What places around the globe have a special meaning to you, and why?
- Munich, Germany: I spent my formative years there (from 13 to 20).
- Dublin, Ireland: I was studying politics at Trinity while playing with my band.
- Spain: my roots are here on my mom’s side and it has always been the one place I could "come back" to.
- New York City: the one place I feel I "fit in".
Tell us about your proudest accomplishment.
Feeling that I am a decent person I think I would have to say.
What are your hobbies?
Running (sports in general), singing and songwriting, being an avid theatre spectator and on occasion performing.
What was your favourite book when you were your students’ age?
Fahrenheit 451
What is something that your students don’t know about you – but would impress them if they did?
Music has always been a passion and for a while it looked like working as musician would become my profession. From the age of 18 to 25 I had a publishing and record contract from an independent label in Germany and I fronted three bands, two based in Munich, Germany (Pictorell and the Curries and Jeremiah Blues), and the other in Dublin, Ireland. I was the songwriter and lead vocalist.
I also hobnobbed for a decade with la crème de la crème of the international music scene as I was working as the executive manager of PolyGram and later Virgin Records. I moved my way up the rungs of the profession and ended up working as Executive Manager and A&R (Artist and Repertoire director) for Virgin Records and later their spin off company, V2. I opted to leave the music business when I was 32 to go back to school to get my degree in History, Theory and Practice of Theatre.
