Terry was born in a coal mining village in Nottinghamshire. He started playing the cornet at the age of eight alongside his two brothers in their father’s band, Arley Welfare (Warwickshire). By the time Terry was fourteen, he had progressed onto principal cornet and had made a film called “Blow Your Own Trumpet” starring Michael Crawford. Because of his father’s involvement with the coal industry, the family moved to Leicester and Terry became principal cornet, again under the baton of his father, with Desford Band.

At eighteen, Terry moved to Oxford to play with Morris Motors band under the direction of Harry Mortimer, He started on repiano, progressed to assistant cornet and held principal cornet during his last year there. During his nine years with the band, he played at many of the country’s top venues, including the Royal Albert Hall and the Festival Hall. He enjoyed making several recordings and performing on radio. A most memorable occasion was when he made a record with the late Sir Malcolm Sergeant.

Terry’s conducting career started in 1976 with the City of Oxford organisation, taking over the baton with the Youth Band. They toured America and Canada, and made a recording that same year. In 1979, Terry moved to Kidlington, which was a real turning point in his conducting career. Kidlington Band at the time was not registered nationally, and when Terry was asked about his ambitions for the band, his reply was to play at the Royal Albert Hall. Amazingly, both were achieved within ten years, playing at the Royal Albert Hall in 1984 and achieving Championship status in 1990.

In 1997, Terry joined Stonesfield Band, who were struggling at the bottom of the fourth section with a core of just twelve players. After that, it was a rollercoaster ride, with the band winning many competitions up and down the country and rising from Fourth to First Section status. Terry has won the local Association Contest on no less than six occasions with six different bands, and celebrated an incredible achievement of fifty years brass banding in 2004.

Having initially joined Chalgrove Band on cornet, Terry became Musical Director of the band in 2009, helping the band gain promotion to the Second Section in 2011.