Richard started playing percussion at the age of nine. He played for the Gravesham
youth music orchestra and wind band. In addition to playing percussion he also studied
the piano, violin and guitar. He joined the Kent Youth Wind Orchestra at the age
of sixteen and studied at Trinity College of Music from 1992 to 1995. Richard played
for the Royal Army Medical Corps Band from 1997 to 2005 and joined Aveley & Newham
band in 1996. He is currently teaching percussion, piano and classroom music as well
as freelancing for orchestras in and around Kent.
Asako started playing the piano when she was five years old and subsequently the
clarinet, she began playing percussion at the age of fifteen when she played in her
school (Omori Dairoku - Mita) windband. She then played in the Waseda university
wind ensemble and the Rikutokai ensemble before leaving Japan to come to Britain
in 2003. Since then she has played with the Fulham Brass band and has depped with
many other bands and ensembles. She is currently a full time student studying chinese
medicine at Middlesex university. Her favourite brass band pieces are “On The Shoulders
of Giants” as well as favourites for the xylophone such as “Helter Skelter”, “Snowflakes”
and “The Joyful Skeleton”. She particularly likes performing xylophone duets and
has adapted many of the popular xylophone solos to make effective duets.
