Article written by journalism student Emily Fitzgibbons:

Pianist James Barnett is set to perform live at SHU Fest, Friday 4 March.

He said: “I’m a little bit nervous but no more than I would be playing anywhere else.”

James, who started playing aged six, said the piano has always been important to him. “I forget about everything else when I’m playing the piano. I remember the first time I heard my teacher playing. It gave me goose pimples and I just thought it was the best thing ever.”

He was classically trained at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and is part of a choir and plays at church services.

James, who admits to not performing solo as much as he used to, is now a professional piano teacher. “Everybody has got music ability. It helps if you start when you’re a kid but I do teach a lot of adults who haven’t had lessons before.

Debussy, a French composer, is James’ inspiration.

Watch his performance at 1pm in Heartspace, Level 2 of the Owen Building.