A Life in Music
Music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a musical family in Dublin, where making music was simply part of everyday life. My first piano teacher was my mother, Marion Doherty Hayden, who gave me not only a love of music but an understanding that music belongs to everyone. I later continued my piano studies with Patricia Herbert at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, building the foundations of a lifelong musical journey.
The cello soon became my true voice. I began my studies in Dublin with Olwen Lewis and Aisling Drury-Byrne, whose encouragement and musicianship nurtured my early development. Their teaching gave me both solid technical foundations and a deep respect for musical expression.
My curiosity then led me further afield. I studied with Michael Brüssing in Vienna before continuing to the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where I completed a Bachelor of Music under the guidance of Emma Ferrand. I then moved to Montréal to study with the inspirational Yuli Turovsky, earning a Master of Music in Performance at the Université de Montréal. Finally, Switzerland became my home, where I completed the Konzertdiplom with distinction at the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, studying with Susanne Basler.
Alongside the cello, I have always loved to sing. Singing has taught me to breathe, to listen deeply, and to shape every phrase as naturally as speech. I have been fortunate to study voice with David Thorner in Winterthur and Franziska Hegi in Bern, whose guidance continues to deepen my understanding that every musical phrase begins with the breath.
As my musical world expanded, I became increasingly drawn to improvisation and music as a living, creative language. Working with the extraordinary American cellist David Darling opened an entirely new way of listening and creating. He encouraged me to trust intuition as deeply as technique and showed me that music can become a path of discovery rather than perfection.
This journey naturally led me to Mary Knysh through Music for People and Rhythmic Connections. Mary's teaching has profoundly shaped both my educational philosophy and my spiritual path. She has strengthened my belief that every person is inherently musical, regardless of age, experience, or background. This conviction now lies at the heart of everything I do as a teacher.
Continuing this exploration, I have worked extensively with Grammy Award-winning cellist Eugene Friesen, whose joyful integration of classical music, improvisation, and storytelling continues to inspire my artistic path.
My return to the music of my Irish roots deepened through my mentorship with Martin Hayes. His profound respect for tradition and his extraordinary ability to reveal the emotional landscape within a melody transformed the way I listen, play, and create. Through his guidance I discovered that tunes are not simply played; they are lived.
Learning continues to be one of my greatest joys. I am currently taking Strum Bowing, an online course created by the pioneering violinist Tracy Silverman, exploring new rhythmic possibilities and groove-based approaches to string playing. His innovative ideas continue to expand my relationship with rhythm and open exciting new directions for both performance and composition.
At the same time, I am currently studying with pianist, composer, and author Kenny Werner, whose Effortless Mastery philosophy is profoundly influencing my relationship with practice, performance, and creativity. Under Kenny's guidance I am learning that music flourishes not through striving, but through trust, presence, and acceptance. His teaching is shaping not only my artistry but also the way I teach, perform, and live.
Looking back, I realise that every teacher has offered me something unique: curiosity, discipline, freedom, courage, compassion, presence, and joy. Together they have shaped not only the musician I have become, but the person I continue to become.
Today, whether I am performing, composing, conducting, teaching, or simply listening, I carry each of these influences with me. Perhaps the greatest lesson of all is that music is not something we master. It is a lifelong conversation - one that continues to unfold with every student I teach, every audience I meet, every tree I plant, every concert I perform, and every note I play.
With deep gratitude to all my teachers.
The journey continues...