How a country boy went from north to south and back again

10.11.2020 0 Like 0 kommenttia

As a musician, I have been notoriously bad for dedication. From quitting violin so that I could focus on playing more video games on XBOX (Halo was my favourite), to running offstage in tears as a wee boy in the local Robert Burns singing competition because the pianist started playing in the wrong key. My dedication to the craft was always in question. The love of music however, never left and continued to spark the creativity within me. Whether that was exploring my inner poet, or expressing myself in competitive fighting.

Music was and still is a driving force in my life. From a young age, I have been influenced by my whole family. Each one of them imparting their own little love of music to me; from my dad talking about his “good ol’days in the band”, to watching my big brother play all around Scotland and England in his band and finally, hearing about how my grandfather sang for the Royal Air Force Big Band. It seemed like it was written in the history books already, that I would follow in their footsteps but it took nearly a decade until I finally did. It all began when the music teacher at High School said to an uncertain young seventeen-year old, “Luke, I think you have a nice voice, you should get singing lessons”. 

From that point on, the rest was history. I rekindled my love for performing, although I was very behind in every other aspect of music, theory and aural skills especially. However, my ‘eclecticism’ or desire to succeed, drove me forward. In the face of a challenge, I have always risen. After High School, I dropped out of my place to study marketing to join a Musical Theatre course at Glasgow Kelvin College. From there, I went to the Royal Northern College of Music, for my Bachelor of Music with Honours but I just couldn’t help myself and wanted to learn more. Therefore, I studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for my Artist Master of Music. Finally, I have arrived at the Sibelius Academy to continue pushing myself to the next level. 

I have always looked to the Sibelius Academy as one of Europe’s great musical institutions. It is with great pride that I study as part of the opera ensemble here at SibA, as I know what I am to gain from such a conservatoire. The history of whom have walked the very same corridors as I do now, is a lesson of humility in itself. Over the next few years, I am sure that many lessons will be learned, and new memories made but most importantly, my passion for music will continue to flourish.