Who is the Songsmith?

Peter Haydon studied music and literature at the University of Melbourne. He majored in voice and composition, but somehow picked up guitar, bass, woodwinds, keyboards and percussion along the way. Never let this man pick up your instrument, he may not give it back.While still pretending to prepare for engineering exams, he wrote the musical Running for Home.

His later career involved art rock, jazz and cover bands, as well as the indefinable Love among the Chickens. He has also performed in bush bands, free improvisation ensembles, and as a solo performer on various insturments. He has written scores for radio and film. He has produced, arranged and performed on several albums. Currently he is putting together another band and recording an album of piano improvisations.

As a student at Melbourne Uni, he ran a service called Poetry While-U-Wait. In 1990 he published the book Poems and Sories, and is currently working on a long (5000 line) poem based on his trip to Bangladesh in 1992. He has written many pieces of occasional verse for friends, lovers and family.

Peter has worked as a church caretaker, student house leader, database manager, application developer, university tutor and technical writer before finding his true vocation as a songsmith.