In 1998, he gained a 1st Class Honours degree in Composition & Guitar from Trinity College, London. Throughout the college years Clive was also awarded many prizes including: John Halford Prize for Composition (1994), Gladys Puttick Memorial Prize for Extemporisation (‘94,’98), Ivor Mairants Guitar Award (1997), Montagu Cleeve Prize for Guitar (1998) and Essex Young Musician of the Year (1999). 
Whilst at college, Clive was also awarded a concerto prize and recorded Rodrigo's 'Concierto de Aranjuez' with the Trinity orchestra. 

In 1998, he was given the opportunity to play at his local pub with John Renbourn. That night Renbourn encouraged him to record a solo album, and finally in 1999 after playing a support to Chris Newman & Maire Ni Chathasaigh, Clive was given his first record deal by their Celtic label, ‘Old Bridge Music’. His first solo CD, Sixth Sense received an unusually high level of attention from radio shows, reviewers and journalists and has since been described as ‘a milestone in the journey of the steel-string guitar’. Over the next two years John Renbourn took Clive on tour all over Europe and America. 
In 2002 the BMG/RCA record label took an interest in Clive. He recorded solo for them on one album, which is still selling very well. 

Over the past two years Clive has toured as a solo performer and he has also played alongside many great artists in the traditional Irish, acoustic, and pop/rock worlds. 
His long awaited 2nd solo album, The Red Guitar was released on 25 Nov 2004 and contains eleven original pieces as well as works by Gilbert Biberian & Wayne Shorter.