learning and discovery. The piano never fails to amaze me with the various ways one can tell a story with music. I continue to play many instruments and no doubt will venture to many different shores in search of what every artist pursues …

Imbás. Inspiration. 

I often look to history, mythology, the ancient past and the far future of what could be for inspiration depending on my theme in mind. When I am writing for fantasy, I like to lean on my Celtic roots for inspiration. Forests, waterfalls, animals, the cycle of nature and life – the things my ancestors would have questioned and dealt with every day. What adventures are to be? What dangers and challenges can one expect upon leaving the hearthstone of home? What will they miss and long for most? I like to generate these ideas to form a cohesive narrative and direction when it comes to the storytelling in the music – for you really do not know where your feet will be swept off to.

For both romantic, and darker, more dramatic themes, I often think of the beauty that lays between the light and darkness of mode and chromaticism; to create a beautiful yet melancholic animation – moody and full of suspense. I enjoy listening to the romantic period of music and often look back on the works of composers like Edward Elgar, Claude Debussy, Franz Lizt, and Frédéric Chopin. I like to listen, and truly imagine what stories they are still telling from beyond the grave. Their use of texture, the haunting yet graceful melodies they explore, the fine illustrious brushstrokes of imagery for us to piece together into a story.

Music compliments a good story when the timing, rhythm, pitch and emotion, the very machinations behind theme – stir the nostalgia of embarking through the forest for the first time, when we watch the characters we develop connections to traverse gargantuan challenges, or even when its complete absence amalgamates and morphs into suspense and anticipation. Music is such a powerful creative tool to the storyteller, and inspires me to challenge myself and the creative energies behind the story.