Max’s love for drums and percussion started at the age of 3, watching the Vienna Philharmonic playing at their New Year’s Concert on TV. Coming from a musical family, he has always been surrounded by music. He started having drum kit and orchestral percussion tuition from the age of 9 and joined all the local borough ensembles. Max then went on to start studying with two of the finest drum kit players in the country; Ralph Salmins and Matt Skelton. At the age of 13, Max started attending NYJO (National Youth Jazz Orchestra), starting in NYJO 2 (now the Academy Big Band) and worked his way up to depping in the main band. In 2014, Max was given the percussion and deputy drum kit chairs for NYJO and has performed all over the country with them, playing at notable venues such as the Lighthouse Theatre in Poole, Leeds College of Music, Purcell Rooms at the Southbank and the world famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in Soho. As well as playing with NYJO, Max has played with many other artists and bands in a range of genres that include Laurie Holloway, Gregory Porter, Chuck Findley, Simon Gardner, Dave Hartley, Jiggs Wigham, Zone One Brass, Sarah Fox and Thames Youth Orchestra. Max has also played drums/percussion in a variety of shows which include West Side Story, Bugsy Malone and Zorro. Max currently studies percussion at the Royal College of Music where he studies with the world’s finest musicians, including Alex Neal (co-principle percussion BBC Symphony Orchestra), Ralph Salmins (Drum kit sessions, Van Morrison, Guy Barker), Andy Smith (Timpanist London Philharmonia), and Anthony Kerr (Jazz Vibraphone for BBC Big Band, Georgie Fame). Max was also was awarded the Ackroyd Trust Bursary to help fund his studies.