A MUSICIAN whose work has featured on the hit TV show CSI: Miami popped into an Oxford school to give a free performance.

Richard Walters, 27, who grew up in Yarnton but recently moved to France with his girlfriend, swapped audiences in Parisian bars and clubs for the surroundings of St Gregory the Great School, in Cricket Road.

Former St Gregory’s maths teacher and samba band leader Radhika Aggarwal, who now works for artist management and record label Kartel Creative, brought Mr Walters to the school.

Mr Walters, who was back in Oxford for a special acoustic performance at the Holywell Music Room, spent 40 minutes performing music from his album, The Animal, then hosted a question and answer session with Year Nine pupils. Ellen Thorpe, 13, of Risinghurst, who took part in the session, said: “It was good because it shows you can make a career out of music.”

Jonathon O'Neill, 16, of Cowley, said: “I am into that genre of music and am in a band myself so I really enjoyed it. I will definitely be going to look at his stuff online now.”

Mr Walters’ song All at Sea was picked for an episode of CSI: Miami and another of his songs, Elephant In the Room, was used on American TV programme Now You Think You Can Dance.

He said: “It was interesting, a bit different to play to people half my age.

“They were telling me that they had Phil Selway from Radiohead giving a talk.

“I think they are really lucky to have people going in and telling them the absolute truth about how difficult it is to be a musician.

“It’s good it’s not sugar-coated in the X Factor-style for them.”