November’s Graduate of the Month

James at his Awards Day in 2011

This month’s Graduate is James, who was one of our first Scholars in 2011. He learnt the violin with Hillingdon Music Hub and made fantastic progress, for which he was awarded the ‘Outstanding Scholar Award’ at the London Music Awards in 2014. James played in HMS Symphony Orchestra and String Sinfonia, and was a core member of his school’s music department. He took part in numerous opportunities such as a National Youth Orchestra Inspire course.

James completed his Scholarship in 2015, by which point he was playing at Grade 8 level (making him the first ever LMF Scholar to reach Grade 8!) and he had achieved a merit for his Grade 5 Theory. Shortly after graduating, James took his Grade 8 violin exam and passed with distinction. He then took GCSE Music and received an A grade, and later took his performance diploma on the violin, again passing with distinction.

James is now 20 and a student at the University of Bristol, where he studies Mathematics. We are delighted that James is still an active musician alongside his academic career. He has played in the University Symphony Orchestra and String Orchestra, and is currently a member of the University Chamber Orchestra, with whom he hopes to go on tour to Germany next year.

We asked James some questions about the impact his Scholarship had for him:

Tell us about being a London Music Fund (formerly the Mayor's Fund for Young Musicians!) Scholar. What did you get from the experience?

Being a Scholar increased my confidence and allowed me to focus on progression. It gave me fantastic opportunities to perform solos at Mansion House and City Hall.

What was the highlight of your Scholarship?

I was delighted to be honoured with an 'Outstanding Scholar' award at the London Music awards in 2014 at the Roundhouse.

James playing in 2020

What impact, if any, has music had on your life? 

Music has had a truly transformative impact on my life. I have had incredible experiences such as touring in Vienna, Italy and Barcelona and performing in venues such as Barcelona Cathedra, St Stephens Cathedral and Cadogan Hall. Learning music has boosted my confidence, enabled me to meet wonderful people and I am proud of what I have achieved.

Did being a London Music Fund Scholar affect your attitude to learning music? Can you tell us how?

Being a scholar was a huge honour and it made me more serious about my music, and encouraged me to progress to a high standard, resulting in me achieving distinction in my performance diploma.

Has your musical education had an impact on other areas of your life?

It has been a great way of meeting people from all walks of life and has introduced me to completely new experiences such as playing solos, performing abroad and bringing music to new audiences.

What are your hopes and dreams for after finishing your Maths degree?

That’s a good question! I hope to come back to London and work in technology. Wherever I go however I’ll always be playing music!