“I enjoy playing music that expresses my thoughts and feelings”

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Clarinet has a special place in 11 year old Alicia’s life:

“I have played clarinet since I was seven. I enjoy playing music that expresses my thoughts and feelings and playing different genres of music in bands with other young musicians.”

Her talent and determination were clear from the start. As Alicia’s teacher Pete explains:

“Alicia began the clarinet in year 3 and swiftly stood out from the rest of her group for her keen ear for music and her drive to continually improve on the instrument. She continued to make great progress, fuelled in equal parts by her love of music, her competitive spirit (mainly with her older brother Gabriel) and her desire to play all her pieces at breakneck speed.”

Despite facing challenges, she continued to work hard on her playing. Pete continues:

“Alicia was preparing for her Grade 1 exam when the pandemic hit and for the following 18 months only had lessons online, during which time she leapt from Grade 1 to Grade 3.”

With support from AYM and Bradford Music Education Hub, Alicia was able to take the next step in her playing through our Furthering Talent programme. Every young musician in Furthering Talent receives a bursary towards their musical development. Alicia used hers to help her progress to Grade 4. Our bursary helped her to buy a clarinet stand and Grade 4 book, then sit the exam with an accompanist. We’re thrilled to hear the results:

“I have passed my Grade 4 exam with merit and I am currently working towards Grade 5. I’m also studying music theory to support my knowledge of music.”

But it’s not just technical progress – Alicia has also broadened her horizons as a musician:

“Furthering Talent has given me the chance to explore how music relates to nature and art. This has helped me see what composers think when composing music. I have been able to broaden my knowledge of different types of music including composing, singing and marching.”

With her increased knowledge and confidence, Alicia is helping other young musicians. Her music centre group leader, James, explains:

“Alicia has been a fantastic member of Forte Vento. She helps lead the clarinet section and regularly helps new players. She sets a good example to others, plays with enthusiasm and always has a smile on her face!”

Alicia will soon be bringing her passion to another orchestra! She has just gained a place on the National Children’s Orchestra Projects programme. Here, she’ll join young musicians from across the country for weekends full of music making.

Without our generous supporters, we wouldn’t be able to help talented young musicians like Alicia.

We recently announced that we will continue to work with ten of our Furthering Talent partner Hubs in an exciting new phase of the programme running from April 2023 to March 2026.