Continuing the series profiling Music Scholarship students at the University of Kent; this week, first-year Physics student and tuba player, Edward Styles.

In the past I have had many musical opportunities in bands and orchestras in an around my county including the Devon Youth Wind Orchestra, Devon County Youth Brass Band and the School band at Ivybridge Community College. These bands have helped me progress in music throughout my school years with their challenging and exciting repertoire. The bands have toured in many different countries including France, Italy and Spain. I have also attended a work experience with HM Royal Marine Band Service where I got to perform in a concert with them.

I have also been a member of the Royal Navy Volunteer Band in HMS Drake situated in Plymouth for three years, which holds many concerts throughout the year. I was the soloist playing bass in the Ballroom for Volunteer Band in their annual competition against the other Military Volunteer bands across the country. The band was awarded runner-up for that year. The volunteer band also trains for marching and I have learnt many marching routines throughout the time I have been there.

I have also performed Øystein Baadsvik’s Fnugg Blue for solo tuba which is a very technical piece of music as it requires the performer to sing at the same time as play their instrument. The pieces also includes beat-boxing. If you have not heard of it you definitely should look it up! [Here’s a brilliant introduction to the piece, in which the composer himself takes you through the piece’s inception. And talks about skiing, hunting and moose…]

At the University of Kent, I am a member of the Orchestra which is a great opportunity for me to enjoy classical music as until now I have not been in any full orchestras. I am very proud to have been accepted in the Orchestra as it produces such a great sound and the members are all at such a high level in performance. I am also a member of the University Concert Band which has a exquisite supply of fantastic pieces that we play! All of which give me great pleasure when performing with them.

This year I have started a new, small ensemble which concentrates on Bavarian oom pah music; however the band is also very fluid and we are planning to extend our repertoire to anything the members wish to perform. This is to allow the members to perform great pieces in a band without having the hassle of tracking down a full band sheet music score. The band consists of two clarinets, two trumpets, one trombone and a tuba. We have not had any concerts yet as we only started practicing in December 2015!

See other profiles in the series here.