麻豆社

Find out more about our 2021/2022 Open Music Trainees who worked with us to develop a unique, exciting 麻豆社 Open Music Prom.

My name is David Ajayi, a South London based Presenter and Actor. I love all things film, TV and music, with my favourite genres being rap, R&B and gospel music. I applied to 麻豆社 Open Music because of my desire to begin my journey as a TV presenter, and because of the scheme's focus on music.

I have always been passionate about Technology - I am most at home with a soldering iron, although that's usually to break things to understand what makes them tick! Music is also one of my greatest loves and I am a keen composer/producer of Electronic Music fused together with my South Asian roots. I am interested in the intersection between Music, Technology, and Art, so I decided to apply to 麻豆社 Open Music to collaborate and share ideas with other creatives in this space. I am looking forward to learning more, and I can't wait to see what's in store!

I have just completed my Master of Arts in Global Media Industries at King’s College London where I specialised in popular culture, art and fashion. In my first degree (BA (Hons) English Literature at the University of Warwick), I took modules in screenwriting for short film, feature film, television and web series; small press publishing and spoken word. In my first week at Warwick, I joined the student radio station, eventually becoming Head of Entertainment Programming. For three years, I covered celebrity news and arts and culture, developing skills in presenting, co-production, co-editing and scheduling. I continue to present and produce my own content as the host of my own podcast – REEL Fashion: a weekly talk show that explores iconic fashion moments in film and television. I applied for the 麻豆社 Open Music because I am keen to use this experience as an opportunity to contribute to the diverse and inclusive celebration of UK music culture. I hope that my passion for content creation, interest in exploring the creative process as a presenter and cultural collaborator, and enthusiasm to gain insight into the large-scale production of the 麻豆社 Proms will enable me to do this.

Hey, I'm Keeley The Producer, a musician from Liverpool creating electronic music with synthesisers, electric guitars and hard-hitting drums. My interests are new sounds and new patterns so I'm constantly searching for the most unique ways to create new music. I'm really interested in the merging of genres so being a part of 麻豆社 Open Music is really exciting to me. To work alongside the 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra to curate a Prom for the 2022 season is an incredible opportunity and so I am thrilled to be on the team. I applied for 麻豆社 Open Music because I am keen to collaborate with creatives of all backgrounds and look forward to seeing what we can create to reflect today’s audiences. I’m also excited to develop my own artistry and determined to present electronic music on stage, in the most exciting and engaging way possible.

A Musician, Actor and Creative from South London. I am interested in exploring the depths of my creativity and finding how that can be expressed and shared in many different forms artistically. I joined the 麻豆社 Open Music so that I can empower my people on a global platform and showcase my ability, connecting with other creatives.

Hi, my name is Josephine, I'm 20 years old and I'm an amateur folk singer seeking to improve my producing, mixing, and to expand my creative horizons. I am also interested in the application of colour theory to music, as I believe that colour can act as a powerful spiritual enrichment to sound. I would like to experiment with incorporation of visual effects to all types of music, in the hope of rendering this music more accessible and personally poignant to those who feel it is simply 'not for them'.

I am a South London based actor, creative, and recent graduate. I initially got into radio presenting early in 2021, debuting at a community station in my university city during my final year. I applied for 麻豆社 Open Music to learn more about presenting, connect, network and collaborate with creatives, and to fine-tune my creative voice and output. Some of my interests include film, fashion, radio, and theatre (and I love some neo-soul).

Rebecka is a Swedish theatre maker and filmmaker with a focus on queer work. They have a special interest in comedy and improvisation, and together with their colleague, Jack Boal, they’re currently touring the show Why I am an Avocado. Rebecka applied to 麻豆社 Open Music to combine their background in music with their love for radio, and to develop within these areas together with other brilliant creators.

I’m a first year Social Sciences student at Durham University, having completed my A-levels in the summer of 2021. In my free time I enjoy going to concerts, competitive debating, and acting in theatre productions. I applied for 麻豆社 Open Music to help me pursue a career in journalism and presenting, as well as to explore the UK music industry and 麻豆社 Proms production. Music seems to me to be a universal language that helped us through the pandemic, so it seemed a no-brainer to get involved in the behind-the-scenes of the most iconic radio stations and concerts in the UK.

