He is an English trumpeter and teacher who received
his musical education at the Royal College of Music in London.His first steps in his professional
career had him working as a modern trumpeter but after becoming acquainted
with Walther Holy in Cologne, Germany he began to perform on the Baroque
trumpet.Because there were no
manufacturers of the Baroque trumpets at the time he put himself to work in
his garage and made one for himself.Now full conversant with performances on both types he became highly
sought after and has been heard with numerous ensembles and orchestras
including the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, the Academy of St. Martin in the
Fields, the English Chamber Orchestra, The Kings Singers, David Munrow's
Early Music Consort, studio orchestras on the James Bond films, and his own
Michael Laird Brass Ensemble among others. Amongst popular artists he can be heard backing The Beatles,
Sir Elton John, Sir Cliff Richard, Mike Oldfield, The Jam, Grace Slick and
Unto Ashes.His myriad of
recordings includes most of the works by Bach and Handel, Panorama:
Festive Baroque, Troubadors of Folk, Vol. 1, Sound the Trumpet..., Now You
See Me Now You Don't by Sir Cliff Richard, Greatest Hits by the
Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, Incantations and Elements by
Mike Oldfield, Direction Recreation Creation Ear Book by The Jam and
America by the King's Singers.As a teacher he spent 15 years as a Professor at the Royal College of
Music and for 6 years a Professor of Natural Trumpet and Cornetto at the
Hochschule, Trottingen, Germany.Giving many international masterclasses he is currently a Brass
Consultant at the Birmingham Conservatoire and Wells Cathedral, England.
