Growing up, Joshua had loads of musical potential. He just needed somewhere to use it! He describes the moment his mum found him an instrument to play:
“Since I was very young, I’ve been hearing beats in my head and tapping out rhythms, and this would annoy everyone! I can’t help it – it just comes naturally to me! One day my Mum got fed up with me not being able to keep still and making so much noise. So she got me a drum kit and I started drum lessons. I have drum lessons every week and practice every day in the shed at the bottom of our garden.”
Now aged 16, Joshua has developed his music by taking part in lots of local opportunities:
“Since September 2021 I have started to do various live theatre performances with different bands/music groups that I’m involved with. I also go to the Guildhall Young Artists Saturday school, where I do many things including singing, band practice, music production, music theory, bass guitar lessons and percussion. I’m really enjoying it as it gives me so much opportunity to learn.”
But his equipment at home couldn’t keep up with his musical progress. He explains:
“At home I practice on a very old rusty drum kit, which doesn’t sound so good and the bass pedal keeps breaking. I love it when I can play on better drum kits at my music club and music school. I hope one day I’ll have a better kit to practice on!”
Joshua applied to our Awards programme to develop his playing further. The Award helped him buy a new cymbal for his drum kit and Joshua has also taken part in our opportunities for Award winners. In July, we supported Joshua and his mum to travel to our Awards Day at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. Joshua shares his experience of the day:
“The Award has already given me the opportunity to go up to Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts for a day, which was very inspiring. It gave me confidence and I felt truly part of something. I live in a small village and going up to Liverpool felt like a great adventure. I’m looking forward to the next workshop and playing music again with the other young musicians.”
Joshua’s mum, Rachel, shared the impact of their trip with us:
“Josh had a brilliant time at the LIPA Awards Day, and really enjoyed meeting and playing with such an incredibly talented group of young musicians also on the Award scheme. Friendships were formed that will hopefully grow from these tentative first steps, but either way his confidence and self-esteem benefitted considerably from the experience, and that is a big positive. It has inspired Josh to focus even more on his drumming, get to Grade 8, and just get out there and play.”
Looking ahead, Joshua is determined to have a future in music:
“Music is my happy place. I hope one day I can go to college to study performance and music production.”
Joshua has now been offered a place at The Academy of Music and Sound in Exeter to study for a Level 3 RSL Music Performance diploma. He starts in September and we can’t wait to see where his talent takes him!
If you are, or if you know, a young musician like Joshua, aged 5-17, with bags of musical potential who needs support for musical costs, AYM could help.
