My upbringing has always been quite equal in terms of cultural influences. But it's unlikely that anything could prepare you for a job that involves belting out Proclaimers songs on camera, in Edinburgh and in public.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I sang in a rock band when I was training as a lawyer. You know, not professional, we just did it for fun. We just did gigs all over Edinburgh and some in Glasgow and some at festivals.
I grew up with music very much in my life. I achieved success by combining my training as an accountant with my family upbringing and love of music.
To just get in front of different kinds of audiences is important for me. I do think it's important for music to be a big family. Whether it's country or not.
I performed and sang at school but as a child it was never anything I was interested in doing professionally.
I've been working at performing for five years now. I've been working in Australia and Spain and England. When I was only 15 or 16, 1 was performing in bars; I could have had legal problems, but it's also the only way to get to know what music is all about.
After school I moved to London to get involved in music. I took the whole thing very seriously.
In terms of negotiating a career - I've always grown up being an insider and an outsider to different worlds, across different classes and cultures, so I have always naturally liked making films or music that puts things in unexpected places.
One of the reasons I didn't ever pursue a career - in the music world if you're black or mixed, you need to be able to belt a song or else you're not a singer, you know?
If my career detour from special education to singing has done one thing, it has afforded me the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others.
I grew up in an eclectic house where people were listening to all types of different music. I also think being educated, eloquent and knowing how to talk for yourself in the industry makes you go a long way.