Alan was born in Redruth in 1961 and began learning to play the cornet at the young age of five. He joined Carharrack and St Day Band and then moved to St Austell Town Band, competing in the National Finals with them. Alan also played in numerous solo contests throughout Cornwall and the South West with major success and in 1974 he joined Camborne Town Band, remaining there until 1977 when he joined the Army. Alan spent two years training at the Band of the RAC Junior Leaders Regiment in Bovington, Dorset, and was posted to Germany in 1979 with the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards Band.
He later studied at the Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall under Professor Ian McKintosh and was awarded the prestigious Cousins Memorial Parchment for exceptional proficiency on the cornet. He was principal cornet for six years and was also Commanding Officers' Trumpeter. This gave him the opportunity to travel throughout the world and play at numerous prestigious occasions in front of the Royal Family and dignitaries.
In 1999, Alan was asked to take on the challenge of reforming Camborne Youth Band. He started with seven players and increased the membership to eighty within the first year through presentations at schools and subsequent lessons. With the advanced players of the Youth Band, Alan formed Camborne B Band in 2001 and the ever increasing numbers of new players saw the formation of a Junior Contest Band in November 2007.
Since 2003, Alan has been a tutor with the Cornwall Youth Brass Band. In 2004 he became a tutor at the Wessex Band Summer School and in the same year was awarded the Cornish Gorseth Trevada Shield for the encouragement of music making by young people. He was also crowned 'Cornwall's Best Contributor to Music' in 2007 by St Austell Brewery and Pirate FM. Alan received the prestigious Harry Mortimer Medal from The Worshipful Company of Musicians in 2008 in recognition of his services for the teaching of young people in the brass band movement and in 2010, was made a bard of Gorsedh Kernow. In April 2011, Alan and Camborne Youth Band won their seventh National title. Alan was awarded the British Empire Medal in the 2017 New Year's Honours List, for Services to Music and Young People in Camborne.