Published on: Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Sixth Form student Matt O applied to study a practical performance degree at three prestigious establishments, and was overwhelmed to receive offers from all three: The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, The Royal Welsh College of Music and The Royal Scottish Conservatoire.
At King’s College, Matt has access to expert music teachers and outstanding facilities in the form of space to teach, rehearse and perform. King’s College hosts a recording studio; recital room equipped with a fine new Yamaha C3 grand piano; the chapel with a marvellous acoustics and a two-manual tracker action organ and Yamaha C7 grand piano; a superb Yamaha C5 grand piano in the Woodard Room; and an iMac suite of computers enable pupils to produce top quality music using the very latest software.
The 18-year-old from Middlezoy has been playing the trumpet for 12 years and started lessons at a very young age. He said: “On average, I probably play for about 15 hours a week, which includes at least an hour practice every day, and if I have a concert coming up then it will be solid practice on the pieces I’m playing.” Matt also plays in the Somerset County Youth Orchestra and the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, as well as occasionally in the Brass Band with his parents.
King’s College offers music at GCSE and both music and music technology at A level. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the musical life at King’s, whether that’s in weekly sung services in the school chapel, the RocSoc, Big Fun Choir, Big Band or the newly established King’s School Symphony Orchestra and chamber music programme.
Matt reflects: “I get involved in everything at school to get as much practice as possible and expose myself to different styles, talented musicians and experts.”
“My long-term goals are to be in a professional orchestra and tour the world or be a soloist. The music business is quite precarious, so I might end up going into teaching.”
Like most pupils at King’s, the trumpeter is quite an allrounder. He captains the Boys Hockey First XI where he plays in goal, played First XV rugby and is very involved with the Combined Cadet Force.
Matt added: “I know how lucky I am to have won a scholarship to a school like King’s. They have given me this wonderful opportunity and supported me all the way through my trumpet playing career.”
Karen Paul, the Head of Academic Music at King’s said: “We are so proud of Matt's achievements. He is a hard-working and dedicated musician, always willing to push himself and never settling for anything less than his best.
“Whether playing his trumpet as a soloist and in various ensembles, playing bass in our rock groups or singing in the numerous choirs, he is at his happiest when performing. He has done extremely well to gain offers of scholarships at three music colleges, which is a great reward for his efforts so far.“