Hello, my names Somin - I'm a Sound Artist, Producer, DJ, Sound Engineer who's been exploring the sonic realm ever since I started trying to persuade my parents to get me a drum kit at the age of 5 by hitting pots and pans in the kitchen.

Since then I've worked on: music and sound design for film, dance and audio-visual pieces, toured America, Australia and the UK as a Sound Engineer and Tour manager, created a 'dance music' EP for Ambisonic format and released several pieces of my own music.

I applied for 麻豆社 Open Music because I thought it gave me a brilliant opportunity to tap into the 麻豆社's great knowledge base, discuss concepts and new inventions with the amazing research department, get some great ‘hands on’ experience and test out new ideas while supporting the shaping of a 麻豆社 Prom with my fellow trainees.

I’m Hannah, I’m a singer, instrumentalist and aspiring music producer and sound engineer. I applied for the 麻豆社 Open Music because I really wanted the opportunity to collaborate with other creatives and develop my sound engineering skills. I’m currently studying Music Production and Sound Engineering at the Abbey Road Institute so this traineeship is really going to compliment what I’ll be learning on my course and offer me some invaluable industry experience. I’m really looking forward to working alongside the 麻豆社 concert orchestra and the other trainees in creating a prom next year!

Hello, I'm Mufaro. I'm interested in theatre and live performance and how radio can be used as a tool to provide access to both. I applied for the 麻豆社 Open Music to get a sense of how productions for live musical events come together and how event producers work in conjunction with radio and other digital formats to reach as wide an audience as possible.

I am Charlotte, a third-year BA Music student at the University of York; where, on top of my academic work I am involved in multiple societies and ensembles including the acapella group, Vox, and the Music Education Group, MEG, for which I am currently the Chair. Making music accessible to all is something extremely important to me, as I believe everyone deserves the opportunity to be involved in music making and to experience the amazing benefits of it. This is the reason that, on top of my studies I try to engage in a variety of community music/music education projects as I hope to continue in this area following graduation; for example, I am Musical Director of a Community Choir, I work and sing with the National Youth Choir of GB in a variety of roles, and, along with a friend, I run a small social media music project called @That_SoundsFun. I applied for 麻豆社 Open Music for the opportunity to develop my skills around music and presenting, as well as to work with and learn from people already in the industry where I hope to pursue a career (dream job = Blue Peter presenter), and finally because it just looked like an amazing and invaluable scheme to get involved in!

Carol Leeming MBE, is a polymath, multi-disciplinary artist from Leicester East Midlands. Carol is particularly, interested in music, the arts overall, performance, how it can be more culturally diverse, accessible, with increased regional representation. Carol applied to 麻豆社 Open Music to work on the 麻豆社 Proms - to perform and contribute to its 2022 programme.

I’m Elizabeth (or Ellie for short!) and I’m a final year Music student and choral scholar at Royal Holloway, University of London. I’m beyond ecstatic to have the opportunity to be part of this fantastic new scheme, because it’s really going to provide me with the tools to develop my presenting skills for both my podcast, ‘Down with the Patri-Bachy’, and for my post uni career in general! As you can probably tell from the title of my podcast, I’m hugely passionate about decolonising concert programmes around the world, and about making classical music more accessible to more people — it’s not the snobby ‘genre’ for upper class straight white men that people my age tend to see it as. I can’t wait to get stuck in and meet everyone and be a part of this amazing new scheme!

Hey, my name is Ricardo, I’m 19 years old, originally from Devon I but now live in London, studying for a broadcasting Diploma. The artists I’m listening to right now are Irish based emerging musician and producer Kean Kavanagh, Joy Orbison’s 'Still Slipping Vol. 1' and I keep going back to 'Lianne La Havas'' beautiful live version of bittersweet with the symphony orchestra. My interests heavily focus on new artists (if you can’t tell already). I’m super passionate about showcasing artists who are out in the depths of our country e.g towns, villages and across the world.

Presenting specialist music shows has always been a passion of mine ever since I first began presenting at ten years old hosting a show which centred around exploring the whole discography of a single artist that inspires me. When I got older I began to present a show called Artist Detox Under The Radar, which showcased and brought on two hours of worldwide emerging artists.

I applied for 麻豆社 Open Music to connect with like-minded individuals to help shape the future of proms to be more open, intriguing and exciting for all ages. I also didn’t want to miss upon the opportunity to be guided by an industry mentor who I look up to, shadow their process of creating each broadcast and bouncing ideas of so that I can grow as a presenter and person.

