Scottish
musicia
Born
in Edinburgh,
Ian started his musical life by tapping on the pews in
his local church. After years of pestering his
long-suffering parents, he began studying drum kit
aged 9, playing with several rock bands shortly
thereafter. Percussion lessons with Pam Dow at the
Junior Department of the then Royal Scottish Academy
of Music and Drama culminated in a bursary to study at
the Royal Academy of Music in London. Whilst studying, Ian began a varied freelance career playing across a smorgasbord of genres and styles. Classical work includes the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, BBC Concert Orchestra, Rambert Ballet, Aurora and the Hallé. Commercial work includes Queen guitarist Brian May, singers Alison Moyet and Lemar, the pits of London's glittering West End and of numerous touring productions, and shaking/hitting/scraping things for assorted films/adverts/video games/TV projects.
His musical endeavours have resulted in many interesting
experiences including playing aeroplane engines in
Bologna, tom-toms (instead of timps) in Damascus, and
the vacuum cleaner, dressed as a budding housewife.
Ian was also the percussionist for Christian Forshaw's
Sanctuary project for many years. Highlights of 2022
include the Sondheim Old Friends Gala, an all-star
event that included the talents of Bonnie Langford,
Julia Mackenzie, Hannah Waddingham, Dame Judi Dench,
Imelda Staunton, Damian Lewis, Petula
Clark amongst many others. The performance was shown
on BBC and is set for release across all platforms in
2023. Ian
has released a line of signature
mallets, in collaboration with Acoustic Percussion,
with the music theatre/contemporary/studio percussionist
in mind. He is also endorsed by both Vater Percussion
and Aquarian Drumheads.
In his spare time, Ian enjoys hiking, climbing, learning Swedish and cooking. He is married to timpanist/percussionist Erika Öhman, and splits his time between London and Cheshire.
WORK
AVAILABILITY ENQUIRIES through the
MUSICIAN'S ANSWERING SERVICE |
