Colin first played harmonica as a young boy before giving up in frustration at not being able to bend the notes like the blues players he heard on radio. Colin then took up guitar for many years playing electric blues guitar before coming back to harmonica in his late forties where he discovered the bending problem was one of instrument choice and not of technique. He played mainly for his own enjoyment but after being encouraged to play by attendance in the early years of the summer schools at Common Ground he now plays regularly in public and teaches harmonica at Glasgow Fiddle Workshop. There he has a regular class and encourages his students beyond the areas of frustration he found as a youth and takes great pleasure at students breaking through to become competent players. Amongst the many instruments Colin plays are guitar, mandolin, and wooden flute. Colin has played for many years in the Common Ground Gospel Choir Band at the summer schools where he has played depending on the requirement, guitar, bass and harmonica.