I am a violinist and educator currently building a portfolio career around music education, creative music-making, workshop leading and advocating for music as a tool for social change in addition to performing and creating music in out-side-the-box ways. I teach violin to children and young people, play music with my string quartet and in addition to making music I also work with many organisations to increase awareness and build strategy in meaningfully diversifying the music scene particularly in the classical sector.

My interests lie in collaboration and using multiple perspectives and expertise to innovate how we make music and change the face of what music can look like. I love collaborating across genres with musicians of any kind; I'm really into transcultural music making and looking at how different musical traditions can intersect and learn from each other. I'm also interested in communications and storytelling and enjoy talking about music and letting music do the talking through sound and visual. Aside from music, I love dogs, tea-tasting and I have a goal to become fluent in Spanish one day.

I applied to 麻豆社 Open Music because the training programme would allow me to build on my craft as an explorative musician and collaborate with like-minded others. 麻豆社 Open music would also make it possible for me to explore areas in which I haven't had any experience such as broadcasting and presenting. As a musician, communication, presentation and innovative thinking are essential skills so I can't wait to get stuck in with the masterclasses, mentoring and hands-on experience and learn from the best in the business!

My name is Emily Page; I am a 19 year old music and film student at the University of Glasgow. Bubbly, social and creative but also a hard worker, I am incredibly excited about learning from the 麻豆社. I am passionate about music, radio and television, especially the production work that goes on behind the scenes, which is why I decided 麻豆社 Open Music would be a good fit for me. Over the past few years, I have gained work experience being a young ambassador with the RSNO and working making props/as a stage hand in a production of Die Fledermaus. I have performed in classical choirs and orchestras all my life so working on the Proms is something I am especially looking forward to. My music taste is very broad though and I will happily listen to anything from Liszt to Lizzo!

I’m a musician, composer and academic interested in classical music that’s being written today and in the last hundred or so years. I’m interested in what composers do, the music they write and the connections their music has with different musical histories and traditions. As a lecturer I spend a lot of time communicating with other people about music, whether teaching students or writing articles and chapters: I applied to 麻豆社 Open Music as I want to expand on this experience by exploring the world of broadcasting and how I can use it to communicate with more people about classical music.

I am interested in Community radio. I love the power of storytelling, listening to all different kinds of music and being creative in developing shows for radio, which present songs but also tell stories about heritage and the power of music.
I write children’s stories and share them as a storyteller, with friends and family. I love walking and enjoy being close to nature especially near where I live on Dartmoor in Devon and being by the sea. I also enjoy cycling and swimming! I applied for 麻豆社 Open Music because I think this is an incredible opportunity and I want to build my knowledge and learn about the process and the art of collaborating with creative artists on live musical projects. I am fascinated by and love music, radio, people and stories! I love creating and presenting, connecting to people and engaging via music. In my day job I work improving engagement within ethnically diverse communities and I am passionate about ensuring different audiences have opportunities and ways to hear and be heard - to tell stories through the joy and power of music.

My name is Jordan. I'm a recording artist and my passion lies with music and social change. I've been making music for a couple of years now and I'm gearing up to release what I've created so far. I'm super interested in film, music and spirituality. I applied for 麻豆社 Open Music to connect with other creatives and make a real change in how young people view the 麻豆社 Proms. It's a beautiful experience and I hope we can make it even more accessible and desirable for all backgrounds and cultures in Britain.

I am a keen Biochemistry graduate who is currently working as an Accountant. In addition to my appreciation for the sciences, I live for music and making people smile. I love listening to music (and taking part in PopMaster on 麻豆社 Radio 2), going to the theatre, playing sports and spending time with my friends. I have grown up with the 麻豆社, watching their programmes and listening to their radio shows. It is something I have always envisioned myself being a part of but never knew how to achieve. 麻豆社 Open Music provides the unique opportunity to gain an insight into music and presenting. This will give me the platform I crave to achieve my dream of presenting, whilst also giving me the chance to be mentored by someone in the 麻豆社! I cannot wait to get started on this incredible journey and make the 麻豆社 Proms 2022 one for the history books!

