15-year-old Bridget lives in rural Northumberland. Every Saturday, she has to travel for over six hours to violin lessons. Ensemble playing opportunities are also limited but thanks to AYM she has been able to connect with other musicians, a process she is passionate about:
“I enjoy being part of an orchestra and, in the middle of a performance, realising that everyone is synchronised and everyone is important to the sound. I love that idea of community and everyone having a vitally important role in producing the music. It’s important to me that music enables you to communicate and to add your own experience to the composer’s intention.
“Even though I live in a very isolated place I belong to different communities: my rural community, my school community, and my musical community. When we play music together, everyone is equally important in creating that music and communicating it. Being unable to be part of my musical community for so long during the lockdowns has made me value them more than ever.”
As well as travel costs, AYM are also supporting Bridget’s fees to attend the Junior Royal Northern College of Music where she hopes to further develop her playing and musicianship.
“Playing with other young musicians from around the country and accessing all the musical opportunities that attending a junior conservatoire provides is something that a lot of young people in my area don’t get the chance to do. So AYM’s support really means a lot to me! ”
With support from our donors we’re here to help hundreds of young musicians like Bridget. Thank you!
If you are, or if you know, a young musician like Bridget, aged 5-17, with bags of musical potential who needs support for musical costs, AYM could help!
