But in his day, he was one of New Zealand's top clarinettists and spent a lot of time in the United Kingdom, performing as a freelance professional clarinet player for top orchestras.
Since returning to New Zealand, he has become one of the country's top conductors and composers, and lectures in music at the University of Otago.
Much of what he has achieved was down to participating in the Otago Secondary Schools Music Festival, he said.
The 50th anniversary concert will be held in the Dunedin Town Hall next Tuesday evening and will showcase about 600 pupils from about 20 schools around Otago.
His first time in the festival was as a King's High School third former in 1972.
''At the time, I think the King's orchestra only had about 16 to 20 players, so the festival was my first taste of a full symphony orchestra.
''Playing The Great Gate of Kiev, or one of those big massed item pieces, was pretty impressive for me.''
Following the first festival, he said music lessons stopped being an excuse to get out of maths classes, and became a passion.
''Suddenly, I was doing School Certificate music and I got into the National Youth Orchestra for three years.
''I don't think I would have been able to do that without doing the Otago Secondary Schools Music Festival first.
It is estimated he is just one of about 30 musicians who have gone on from the festival to high profile music positions.
The event was founded in 1970 by district music adviser Roger Buckton, and since then, music teacher Aart Brusse has been one of the driving forces behind it.
He said the first few festivals were very classical, but over time the programme had evolved to include chamber, jazz, multicultural and rock music.
''The festival continues to be a showcase of diversity in secondary school music in Otago today.''
Event spokesman and Logan Park High School head of music John Dodd said this year's show included the John McGlashan Pipe Band, a massed choir performing Faure's Libera Me, a massed orchestra performing the first movement of Schubert's Unfinished Symphony and a medley of Beatles tunes, and a massed jazz band playing Chick Corea's Spain.
