1. Up and at it - what is your morning routine?
As we’ve three kids in the house (our son is aged 11 and we have seven year-old twin girls), mornings are probably the most chaotic part of the day. I usually do the driving and dropping off and if we can all get out the door fully dressed without forgetting something (or someone), then that’s a successful start to the day.
2. What might you eat in a typical working day for...
Breakfast? I usually load up on fruit every morning.
Lunch? Mix of things - I don’t really have large lunches. My breakfast tends to keep me going.
Evening meal? I’m quite lucky in that my wife is an excellent cook and, on the most part, cooks meals from scratch in the evenings. My cooking skills are quite basic if I’m being completely honest.
3. Is nutrition important to you – do you take health supplements?
Getting older, I have definitely taken a keener interest in nutrition. I don’t take any supplements at the moment.
4. Ever been on a diet – if so, how did it go?
I’ve never been on a diet.
5. Weekend treat?
Pizza is hard to beat.
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6. How do you keep physically and mentally fit?
I’m obsessed with the FitBit that I got a few years ago. Weirdly, I enjoy keeping the stats tables looking good and in order - and in that sense, it’s almost become like a computer game to me.
In any case, I get my minimum of 10,000 steps in per day with jogging or walks. I enjoy swimming and football with the kids, as well.
Mentally, it’s all about getting past that first step. That’s the hard part. After exercise though, I always feel 10 times better than before I started it.
7. Best tip for everyday fitness?
Just do something - anything small and work from there.
8. Were you a fan of schools sports/PE or do you have a memory from those days that you would rather forget?
I was a keen footballer and followed the sport fanatically up until about the age of 20. After that, music was really becoming my passion in life and I decided to stop playing football.
My son, however, over the last four or five years has shown real interest in the sport, which has reignited my own interest. Although I doubt I would play again, I’m very happy to be back at The Brandywell, cheering on Derry City.
9. Teetotal or tipple?
Teetotal – strong coffee please!
10. Stairs or lift?
I still try to beat the lift by taking the stairs. Not always advisable.
11. What book are you currently reading?
One that I’ll be reading for quite some time – Athens: City of Wisdom by Bruce Clarke. I’ve been lucky enough to get to know Bruce over the last few years and it was following his advice that we decided to form Hellas Ensemble, composing for some of Seamus Heaney’s Greek inspired sonnets.
12. Best Netflix/ streaming TV?
To be honest, I think, like many people during the pandemic, I overloaded on Netflix as there was nothing much else to do. Since then, I don’t really watch much, aside from a movie now and again. I much prefer listening to music or having a podcast on the go.
13. Any new skills or hobbies?
I love the water and swim as often as I can. Also, over the past few years, I’ve got into kayaking. There are loads of great spots for it around Donegal.
14. How do you relax?
I love getting away with my wife and kids in the caravan – again, big shout to Donegal. As a musician, my job is also my hobby, I suppose, and I try and get out to as many gigs as possible.
15. What would you tell your younger self?
Take a bit better care of yourself; there’s a long road ahead. I doubt, though, I’d have listened.
16. What are your goals for 2024?
My big musical event this year is the Citadels of the Sun concert which will premiere at this year’s Belfast Mela Festival. The concert is a coming together of diverse but connected voices from the north-west of Ireland and Rajasthan. ArtsEkta have been ongoing champions of this project, so I’m delighted that we’ll be performing Citadels at the MAC as part of the Belfast Mela Festival.
I’m also putting together a tour for Hellas Ensemble and I’ve just started a project with some fantastic musicians from Iraq.
I’m also recording an album with Greek bouzouki player, Nikos Petsakos, which will be ready late autumn.
17. What time do you get to bed and do you think you get enough sleep?
These days, unless I’m playing a gig or attending one, I’m in bed before midnight and get between seven and eight hours a night.
18. Biggest gripe or regret?
As mentioned, my cooking is fairly basic. I’d love to be able to cook well. Musically, I wish I had found the bouzouki younger in life and I also wish I had continued playing trumpet.
19. Have your priorities in life or perspectives changed?
I think anyone who has kids would tell you that your priorities change the moment they come into your life. For me, it certainly made me more focused, driven and gave me a real grounding in life.
20. Has coronavirus – or any health epiphany or life event - changed your attitude towards your own mortality?
Without going into too much detail, I had a major health scare about two years ago and would say that I’m quite lucky to be here. After an ordeal like this, the things that really matter in life present to you quite clearly and, in a sense, life really becomes simple.
I try to surround myself with the people and things that I love - family, friends, music.
