Laura began playing the alto saxophone at age sixteen in Prestwick, quickly advancing to lead alto in the Strathclyde Youth Jazz Orchestra. In 1995, she earned a full scholarship to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, studying under Bill Pierce and graduating with the Excellence in Performance award in 1997. That same year, she became the inaugural winner of the Scottish Young Jazz Musician of the Year award. Laura was the lead alto player for the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra from 1998-2003. Laura has released 4 albums with her 5th being released in 2027.  Laura is a double nominee for the Paul Hamlyn Composition Award and won Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year in 2021.  With multiple commissions under her belt, in 2022, Laura became the first female jazz saxophone lecturer at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where she was appointed Head of Jazz in 2026. She remains one of the UK’s most prominent women in jazz.