Dot worked in London as a session musician before relocating to Edinburgh. She has worked with an incredibly wide variety of artists and projects (see below). She has toured UK, France, Switzerland, Germany, Spain & Greece and has had residencies in Bahrain and Malaysia.

Dot is an experienced pit musician having played keyboards for various Musical Theatre shows in both Edinburgh and London.

She is known for her versatility and feel for a variety of genres and has played keyboards for blues, jazz funk, soul, reggae, soca, high-life & latin bands in both Edinburgh and London.

She enjoys collaborating in the song-writing process – most recently on a collaboration for reggae vocalist Susan Cadogan and has composed music for film.

Dot is also an experienced sound engineer and has recorded & mixed choirs, rock and pop bands, string ensembles and Big Bands.

Artists/projects I worked with

Jazz Emu “Knight Fever Tour”  15th February-12th March 2025,  Jazz Emu “Knight Fever” 25 dates  during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Pleasance 1, August 2024, “Late Night with Terry Wogan” at the Assembly George Square Studios, August 2024, Lead Sister, Rachel Duns Quintet, Rigid Soul, Main Street Blues, James Brown is Annie Jazz Bar &  on tour January 2023; Latina Turners (Cuban) at Belladrum Festival 2023; Atomic City support for the Fun Loving Criminals (Edinburgh & Glasgow 2023); Out of the Blue Jazz (Great American Songbook) at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, August 2023; Lee Scratch Perry; Laurel Aitken; the Deltones; Dubwiser; Michelle Gayle; Kenickie; Free Spirit; MeOne; Macy Gray; Lynden David Hall; Blackalicious, Clem Curtis & the Foundations, Richard Niles, Riddemption, Wade Austin’s Night Drive, Carwash, Empire State, The Soul Establishment.

Appearances

Spiegeltent, Edinburgh, St Bride’s Centre, Edinburgh, Room 2, Glasgow, Birmingham Town Hall, Glasgow, Glee Club, Cardiff Glee Club, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Leicester Square Theatre, Canterbury Marlow, Cambridge Junction, Bristol Redgrave Theatre,  The Y Theatre, Leicester, Norwich Playhouse, Komedia, Brighton, Lowry Quays Theatre, Salford, Callandar Jazz & Blues Festival, Findhorn Music Festival, Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, The Byre Theatre, St Andrews, MacRobert Art Centre, Stirling, Belladrum, The Jazz Bar, Pizza Express Holborn, (London), Peggy’s Skylight (Nottingham), The Domino Jazz Club (Leeds), The Exchange (Bristol), Glastonbury & Reading Festivals, the Trans Musical Festival in Rennes, France; Ronnie Scotts; Royal Festival Hall; Shepherds Bush Empire. TV & Radio: Jools Holland; Radio 1 live (Steve Lamacq); Top of the Pops; CD UK; GMTV, GLR, SBN, Mad for It & Damon Rochefort (BBC Wales).

Testimonials

We had the pleasure of having Dot Allan perform at our annual gathering. Dot’s ability to seamlessly transition between classical pieces, contemporary hits, and jazzy tunes kept our guests engaged and entertained throughout the evening.

What truly set Dot apart was her adaptability. Our event had various segments, each requiring a different musical ambiance, and Dot perfectly captured the essence of each moment. Whether it was providing a relaxed environment during dinner or energizing the crowd later with lively, upbeat tracks, Dot delivered with skill and flair.

Many of our guests commented on how her music enhanced the event. Dot’s professionalism, coupled with her warm and friendly demeanor, made the entire process effortless and enjoyable. She took the time to understand our needs and delivered beyond our expectations.

We highly recommend Dot Allan for any event. Her wide range of styles and ability to adapt to any situation make her an invaluable addition to any occasion. Thank you, Dot, for making it a night to remember!

“Having Dot as my accompanist for my degree recital was a wonderful experience. To give myself a challenge and to take my playing to the next level, I decided to go out of my comfort zone and to incorporate Jazz into my program. Being a classically trained musician this was a big step and as the months went on I began to get cold feet and was going to scrap the idea entirely. But then I started having rehearsals with Dot every week.

We began by running through my harder pieces and would constantly practise sections over and over again until I got it. Since I was new to improvisation, there would be times where we would just improvise together, 8 bars each. She gave me lots of ideas and ways I could play about with the improvisation sections, which helped me a lot with my confidence for improvising. She also gave recommendations of many jazz players and books I could look at for inspiration.

I highly recommend Dot as she does more than just accompany your playing. She goes out of her way to help in any way that she can. ”

“Dot is a talented and inspiring teacher. She encouraged me to explore a wide variety of different types of music, taught me a range of techniques and practise methods that have been foundational for my development as a piano player and gave me the confidence to perform pieces of music that I never would have thought myself capable of playing”

“We were delighted to have Dot come and play the keyboard for us at one of our Sunday morning services at Granton Parish Church. She was superb at providing accompaniment for the hymns we had requested but also tuned in very quickly to the atmosphere and style of the church, meaning the music she provided before and after the service fitted perfectly. Dot was hugely professional on all levels and we hope to have the opportunity of welcoming her back to Granton soon.”

“Ed really enjoyed lessons with Dot. She made them fun and relevant as well as preparing him for the piano exam, ABRSM Grade 3 (which he passed, she taught him basic composition and improvisation. “ Dot is a versatile teacher with many strings to her bow.

“Dot recorded 5 songs for me.. She was professional from start to finish in the studio and has a good set of ears on her! She encouraged and helped me through the process and recorded and mixed the E.P. to a high standard. I thoroughly recommend her”.

“I have been having lessons with Dot for almost half a year now and it has been a genuinely encouraging experience. As a previously self-taught pianist, I feel that I have grown especially in my most difficult areas like my confidence and playing technique. She is very patient, kind and covers a range of genres which some I once struggled with. She’s calm, supportive, never judgemental and always helps me through my struggles at my own pace. I leave many lessons feeling accomplished and I look forward to continuing to develop my piano skills under her guidance. I would happily recommend her to anyone looking for a great and supportive piano teacher”

“Dot has accompanied two of my choirs on our annual weekends away. The singers select songs that they want to sing- sometimes solo or with the whole choir. Dot has the ability to sightread classical music, chord charts as well as play by ear and was able to support the singers in whatever songs they picked at random at the time.. which after a few glasses of wine could be anything ranging from Cole Porter to Nirvana! Would happily have her back again.”

“Dot helped me to understand Compression through the use of practical demonstrations – and showing creative uses of it.”

“Dot helped me develop my skills in Logic Pro X. I had never used this software before and she explained things clearly, building up my skills in the 8 week course. I would highly recommend her- she has a great deal of patience and is happy to give input on song-writing and composing. ”

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