Continuing the series profiling Music Scholars at the University. This week, former BBC Young Jazz Musician semi-finalist , first-year trombonist reading Criminology, Jasper Rose.

I started playing the trombone ten years ago with the Richmond Music Trust, playing in their brass ensembles, concert band and jazz bands.  After a few years, I went to the Royal College of Music Junior Department which had an extremely exciting variety of ensembles.  Here, my passion for jazz grew under the tutorship of Mornington Lockett and I performed with their Symphony Orchestra, brass groups, choir and jazz groups (at Ronnie Scott’s and the 606 Club).  The brass group were lucky to be asked to play on one of the music boats for the Queen’s Jubilee Pageant which was fantastic, despite the torrential rain!  While at RCM some friends and I formed our own jazz combo and played private gigs in many places including the TUC Conference and the Albert Hall café.

At my secondary school I was given the opportunity to perform the Davide Trombone Concertino with the orchestra which was exhilarating.

In 2013 I was extremely fortunate to win the British Trombone Society Carol Jarvis Scholarship to study in the USA that summer on the Centrum Jazz Course which turned out to be an unforgettable and life-changing experience.  My tutors included Jiggs Wigham and Wycliffe Gordon and it really built my confidence in jazz improvisation.

After reaching the semi-finals of the BBC Young Jazz Musician 2014 I went on to record (alongside Alex Bone, winner of the BBCYJM), with Nile Rodgers and Rudimental, a remix of the Chic single Le Freak.  Then last summer, I was very happy to go on tour to Malta with the Stoneleigh Youth Orchestra as a guest player.

I now play with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and have performed with them across the country in places like the Hull Jazz Festival, Oxford Playhouse, Portsmouth Guildhall, Southwark Cathedral and the Rose Theatre in Kingston.  I was also thrilled to record on their latest album “NYJO 50”.

Since starting at Kent I have been overwhelmed by the musical opportunities both as a performer and an audience member.  I have joined the Orchestra and the Big Band as well as the student-formed Bavarian oom-pah band which are all extremely exciting and filled with possibilities for the next three years.  I am hugely looking forward to all the concerts in the future, particularly playing in Canterbury Cathedral.

Read more in the series here.

Continuing the series profiling some of the University Music Scholars. This week, first-year flautist reading History, Natanya Freedman.

I have been very lucky in terms of my musical experiences before I arrived at the University of Kent. I have been playing the flute now for 12 years and during these years I have been playing in many ensembles, bands and orchestras at both my Secondary School, Bullers Wood School for Girls and my music school The Bromley Youth Music Trust (BYMT). BYMT played a significant role in my life before leaving for University. Once I had started secondary school I played in the wind bands on a Saturday morning, starting in Training Band and working my way up to Symphonic Winds and the Concert Orchestra playing both the flute and piccolo. Prior to this I had played in the Junior Band when I first started playing the flute. Playing in these wind bands gave me wonderful opportunities such as playing at the Fairfield Halls in the Bromley Schools Proms. In my final year at BYMT I played with the touring Youth Band (Bromley Youth Concert Band), and we toured to the South of Spain playing 6 concerts, two of which were a part of the Granada Music Festival. As well as the Wind Bands and Orchestras, I was lucky enough to play with the award winning group ‘40 Flutes’. As a part of Music for Youth, we played at the Royal Albert Hall, twice, which were extremely memorable and rewarding experiences.

Since arriving at the University of Kent I have thrown myself into all the possible musical opportunities, playing in the Flute Choir, Concert Band and Orchestra. My experiences so far have been incredible and I am thoroughly looking forward to what is to come this term!

The musical opportunities at Kent are, in my opinion, invaluable. Even being at the University for one term has allowed me to progress massively. The range of groups, events and types of music played allow for players of all abilities and are an amazing way of meeting new people and forming groups of friends across all years that are separate to those in your accommodation or course.

See more in the series here.

Continuing the series profiling some of this year’s Music Scholars. This week, soprano Philippa Hardimann.

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From a young age it was apparent that I had a particular flare for music, to which my parents invested much time helping me explore various creative avenues. Commencing my musical journey, at Brentwood Pre-Preparatory School I was encouraged to take up piano classes. With a growing interest in musicianship I then went on to play the ‘cello, which opened the door to a spectrum of new and challenging possibilities.

I actively participated in numerous festivals and concerts, exposing me to a vast variety of instruments including the voice. This inspired me to build on the foundations of the vocal skills I possessed and I then began classical vocal training at the age of 9. Excited by the immediate progress in my vocal lessons I entered the Chelmsford Music Festival competing against competitors much older that my primary age and to my surprise I was awarded first place in my first every class by Betty Roe. In addition I have taken part annually in the Havering borough’s Junior and Young Musician of the Year Vocal Masterclasses, with adjudicators such as Tim Travis-Brown and opera singer Lynda Russell. These achievements have showcased my talent and commitment.

In 2005 I received a Music Scholarship to Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School, where I became an ambassador for the school. Later that year I was offered a place in the prestigious School Chamber Choir, a great honor, as this was a choir for older students who had passed though an audition. Consequently I was selected to sing with an orchestra and choir in the performances of Rutter’s Requiem in Brentwood Cathedral where I sung the ‘Pie Jesu’ solo. Although this was a thrilling experience I found it somewhat daunting. Some would perceive the grand scale of the orchestra and choir to be dominating; however my excitement provided the drive to overcome this challenge!

My local church choir funded an opportunity to take my Bishops Chorister exam following this I gained my Bishop’s Chorister Award with Distinction (equivalent of RSCM Silver Award), going on to pass my RSCM Gold award. Thrilled with my ABRSM grade 7 singing distinction result, I auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music – Junior Academy, studying there from 2008-2010 under the head of Vocal faculty, Sara Reynolds. Manifesting a serious approach to my vocal career I advanced my choral singing to the next level with this in hand I passed the audition for Chelmsford Cathedral’s Consorts, intern becoming a Music Scholar.

Astonishing opportunities began to unfold before me.  With a career in mind I gladly embraced them, commencing with the Tour of Disney Land Paris as part of the Brentwood Ursuline Singing Sensation. A milestone for me however, was the tour of Venice and Verona; with the Chamber Choir performing in several religious establishments amongst these were St Marks’s Basilica where were we sung mass. This exhilarating experience paved the way for my solo as the cantor at Westminster Cathedral signifying the Days of Peace before the Olympics as part of the Youth Mass of Thanksgiving.

Summer 2012 was a major turning point for me with my success in the Rotary Clubs of Harlow and Bishop’s Stortford Young Musician of the Year Competition, winning 3^rd place. This armed me with the confidence and self-belief to embark upon my journey at Kent University. In recent weeks I auditioned for Genesis Sixteen, before Harry Christophers and Eamonn Dougan. It was a phenomenal experience and I am so pleased that I participated in this event.

Philippa Hardimann

Read the other profiles in the series here.