I am a strong, dependable bass player with experience playing across multiple countries and in a variety of styles. Alongside pit and session work I was a core member of the band Grace & The Flat Boys, releasing numerous singles and two EPs - our second of which led us to feature on BBC Radio 6 and support 86TVs as part of Independent Venue Week 2025. You can find out more about our music by clicking here.
Since 2022 I have been supporting Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival in fulfilling their mission to be one of the world's leading jazz and blues festivals. Currently, I am working as Festival Coordinator ahead of our festival in July 2026.
I graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2021 with a 2:1 BMus Music Technology (Hons), specialising in audio programming and sound design. I have an interest in interactive sound spaces and improvised music with algorithmic systems. In my final year constructed a system to allow performers to improvise under direction from a computer controlled visual display. You can download some of my ongoing coding projects here.
Since 2019 I have been a core member of Thunderstruck, the critically acclaimed show about the greatest bagpiper that ever lived, told through the eyes of a young piper growing up in Fife, Scotland. Our most recent tour took us to every corner of Scotland, spread between June 2022 - June 2023. For future show dates, click here.
I've had a keen interest in Musical Theatre throughout my musical career and have played numerous shows for university societies and theatre companies across Edinburgh. I am proficient on electric bass guitar, fretless bass guitar, and upright bass. If you're looking for a dependable bass player with a good sight-reading ability, get in touch via email: marksandfrd@gmail.com
Some highlights of previous shows I've played include:
Come From Away (Captivate Theatre, Blackout Productions)
Legally Blonde (Allegro, Captivate Theatre)
Grease the Musical (Movies to Musicals)
Sunshine on Leith (Nardone's Academy, Captivate Theatre)
Little Shop of Horrors (Room 29)
Jesus Christ Superstar (Southern Light, Forth Children's Theatre, Captivate Theatre)
The Addams Family (Stage Door)
13! The Musical (Clydebank Musical Society, Captivate Theatre)
Ghost the Musical (Limelight)
Beauty and the Beast (Nardone's Academy)
RENT (Captivate Theatre, Edinburgh University Footlights)
Sweeney Todd (B2 Productions)
Les Misérables (Nardone's Academy, Captivate Theatre)
Chicago (Edinburgh University Footlights),
Sister Act (Captivate Theatre, Forth Children's Theatre)
In 2019 I was Co-Musical Director for Edinburgh University Footlights' sell-out production of Rent in the Edinburgh Fringe. In 2022 I was Co-Musical Director for Edinburgh University Shakespeare Company's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which featured an original score arranged for a small ensemble.
I've been playing bass guitar for over ten years, and studied double bass with Andrew Robb. I've performed across Scotland and Ireland with the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland's Jazz Orchestra from 2019 to 2021. At the University of Edinburgh I studied piano under Paul Harrison.
From 2018-2021 I was incredibly privileged to be part of the Edinburgh University Jazz Orchestra (EUJO), playing bass and serving as both Treasurer and President. In 2020, I helped organise The University of Edinburgh's 'Roaring 20s Event' - then, in 2021, I led the band in hosting our charity livestream 'EUJO's Time Machine', for which we raised over £1000 for Edinburgh charity Health in Mind. The collective videos from this event have amassed over 10k views - You can view them here.
During my time with EUJO, I helped run a weekly free educational workshop called EUJAM which I was able to grow and turn into the Edinburgh University Jazz Society in 2021 - a group for jazz musicians off all abilities to meet and play together. Alongside my societal commitments, I helped run and manage Edinburgh University Students' Association's weekly jam session in Teviot Lounge Bar, organised jazz band entertainment at both Edinburgh's 2019 and 2021 graduations, and have constantly worked to promote jazz within the Edinburgh student scene.
I am a strong instrumental arranger, having previously arranged for Big Band and Pit Band. I pride myself on producing parts that are well formatted and easy to read. If you have any enquires about working with me to create arrangements or part layouts, please Get In Touch!.