BACKGROUND
I was born and raised in the town of Greenock, on the West coast of Scotland, where I spent the first thirteen years of my life before moving to the nearby seaside town of Largs. Both Greenock and Largs are situated on the Firth of Clyde.
I began my higher education at James Watt College, where I attained an HND in Computer & Network Support and Administration. After completing this course I then moved to the University of Paisley (now known as the University of the West of Scotland), where I studied for the award of BSc Computer Networking. I then continued into postgraduate study at the University of Paisley, where I attained the award of MSc Multimedia Communications. My MSc Dissertation was entitled Music File Formats and Project XEMO. I studied for the MSc under the supervision of Dr. Derek Turner.
I joined Glyndŵr University early in 2003 and, in 2009, I completed my PhD with the University of Wales, under the supervision of Professor Vic Grout. My thesis was entitled Exploiting Musical Repetition for Data-Reduced Audio Coding. Which brings us just about up-to-date.
OTHER INTERESTS
Away from working life I enjoy playing the guitar. I have been playing for over 10 years and played with several groups in the Glasgow and Scottish West Coast music scene. My main instrument is the guitar, although I occasionally play drums and, very occasionally, bass guitar.
At the moment I play with two bands in the Wrexham area. The first of these is Pink Lloyd which, as you might have already guessed, is a Pink Floyd 
tribute band. The second group is named Phoenix which is a more traditional rock band, performing an eclectic mix of contemporary and classic rock music.
Aside from music related hobbies I’m a big fan of mountain biking and I can often be found on the bike trails in the North Wales area. The local centre and trails at Llandegla Forest are a particular favourite.
During holidays, and weather permitting, I enjoy the occasional trip around Loch Lomond and the Western Isles of Scotland which often includes a few days of fishing and relaxation in the peace and quiet of the Isle of Bute.
