Nourishing the future generation's uptake in music studies is so important to us here at the CBSO. We're celebrating the incredible success of student James, who has secured a spot to study at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire after completing his A-Levels at Shireland CBSO Academy. We interviewed him to find out how his experiences with the CBSO and the Academy helped him gain a place.

Shireland CBSO Academy is based in Sandwell and is the first state school in Britain to be established in partnership with an orchestra, offering students a broad education covering the full national curriculum with an expectation that they strive for both academic and musical excellence. Since its opening in 2023, the CBSO has worked in partnership to bring musical workshops, support, and opportunities to students who might otherwise have never received them, including free tuition from SIPS, Sandwell’s music service, thanks to the generous support of CBSO sponsors and donors.

For student James, the involvement from the Academy, including support from CBSO musicians and staff, made a path in music all the more attainable. We interviewed him to find out what has helped shape his final school years and what excites him most about choosing to accept a place at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC).

Can you tell us about your first memories of music and what inspired you to become a musician?

I vividly remember music lessons at my primary school, where we did lots of work on the BBC Ten Pieces – I remember listening to Mars and thinking “that’s going to be me one day” (I was already having euphonium lessons at the time.) I’ve been playing in my local music service ensembles since I was 9, and music has just always been a huge part of my life.

What kind of music do you enjoy listening to and performing?

I enjoy listening to most music, particularly metal, rock and jazz. I enjoy performing big orchestral works, such as Holst's The Planets. Something I would love to play in the future is Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue – there are some really cool trombone parts in it!

You did some work experience at the CBSO – could you tell us what that was like and anything interesting you learnt during your week?

The work experience I did with the CBSO was really fun and insightful. I had a masterclass with Principal Second Trombone, Tony Howe, and had the opportunity to sit in on rehearsals throughout the week with the trombone section – it gave me insight into how professional orchestras work. I also worked with various departments throughout the week, giving me a vast array of skills that I can take into future experiences inside and outside of the music field.

What will be something you will take away from your experiences with the CBSO and Shireland in your future studies?

During my time at Shireland CBSO Academy, I’ve made a lot of valuable connections with different people in the classical music world. I’ve also gained a lot of confidence from the different performing opportunities I’ve been given and I'm really excited to build on these through the place I've achieved at RBC.

James is the second student from Shireland CBSO Academy to go on to study music at a conservatoire after A Levels, and joins a class of pupils who have also been accepted to study music at university. The number of students studying A-Level and GCSE music in the UK is at a long-term decline; however, Shireland CBSO Academy continues to strive for music excellence with 100% of their incoming year 10 students taking either GCSE music or BTEC music tech. We’re so excited for this next step for James and his peers at Shireland CBSO Academy, and feel extremely proud to have been a part of their journey to continue their further studies in music.