Readers may be familiar with Gareth Malone and his quest to inspire communal singing from various groups of people as seen on television. In fact, Diss in Norfolk has its own answer to Gareth in Michael Dann who has set up not one but four such groups so far – but watch this space!

Michael is well known locally for his involvement in local amateur dramatics societies for his musical direction and accompaniment. His interest in music all started at the age
of seven when, while visiting a friends house to play, he found the family owned a piano. Rather than tear around outside Michael found all he wanted to do was tear around on
the keys! His parents responded to his enthusiasm and bought him a ‘wrecked’ old piano for £10 and Michael virtually taught himself. As he says; “you have to keep at music
and practise for it to be worthwhile. So many people have a go at an instrument and then put it aside until next in the mood or until the next lesson.”

True to this belief he would get home from school to play on his precious piano. The choice of instrument was not a conscious one – there was a piano and that was the instrument he learned. Similarly Michael made no deliberate choice to follow a career in music but fate intervened again. After a spell working in a music shop he began to do some private teaching on the advice of people who could see he had the gift for it and this in turn lead to teaching in schools. While still at high school he got involved with drama and music productions that carry on to this day.

Now Michael acknowledges that music is a job and he doesn’t really have the time to play for leisure or relaxation. However, as he says, his job is his hobby and he loves it. Over
the years he has taught at many schools as both a music specialist and keyboard teacher – one school being for children with special needs where proof of music being beneficial to
health is all too obvious.

Read the rest of Michael’s story in the January issue of Suffolk Norfolk Life