I am a postgrad student at the University of Cambridge, where I study 16th-century English vocal music. I’m also a singer, and was a member of the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, for four years. I have always loved the 麻豆社 and its public purpose, and I saw 麻豆社 Open Music as the ideal opportunity for me to get involved. I hope that on Open Music I’ll gain experience and develop skills—particularly in presenting—working with the top professionals in the industry, so that I can give something back to the corporation which has given me so much.

I have been playing the piano and trumpet for several years and throughout my time at school and university I have been a part of many orchestras, jazz ensembles and concert bands. I have recently moved to London and I love attending live music events and discovering new musicians. I applied to the 麻豆社 Open Music programme to gain an understanding of the career paths I could pursue in the music industry and I thought it would be a great opportunity to work with a diverse group of creatives and musicians.

Hi, I’m Aanu and I’m a violinist currently in my final year studying MMus Classical Performance at Trinity Laban Conservatoire. I’m also a songwriter/composer, pianist and peripatetic instrumental teacher for violin and piano. After hearing the music of the great composer F岷筶á 峁⑨粛wande, and how he used it to connect the culture of the Yorùbá people with nuances of Western Classical music, I’ve been obsessed with celebrating and making music that reflects my rich Yorùbá heritage. I released a song, Jùmo Ké, in September and I’m writing more music under a kind of 'Afro-classical' genre. I applied for 麻豆社 Open Music in order to develop my sound engineering skills so that I can hopefully be producing my own music. I also saw this as an opportunity to connect with great minds that have experience in reaching out to different audiences in an ever-changing industry, which is a skill I want to develop in my own career.

My name is Leo Geyer and I am a composer and conductor, and the Founder / Artistic Director of Constella Opera Ballet. I am currently studying for a doctorate in opera-ballet composition at Oxford University. I am dedicated to daring, dramatic and interdisciplinary approaches to music-making to present classical music as an exhilarating and relevant artform for today's audiences, and in this vein, I am delighted to have joined 麻豆社 Open Music to develop opportunities in presenting.

Hi, I’m Alex Hall. I’m 19 and study Music at the University of Birmingham. I am interested in multiple areas of Music. Being brought up as a classical musician on tuba, I have a strong link to the classical world. One of the things I like to do is explore the boundaries of my instrument through extended techniques, new compositions and exploring new genres such as jazz and acid brass. I hope to combine this with my interest in event management to hopefully make classical music more accessible and to explore genres with audiences. Event management is something I enjoy. The reason I joined 麻豆社 Open Music was the opportunity and possibility the programme provided. It is not often that you get to collaborate with 29 other passionate people with a range of backgrounds and experiences. I hope to work with the other participants to provide a prom that makes an impact on the inclusivity of the proms and classical music. I also really wanted to expand my knowledge of events management from majority Popular music to incorporating Classical too. I hope to use both knowledge sets to help close the gap between Popular and Classical music.

I'm a pianist, keyboardist and musical director from Belfast, Northern Ireland. I work mostly in original pop, rock and funk but my favourite work involves mixing things up and working with new people, genres and instruments! That's one of the main reasons I applied for 麻豆社 Open Music, and to join a much wider network than I'm exposed to in Belfast, but I also wanted to broaden my skillset and explore the field of radio production and putting on large scale musical events. I'm excited to see what we can produce as an Open Music team, so I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone in the group, and getting an experience of the wider 麻豆社 as an organisation.

I hold the position of Associate Conductor with Northern Ballet and am a regular Guest Conductor for Scottish Ballet. I have conducted performances in most of the UK’s major theatres, recorded music for TV as well as making commercial recordings. During the pandemic, I brought together a group of friends to record Copland’s Appalachian Spring Suite in aid of the UK charity, Help Musicians. I have a wide-ranging taste in music and am excited to see what creative opportunities arise during my time with the 麻豆社.

Hi my name’s Sreyashi - but you can call me koyel. Public health advocate by day and musician by night; I am a multilingual singer who plays the piano, ukulele and more recently the dotara, a traditional string instrument from Bengal. Having spent half my life growing up in the UK and the other half in India, I have been exposed to both eastern folk music and western classical music. This multicultural upbringing has allowed me to admire music of different styles and in different languages, which has in turn inspired my interest in the contemporary fusion of multiple genres. I applied to 麻豆社 Open Music to explore the ways voice, orchestra and traditional instrumentation synergize on stage to produce an audiovisual collaboration that cuts across cultural boundaries.