Our Conductor and Musical Director David Straughan BA, CertEd, ARCM has been involved in music-making throughout his life and started to conduct whilst still at school. He trained as a teacher and spent his initial years in the West Midlands as a classroom teacher of music at secondary level and as an instrument teacher of brass to children and adults of all ages.

After a period as head of music in secondary schools and a senior position as a head of arts faculty he took on responsibilities in the Wirral as the local authority's Inspector for Music in Schools. He held this post for twenty-two years until 2004 and for twenty of these years conducted the Wirral Schools Concert Band, taking them on annual residential courses and concert tours both at home and abroad.

Throughout his teaching career he played trombone to a professional level, experiencing the full spectrum of musical styles, something he still enjoys to this day. He was appointed Musical Director of the Wirral Symphonic Wind Band in July 2002 and continues to be active as a conductor of youth and community groups, particularly wind bands and orchestras. He has travelled and worked extensively throughout Europe with youth and adult ensembles and his work as an OFSTED inspector of schools took him into all sectors of education. He also works as a music adjudicator across the United Kingdom.