Hi all,

First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone for supporting me in my studies, you have really helped me and as a result, possibly other young musicians in Nairobi in the future. I aim to use the knowledge and the skills I have acquired from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire to teach and inspire the next generation of classical musicians from Kenya.

This year has been very fruitful, and I have learnt a lot and discovered a lot with music as well as paintings and art through Conceptual Art studies. I really enjoyed this module as I found it very inspiring; it really changed the way I think and the way I look at things in general; piano playing and performance. My tutor and I have worked on many techniques in relation to performing.

We worked on Mozart’s Concerto in A major k 483. This is my very first concerto and it really meant so much to me; an achievement. I have always wanted to learn a concerto. Another highlight this year was learning more difficult pieces like the Brahms Rhapsody in G minor as well as Rachmaninoff etude in F minor Op. 33 no 1 which I played on my technical examination, and I was very pleased with the results.

I can never express my gratitude enough, but I am really pleased with this year. I talk to my mum and dad about this opportunity, and they are also very pleased and grateful for your support. My family pass on their warm regards and greetings to you!

I am learning a couple of African pieces and one of them might be from my mum’s singing days, one of her favorites. This would be my 4th year final project I look forward to sharing this with you.

Thank you very much!

Teddy

Hi all,

I wanted to thank each and everyone of you for your donations over the past few months! I really appreciate your support and wanted to share the following video to convey my gratitude, and tell you about what I have been doing.

As I am stil 39% away from my fundraising goal, I still need your help. It would mean a lot to me if you could please share my fundraiser with your networks.

Thank you,

Teddy

Hi, I’m Teddy, a third-year undergraduate piano student at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC). You may have seen me on Channel 4’s The Piano where I reached the Final, played to an international audience and received one-to-one coaching from my childhood inspiration, the legendary pianist Lang Lang.

I am currently fundraising for my fourth and final year at RBC and I need your help to fulfil my dream of becoming a professional pianist.

Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya I encountered many challenges when learning the piano; classical music was almost unheard of in my community, and I had practically zero access to music tuition besides the internet.

In 2021, I was grateful to receive a £28,000 scholarship from RBC which, along with many other generous donations, helped me reach £121,000 of my overall target of £142,000, required to cover my tuition fees, accommodation and living expenses. All the money raised is being held in trust by RBC, to keep it safe for each of the four years of my degree.

I am pursuing paid work through performing to support myself, but the terms of my student visa prevent me from taking on many hours. I’m therefore seeking the final £19,000 to ensure I can complete my degree and take the next step in my musical journey.

Knowing I have the support of so many people has given me extra determination to succeed. You can follow my journey via the updates I post here. I hope these give you an idea of how hard I am working and how much this experience and your support means to me.

Once I have graduated, I would like to share my passion for the piano and increase awareness of classical music back home in Kenya and beyond.

If you have already contributed to my future, I am sincerely grateful. If you can give again to support my final year, you will help make my dreams come true.

Thank you,

Teddy