May Graduate of the Month
We’re delighted to share this month’s Graduate story, from one of our very first Scholars! Aissatu received her award in 2011. She had been learning the cello in a whole-class setting for three years, and showed great promise.
Beginning her Scholarship at Grade 1 level, Aisha progressed through to Grade 5 cello during her Scholarship. She made the most of every opportunity available to her over her four years, including performing at the 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony! Aisha won ‘Most Outstanding Scholar’ at the 2015 London Music Awards due to her hard work and commitment. Aisha and her mother told us the Scholarship had developed Aisha’s confidence, benefiting her socially and academically as well as on her musical journey.
After graduating from her Scholarship, Aisha went on to study at the BRIT school where she enjoyed engaging with a variety of musical and theatrical disciplines, achieving an A in GCSE Music. We were thrilled to welcome Aisha back as a Graduate Leader for our String Playing Day with Nicola Benedetti in 2019. As well as continuing to play the cello, we are so proud that Aisha has developed into a very successful singer-songwriter!
You can find Aisha J on Spotify, YouTube and on her website. Scroll down to watch her latest music video!
Aisha at our Awards Day in 2011, with LMF Ambassador YolanDa Brown
Aisha J performing in 2019
We asked Aisha a few questions…
Tell us about being a London Music Fund (formerly the Mayor's Fund for Young Musicians!) scholar. What did you get from the experience?
It helped me to be confident enough to take advantage of more opportunities, especially those that further developed my cello skills. My best moment was receiving a London Music Award for being an outstanding Scholar in 2015.
What impact, if any, has music had on your life?
I have always been enthralled by music and performing. I enjoy exploring my own creativity, which is one of the reasons why I decided to take up a singing career, as I want to explore my own artistry.
Did being a London Music Fund Scholar affect your attitude to learning music? Can you tell us how?
Being a Scholar definitely motivated me to stay more focused and self-disciplined when it came to music, which I had trouble with growing up, and I am teaching myself still to this day!
Could you tell us a bit about what you’ve been up to recently with your music?
Recently I've been working on a couple of projects I'm hoping to release in the next few months, including new music which I'm really excited about!
What are your plans for the coming year – any exciting releases or performances?
Not too sure about performances mainly because of Covid, but new music is most definitely on its way this year!
What’s your long term ambition?
One of my biggest dreams is to have some of my favourite artists and biggest inspirations love my music, some including Lauryn Hill, The Driver Era, Chloe and Halle, and so many more!