It's Never To Late

Finally I'm getting to achieve my lifetime ambition

 I originally started playing the Clarinet in school when I was a teenager after I expressed an interest in learning the recorder to my Mother. I can't remember her exact words but her reply was something to do with constant high pitched tooting and how she was never having such a thing in the house (apologies to all the professional recorder players out there). So her answer to my learning an instrument was only on the condition that it was an instrument that she liked the sound of and as she had always wanted to play the clarinet but never got the chance, that was what I was playing!

At the time I borrowed the instrument from the school but then we moved and I had to return it. My new school didn't loan out instruments, so I never picked up a clarinet again until I was in my 20's when I could afford to buy one of my own and I had a dream of being a Grade 8 Clarinettist.

I played on and off until I got married in 2004, I managed to get to grade 5. Being an adult there was no outlet like an orchestra or quartet to play in, so I grew tired of playing to the 4 walls in the house.

Life changed in 2017 when after a conversation in the garden with the husband ended up in my purchasing a Saxophone and I met an amazing tutor called John Seeley. 

I picked John as a tutor due to the fact that he ran a Jazz Band. The original idea was to learn the Sax and when I felt that I was ready, go and play in the band. However I got an e-mail from John before my first lesson asking me if I wanted to attend his jazz workshop in Maldon, I only know one note I said and his reply was "well you will know 2 notes by the end of the day". Within 3 months of buying the Sax I was performing with the Jazz Band at Colchester Bandstand and doing my first solo's.

The last 5 years have been an absolute amazing whirlwind, where my passion for music has been totally reignited thanks to John. I passed my Grade 4 Jazz Sax in Dec 2018, Grade 5 Jazz Sax & Grade 5 Theory in Dec 2019. My Grade 7 Classical Clarinet exam was finally taken on the 26th June 2021 after it was originally cancelled due to Covid 19 in March 2020. I was over the moon when I gained a Pass with Merit for the exam. I'm continually  pressing ahead with my musical education and in Summer 2022 (after yet another delay due to Covid) I passed my Grade 6 Jazz Saxophone Exam. Work has now commenced Grade 8 Clarinet. 

My Dream is becoming a reality thanks to John and now it is time to give something back and pass on the knowledge to those that wish to learn.