“Music is a really special thing to me.”

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10 year old Oliver’s earliest memories are full of music:

“Music is a really special thing to me. When I was young, the first time I ever heard a song my eyes lit up and I just started flapping my hands about like I was dancing – my mum has told me this story a lot of times! Ever since I was two years old, I’ve been singing to songs, learning them to get better with music, and then about three years ago I started playing trombone.”

Oliver joined our Furthering Talent programme in Bradford in 2021. His teacher, Helen, shares what made the programme such a good fit for him:

“Oliver really stood out as a candidate for Furthering Talent as he had a beautiful singing voice and a natural talent for performing – his class teacher said he was constantly singing in lessons! Oliver was doing brilliantly in the whole class cornet lessons and when he got a place on Furthering Talent, he was given his choice of brass instrument from which he picked the trombone.” 

As well as introducing Oliver to the trombone, Furthering Talent has given him a great sense of accomplishment:

“Music just brings me so much happiness. It’s so weird because my life is all about music – I’m named after a famous singer, and my mum’s a good singer, my dad’s a good singer, and that leads to me being a trombonist and a good singer too. That’s where it all started.  When Helen heard my voice she was like ‘he can go somewhere in life’ and I’m sat here playing trombone! It makes me feel proud of myself, like I’m getting somewhere in life.”

Helen shares the progress that she’s seen in Oliver’s musical journey:

“Oliver’s enthusiasm for music has flourished further, and every week he comes into school with a new song he has written or a new instrumentalist he has found on YouTube.  He is so proud to demonstrate what he has learned. In the last year, he performed the National Anthem in front of the school on Remembrance Day and played a solo in the Christmas concert.  Furthering Talent has given Oliver a real sense of pride and self-belief, and it is so wonderful to see him throwing himself into his love of music.”

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