Rob Demi was always destined to become a musician. Born with a full head of hair, he was nicknamed "Beatle Paul" by the nurses in the maternity ward and shortly afterwards showed the first signs of musical ability when (he neither remembers nor admits to this) he gave his first performance strumming the wire rack out of his mother's oven along to Top of the Pops. His parents encouraged this by giving him a toy piano, a toy guitar and a toy sax, and so the seeds were sown.

Several years passed. The toy instruments were not enough any more and he started bugging other kids who had real instruments to let him have a go. To shut him up, he was dispatched to have piano lessons with Mrs Hammond, a piano was found, practice time was set at 30 minutes a night and soon he started to become quite good.

Mrs Hammond moved away.

Another teacher, Mr. Govier, was found and studies continued. By this time he was starting to put on impromptu concerts at school - the teachers were not too pleased when they found out how many kids he had smuggled into the hall to hear him play. He was banned from playing the piano at school.

So he changed school. He started to play the guitar and cello and became more involved with anything musical that was going on.

Mr. Govier moved away.

He began to have lessons from the music teacher at his new school, Mr. Phillips. He took his piano grades, began to perform regularly and became even better. He came to the attention of other people and was invited to play recitals (for art), with local bands (for the women) and to play the organ at weddings at his local church (for the money). This continued for several years.

Mr. Phillips took a job at another school.

Fortunately, he did not lose touch with Mr. Phillips and continued to have lessons until he left to go to university. After three years (the details of what went on have been largely and fortunately forgotten) he emerged ready to face the world with his music only to find the world wasn't ready yet.

Following his postgrad from Goldsmiths, Rob Demi is now heavily involved in music education, both as an instrumental teacher specialising in piano and keyboards and in running classes and workshops in musicianship, composition, arranging and music technology. He has set up a website on music theory and has been active in creating a distance learning music theory course.

He has also been active in writing and performing. His collaboration with Ellipse (in case you hadn't worked it out, Rob Demi, Mario Demanio and Ellipse are all the same guy) produced the Cities album and his collaboration(!) with Mario Demanio produced the single Avanti! Currently his Pianostorm album has been written and is in rehearsal prior to recording. He is also working on the next Ellipse album, Mantras. Both Pianostorm and Mantras should be available in 2006.

Rob Demi has also written library music and scores for films and television. He has worked as arranger and musical director on productions of Fame, Little Shop of Horrors, Aladdin, Jack and the Beanstalk and Dick Turpin and has arranged a range of music for ensembles. He now has several other projects under way - watch this space. He is also available for sessions, production work, commissions, arrangements.......