Kenneth McColl

About Kenneth McColl

I have worked professionally as a musician, an actor, a director and musical director. This experience gives me a strong understanding of how music works in a production and the job it has to do which makes for smoother and more effective working relationships.

I play many instruments (guitar, voice, piano, bass, hand percussion) and have a good understanding of the qualities and limitations of other instrument groups. This allows me to write for a wide range of instrumentation. Also, I grew up in a multi-lingual household and have travelled extensively so I also have a good knowledge of many music cultures and styles.

In 2016, I spent 8 months teaching and directing musical theatre in China under Artistic Director Ian Kellgren (Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool Playhouse) and as assistant to Musical Director Ross Leadbeater (Only Men Aloud, Classical Brit Awards, Gay’s the Word). I returned intent on further study and in 2018, I enrolled in the masters course at UWS, studying under David Scott (The Pearlfishers, BBC Scotland, BMX Bandits) and Paul McGeechan (Love and Money, Starless).

Since graduation I have completed various projects including Shift and Spin (THAT.co), Sharmountain Lullaby (Pavlina Ltd, NYC) and The Merchant’s Play (Glasgow Narrative Drama). Indeed, songwriter Ewan McVicar described our version of Shift and Spin as ‘very fine’ and his wife’s favourite version of his song.

I have also worked extensively in community. Some projects to date include running songwriting workshops with Carol Laula (BBC Scotland, STV) for North Ayrshire Leisure and at Universal Connections for South Lanarkshire. I am currently working with Creative Change Collective with Mark McNicol (BBC Radio Scotland, Federation of Writers Scotland), delivering Anonymous Drama workshops in HMP Shotts and HMP Low Moss.