The 5-Minute Interview: Howard Blake, Composer

'People think I'm a bit of a playboy'

Howard Blake, 68, composed the score for 'The Snowman' which includes the song Walking in the Air. A production of The Snowman is on at the Peacock Theatre in London

If I weren't talking to you right now I'd be...

Having lunch with the band who are getting ready for the Edinburgh run of The Snowman. They're a new band. They all met today.

I wish people would take more notice of...

My serious music or any music of mine other than The Snowman.

The most surprising thing that ever happened to me was...

Becoming a composer. I wanted to do it, but I don't know where it came from. I started at the age of six picking out tunes on the piano and taught myself to read music. I used to write songs for all my family's birthdays.I was more interested in writing music than anything. I've made a living writing music since 1966. I never had a job teaching or doing anything else.

A common misperception of me is...

Some people think I'm a bit of a playboy. I tend to get up at 6am and work. I live on my own in London and sometimes go to the Groucho Club and restaurants. The only place people see me is the Groucho Club, so they think that's all I do, but I've done about 15 hours work before I got there.

I'm not a politician but...

I would like the world to concentrate on all the positive aspects of their lives - what could be done to make people happy and get them in tune with themselves - rather than on vast sums of money which don't necessarily make them happy.

In a nutshell, my philosophy is this...

It's that everyone has an almost unlimited capacity to find happiness, achievement and fulfilment. Everybody should attempt to find out who they really are and learn to fulfil themselves. If everybody could, the world would be a much happier place.

Elisa Bray