Q&A: Linton Stephens

LS: None of my family was involved in music. I'm where I am today because of three music teachers. My primary school teacher, Mrs Gladding, was a music specialist. She saw that I had a talent and a passion for music, and would always encourage it. Then Mrs Dolby, my first peripatetic music teacher who taught me oboe, and backed me when I later switched to bassoon. And my A Level music teacher, Victoria Wells, in Birkenhead; when I decided I wanted to go into music, there was a real gap in my knowledge and she helped to fill this.

LS: I had a real passion for music when I was young. The local music service came to my school and did whole-year pitch tests; the people who scored highest could pick an instrument – I chose the oboe and I fell in love with instrumental music. I was fascinated by the idea that an individual making a particular type of sound could contribute to something even bigger in an orchestra. One day, in the local library, I saw a picture of a bassoon and thought, ‘I really want to try this instrument.’ In those days you could pay 20P to use the library's PC for half an hour; I got the Encarta 95 disc and listened to all the instruments and decided on the bassoon. I was too small then, and had to wait till I was 16.