 Geoffrey Shaw became a chorister at St Paul's Cathedral under Sir George Martin and was then educated at Derby School and Caius College, Cambridge.At Caius, he was an organ scholar, studied with Sir Charles Stanford and Charles Wood, and graduated BA in 1901 and MusB in 1902.From 1902 to 1910, Shaw was a music master and Director of Music at Gresham's School, Holt, a role in which he was succeeded by his fellow Old Derbeian, Walter Greatorex.