Liam was born with bronchitis and asthma, so has always suffered with his breathing. No matter how on top of his asthma Liam was, he always seemed to end up in the emergency ward of Christchurch Hospital at least once a year for many chest infections, bronchitis, and pneumonia. With the cold Mid-Canterbury mornings his chest couldn't cope with the cold air. Even to this day, Liam still makes a few trips to the hospital to try keep on top of it.
Liam identified early on that he needed to ‘build up’ his lungs in order to help his asthma; he achieved this by taking up the trumpet which made a huge difference for his breathing, helping him create a better technique. Since then, Liam has played in various jazz and concert bands where he's taken the role as the lead trumpet player, and in many stage shows the constant movement,along with singing pushed him even further - but he never let his asthma stop him. He's played in various jazz and concert bands as the lead trumpet player and is now a multi-instrumentalist session player, skilled in acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, drums, piano, organ, harmonica, dobro, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, trumpet.
To ‘build up’ his lungs in order to help his asthma, Liam started learning the trumpet!
In 2013 Liam won the intermediate overall at the NZ Gold Guitar Awards, he made it through to the top 24 of NZ X-Factor and was a solo performer in Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park. He has also been named an overall winner at multiple country music festivals in Australia, including Tamworth, which is the largest in the southern hemisphere. At age 18, Liam was the youngest person to be a mentor at the Academy of Country Music in Tamworth. Since March 2015, Liam has been based on the Sunshine Coast of Australia, which has been a help for the asthma. Even though there aren't too many cold mornings there, the humidity can sometimes take it's toll on his breathing.
In Australia, he now runs his own recording studio and works as a professional musician all over Australia and New Zealand. He is set to release his new self-produced record through Sony/Maven Records Australia.
Liam still takes his inhaler as prescribed and tries his best to avoid his triggers including dust, pollen, grass, cat's, cold air, among other things. Although he still has to take his preventer and ventolin, Liam doesn't let his asthma stop him from what he loves doing.
For more information on Liam or to check out his musical talent, visit his website.
If you or someone you know with a respiratory condition has a story to share, please email marketing@asthmaandrespiratory.org.nz and you could be featured here too!