Mr Briggs takes to the stage with disco royalty Boney M

Mr Briggs still regularly works as both a touring and session musician for various popular artists and his career has taken him all around the world including to Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Oceania where he has played at both intimate concerts and large festivals. 

The roster of artists he has either performed or recorded with includes Rose Royce (Gwen Dickey), Alexander O’Neal, Estaire Godinez (percussionist, George Benson) and Omar MBE among many others.

Mr Briggs is also the long-time touring guitarist in Australia for disco icons Boney M, whom he performed with last week at the renowned Palais and Enmore Theatres in Melbourne and Sydney respectively.

For the youngsters out there who haven’t heard of Boney M’s classics including Daddy Cool, Rasputin and Sunny, perhaps it’s time to ask mum and dad to dust off the vinyls. 

Mr Briggs believes it’s healthy for music teachers to continue performing regularly outside of school so their lessons have an authentic edge.

“For me, being a music teacher is often about helping people develop positive and high-performance mindsets,” he explains.

“I hone mine by playing in front of thousands of people, which helps me remember the skills I had to develop to overcome being nervous – skills which I then pass on to students.”

Mr Briggs explains that the skills one learns in a music class, such as overcoming nerves and developing regular practice routines, hold true in various academic contexts including studying, working, preparing assignments and completing exams.

He continues to extol All Saints and it’s Performing Arts department for recognising the importance of music within education.

“The program here is exceptional for music and the arts in general,” says Mr Briggs. “And of course, Mr Wallas is incredible too because he’s so supportive of the arts and is generally a very musical guy – he even takes guitar lessons with me!”