Biography

“Music is the best mistress you could ever have!”

“I like most sorts of music but particularly Jazz and Classical music. I learned to play the piano as a child, but that was just reading music. There’s a lot more to it than that! Later as a young man I studied the theory of harmony. That was a new beginning!"

Alad Skinner,(Alisdair) Skinner, is a jazz pianist, composer, but also a playwright. He has written his own compositions. These vary from pop songs to orchestra-type light music. He also plays Jazz, often in the style of the great stylists like Errol Garner and Dave Brubeck both of whom have been a great influence on him. Alad has written several plays, but also a musical.

Alad learned piano as a child and later as an adult studied jazz piano and harmony, largely by teaching himself and also from Percy, a jazz pianist working at the Maybury night-club in Edinburgh. At university, while studying English Literature, Alad was also developing a strong interest in music, attending classes in Music History under the composer Cedric Thorpe Davies.

After spending a period teaching in Canada, Alad worked for the Scottish Arts Council, eventually becoming Drama Director. He was also Director of The Playwrights Conference at Newbattle. Afterwards, Alad became a drama-lecturer at Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh. During this time, he wrote and had plays professionally produced in Scotland. The MAN WHO LIKED WALKING ON SOFAS, was performed at the Byre Theatre, St Andrews, and A SCOTTISH WEDDING on the EdinburghFestival Fringe (this was done in an hotel and the audience were part of the action as guests at the wedding). THE STADIUM, was performed at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.

While teaching at college and writing plays, Alad was also writing his own musical compositions. This varied from pop songs to orchestral-type light music. He had earlier taken lessons in jazz piano from ‘Percy’ who played at the local night club, the Maybury. At the same time Alad was also recording his own music. He wrote the musical introduction for A SCOTTISH WEDDING. At Queen Margaret College, he accompanied the Christmas pantomime and with colleague, Joe McGinlay, wrote the book and most of the music for the musical, WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE THE RAILWAY CHILDREN , based on the childrens novel, The Railway Children.

This was recorded professionally. Later he recorded his original compositions, and also his jazz renditions from the Great American Song Book, on a collection of CD’s. His musical, was under consideration for a production at Northampton Repertory theatre, Circumstance alas prevented the production and Alad is now actively looking for a producer. Alad has financial backing for this express purpose and has hopes of bringing it to the stage.

Alad has had tragedy in his life, losing both his wife and younger son.

“Life is not a Cabaret! That is clear - in my case looking back at the loss of my wife and son. But it is the only life we have.

“Joy and Woe are woven fine, A clothing for the soul divine, And when this we know, Safely through the World we go”

“Blake was right”, says Alad. “And Music is one of the greatest sources of Joy. We need plenty of that!. Come to think of it, Music is the best mistress you could ever have!” he says.