Suggested headline: Teacher by day, rockstar by night

Standfirst: Hilary Porter talks to musician Sam Adams who splits his time between his two passions - teaching and performing in one of the UK's top Phil Collins tribute bands

By Hilary Porter

AGAINST all odds he works as a music teacher by day and by night he plays in the world's number one Phil Collins and Genesis tribute band.

Music lessons must certainly be inspirational at Richard Taunton 6th Form College where Sam Adams works as a full time music teacher.

The talented Southampton saxophonist has been performing with 'And Finally ...Phil Collins' for the last seven years.

And now he is part of the band's tenth anniversary tour which plays The Hub Theatre in Southampton on May 5 and has dates until November.

Incredibly it is 40 years since Phil Collins performed in Southampton but this is recognised as the next best thing, for the band has been personally endorsed by Mr Collins himself.

‘And Finally… Phil Collins’ is an eleven-piece big band which includes the ‘And Finally Horns’ who faithfully re-create all the classic hits from the Phil Collins and Genesis back catalogue. The 10th Anniversary show is enhanced by new lighting, stage sets and world class musicians who have worked hard towards achieving that immense Phil Collins production, with an exciting spectacle "totally guaranteed". As always the ‘two drummer’ line up remains an integral part of the act and once again the addition of a dedicated percussionist performing the Louis Conte role, has moved the ‘And Finally’ experience both musically and visually to a whole different league.

Last year for the second time in a row ‘And Finally… Phil Collins’ were voted by the ‘Agents Association of Great Britain’ at the ‘National Tribute Music Awards’ as the ‘Official UK No.1’.

Performing with this top tribute band requires a huge amount of hard work, dedication, juggling and flexibility for Sam, 42, who has three children: Isaac aged 11, Luca, seven and Mica, six, and whose wife Lisa also teaches at the college as a Learning Area Manager for Performing Arts ( drama and music).

But he says teaching is a passion as well as performing with the band, and the performing feeds into and enhances his teaching practice.

Sam admits that combining his two passions often involves going with very little sleep as he performs up and down the country but always makes it back to teach at college. He has been known to perform in Wales or Scotland and still drive back over night to teach the next morning. Often this can involve taking a pile of students' course work to mark in his dressing room or in a hotel.

The horn section from the band, which he is part of, does weddings too, and Sam has also been playing in a reggae band for the last year. Called 'The Dualers', they are playing Boom Town Festival this summer, having previously played Indigo at the London 02 at Christmas.

Apart from this, Sam has also previously played with Eagles tribute band Talon for four years and played with Bad Manners.

Sometimes he might have four nights away and play abroad but says his and Lisa's family all help out.

"I'm torn in some ways - I ask myself all the time am I getting the balance right and am I doing enough for my kids. They do karate and I give them music lessons.

"There are young people coming out of uni that are so, so good so I need to keep improving myself...When it all pays off it's just fantastic; when I'm performing that's just an incredible feeling and makes all the other stuff worthwhile. All the highs make up for down times travelling and being away from family. At some point it might all give but the good thing is it all feeds back into the teaching."

Sam, who did a BA Honours Degree in music (Jazz Studies) at Middlesbrough and then teacher training in London, added: "Even in the tribute circuit I'm working with people who are organising shows; working with venues and promoters and I'm promoting too. It all feeds back into the teaching. It's like a wheel.

"I have to look at my pedagogy - the way I teach, my results and if the students are making progress. Are they benefitting from all of this, and I have to say massively. Some of them see first hand how networking works.

"My wife is very understanding and very supportive. It is very tough to juggle although I have dipped out of one gig for her birthday! There is some and give and take. She does incredible work with the Rock Challenge and her productions.

"One of the units on my course is about being a session player - making sure your calendar is up to date and being thorough, professional and fair. Up to now it's all worked."

For more information: www.andfinallyphilcollins.com