Born in Chelsea, Melbourne in September 1970 Adam was never really given a chance - his father Paul used to place Adam on top of the piano while playing, and would also play the saxophone with Adam staring down the bell. Music was always a large part of family life, with Countdown being as important viewing as was The Wonderful World of Disney. Fond musical memories include Elvis Presley, Ornette Coleman (Dancing in your head), Jim Kweskin and his Jug Band (Greatest Hits), West Side Story, Bryan Ferry (Let's stick together), John Coltrane (A Love Supreme), Elton John (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road) and the Beatles (Sgt Peppers) - just to name a few.
Adam started playing clarinet (after trying his father, Paul's soprano sax) in 1979, aged 9 in Ballarat (100km from Melbourne). From 1983 Adam swapped to saxophone and began working in a big band, Sebaclear Stage Band (led by Ted Lewis), as well as occasionally being taken by his father to gigs. Around 1987-1991 Adam arranged and composed for two groups that grew out of highschool friendships - The First Deadly Serious Modern Jazz Quartet (actually a six-piece!) and Crunchy Fungus (a trio). There are extant recordings of these groups.
In 1989 Adam completed a TOP Music Course (Year 12 Level) at the School of Mines in Ballarat, majoring on flute with teacher Helen Fairhall. This course gave a solid grounding in classical musical theory and history, before Adam moved to Melbourne in 1990 to begin the Improvisation Degree at the Victorian College of the Arts. Despite now living in Melbourne Adam began to establish himself in the Ballarat pub scene (maybe more for his penchant for drinking milk) working in bands such as The Valiants (with Paul Simmons), The Boxing Tostados (featuring Matt Thomas from the Mavis's), The Fat Thing, The Dead Salesman and anyone else who would let him play. Meanwhile Adam was also starting to work more in Melbourne.