How it all started…

About Pete… The Man Behind It All

Pete is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and composer. At the age of 18, he was playing in the Irish bars of Paris before heading to London, where he earned a degree from the London College of Music.

During this time, he met Nell Gifford and in 2000, co-founded Giffords Circus, where he worked as Musical Director until 2007.

In 2015, Pete set up the Music Guru tuition company to reinvent the way instruments were taught in schools. He currently has over 300 students on his books and has guided hundreds through their classical, rock, and pop grades.

The Music Guru has won the Prestige Award for Best Tuition Company in Central England for the past four years.

The Festival

Party in the Park started in 2023 when Pete wanted to create a free festival for the community where everyone was welcome to enjoy a day of youth performance and socialising.

The stars of the show are the kids who get up and play, some as young as 6 years old, along with the school choirs. For those not into music, there are opportunities to engage in art and sport workshops.

It was important to engage local food producers and sellers as part of the event.

In the evening, the party continues with older, more established bands on stage.

An amazing 1700 people turned up to support the kids and have fun in 2023, over 2000 in 2024 and over 3000 last year! Let’s see what this year brings.