Tell us a bit about what you’re doing now.

“I am in my final year of my undergraduate degree at the University of Leicester studying Genetics.

I am currently working on my final year project entitled, ‘The Genetics of Creativity’. I lead the University’s successful Big Band, and I am on two other committees at the University too.

Tell us a bit about your musical achievements at Leicester.

“I was Principal Clarinettist from my first term in First Year where I got to play the ‘Rhapsody In Blue’ solo in the first concert.

I have since performed the Bruch Concerto and Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto with them too. I have just started my third year as President of the Big Band, which plays at corporate events across the city and regular gigs at well known music venues. We have twice taken to the stage at Gent Fest where we have shared the line up with the likes of Tom Jones, and our most recent achievement was playing at The Royal Albert Hall as part of the Youth Proms.

I organised a 12 hour live music marathon last year, which involved over 200 students, and we raised over £1000 for Myeloma UK. I have also made connections in Leicester which have allowed me to play for shows and other orchestras, in a successful functions band and play on tracks for independent recording artists.

What is your biggest achievement to date?

“Getting our Big Band to play The Royal Albert Hall and close the Youth Proms!

It’s entirely student led and student run; none of us study music so we get no external help. The buzz around it has been incredible too, I am now a frequent guest on BBC Radio Leicester and because of the group’s success under my presidency, I have made a lot of important connections with people not only in the music industry, but across other fields too.

How did BGS prepare you for all this?

“I played in the Orchestra, Concert Band and Big Band at BGS for 7 years, and joined the Saxophone Group when I was ‘old enough’!

As much as I moaned at the time, I also enjoyed singing in the choirs on Founders’ Day and the Carol Service etc. In my last two years I started up a Soul Band at the school that had players right from First Year through to Upper Sixth. Being involved in the music department at BGS for so long meant I was used to working with different groups of people. This gave me the skills to search for groups when I left the area and gave me the confidence to know I had the ability to run and develop such groups too.

Overall, BGS prepared me well for what I’m doing currently, as it proved to me that I was capable of balancing work with music, maintaining a high standard in both, and never letting one slip to benefit the other.

What are your fondest memories of BGS?

“Schools and colleges very rarely allow students to explore their extra curricular activities as much as BGS does.

They usually concentrate on the academic side of a child’s education and nothing else. My weeks were so busy with music rehearsals, hockey training and trying to get something that looked halfway artistic to my art teachers, but things like that are so good for your mind. Yes I was busy, but I was busy with things I loved, which made my brain healthy and ‘ready to go’ in my academic lessons.

I have to mention my wonderful Biology teacher of four years, Mrs Dunn, if I’m talking about my fondest memories. What a fantastic, inspiring teacher she is. She sees potential in every student that walks through her door and will work with each one to make sure they do the best they can. I wouldn’t be where I am today had she not been my teacher – meaning I wouldn’t be studying Genetics at a fantastic University, but I also wouldn’t have the drive that I do, that she instilled in me.

What advice would you give to current pupils at BGS?

“Everything you do at BGS is for a reason. You will take bits of every teacher, every friend, every experience and every department with you in whatever you go on to do.

Secondly, you can do extra curricular activities and do well academically, in fact, I would encourage that balancing act as it teaches you valuable skills that you can use to your advantage later on in life. You don’t have to be good at everything, it’s okay not to be getting the same grades as your friends, but this is only true if you can honestly say you’re putting in 100% effort.

My final bit of advice is, when a teacher says ‘writing out all your notes again neatly in gel pens is a waste of time, do flash cards instead’, please believe them! Don’t waste further time by having to figure that out for yourself!