I didn’t become a musician until about six by four days actually. The company I worked years ago. OK, so I played a clarinet at school, for lost 167 staff members and my friend. That’s obtained a high grade, played in an orchestra when my mental health and depression set in. for five years. That didn’t make me a musician. PTSD and survivors’ guilt weren’t pretty, and it For me, it was merely an apprenticeship pushed me toward suicide as the better option. process, one without passion. A music teacher told me I couldn’t sing and asked me to mime Nightmare after nightmare and a sense of in the school choir; so I left and that was end of losing control, almost sent me over the edge. music. That said, I’ve used music as a context After 18 months on sick leave, I was asked to come back into work or resign. So, I decided for this article. to leave the company and to look at repairing At work, I found myself pursuing a technical my life. career with a large corporate attitude. I dressed smart, was very professional and always did my I remember that day well. I was more fearful best. I think this came from my upbringing of of what my wife Jackie would say, having being the eldest of four siblings. I succeeded in resigned, rather than what the future would my studies and found a job teaching I.T. systems bring. for a major credit card processor which meant privileged travel around the world with my I set up an I.T. business. Probably the worst job, which included Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, and best decision I ever made, otherwise my Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Canada, and ‘journey of possibility’ would never have been started. I was surrounded by negative people parts of the USA. at the time who suggested that running a I became very well respected in my field and business was bad and would bankrupt me. after the success to the Lloyds TSB merger, I I thought, “it must work for some people and it’s been done before”. So I continued making was head hunted by another major player. connections and talking to people. I was My last project with this company was invited to an early morning networking group connected with the World Trade Centre in New in Chelmsford. York, South Tower. I wasn’t there during 9/11,
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