'Piano saved me, I want to do the same for others'

A self-taught pianist from Greater Manchester is providing free and subsidised lessons to people who would otherwise be unable to afford them.

Alan Gregory, 64, a concert pianist from Wigan, grew up wanting to learn to play the piano - but he wasn't able to as his parents couldn't afford to pay for lessons.

As a youngster Alan taught himself to play, passed his music exams, and eventually became a professional concert pianist.

Now Alan provides free and discounted music lessons for people who cannot afford them, in a bid to help others access music.

"This saved me," Alan told BBC Radio Manchester from behind a piano at his Scholes studio. "I want to do the same for other people."

"Music lessons are very expensive normally," Alan explained. "So we desperately try to keep it as low as possible."

Alan has been teaching piano at Pianos, Pies and Pirouettes in Scholes, for more than 20 years. He provides four free lessons to new starters - after which, each lesson costs £7.50.

"Half my life is spent begging, stealing, borrowing money off anybody we can get our hands on to give us money," Alan said. "I work 70 to 80 hour weeks - I have 60 pupils.

"That's why I'll still be teaching piano when I'm 103 - I've spent all my personal pension money on this."

Alan began teaching after his wife, Winifred Anne Gregory, died from cancer at the age of 48.

He said he knew his "life would be over" unless he found something else.

"Piano is what saved me," Alan said. "I want to do the same for other people."

"I come from a family who were very poor originally," Alan said, reflecting on why his discounted lessons mean so much to him.

"It wasn't a very happy childhood," Alan said. "For me, the piano was instantly an attraction.

"My very rich cousin had piano lessons and I begged my parents to get me a piano - but we couldn't afford it.

"Eventually I got this massive upright with candles still on it and half the keys missing - I loved it."

Alan added: "There are lots of children around here in the same boat as I was as a child - and my wife and I unfortunately couldn't have any children, which was another big blow to us.

"The people I teach have become my family as such, and I treat them hopefully as I would my own family - and certainly they treat me like that, so that's fabulous."

Tegan, 16, from Scholes, has been a pupil of Alan's for the past six months.

"He's great," she said. "I'll always remember - even when I'm maybe 40 - he really kickstarted my career in piano.

"It's just everything I've ever wanted and everything I will always want," she said.

"My nan told me I could have lessons and my eyes just lit up - it was the best thing anyone's ever said to me and I'll never forget it."

Tegan said the lessons with Alan have motivated her to pursue a career as a cruise ship musician and "see the the world while playing piano".

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