I first got involved with Arts Emergency as a mentee in 2023 when I was studying music technology at college. I’d had a glimpse of music as what I wanted with my life, but coming from an immigrant family with no connections to the industry, I had no real idea of what a career in music might look like.
I was matched with Joe, a music artist manager who also has experience running a record label. He listened, took me seriously and properly cared. He arranged for me to shadow a music producer whilst he was working with the Pet Shop Boys, where I got to see how a professional session was run. After a couple of days, I was ecstatic that I could do this with my life! I also got work experience as an assistant engineer on an album by Los Bitchos, helping set up mics and studio equipment and assisting the producer and head engineer during sessions. That ended up giving me my first album credit at 17!
I also got work experience as an assistant engineer on an album by Los Bitchos, [...]. That ended up giving me my first album credit at 17!
Being part of the Arts Emergency Young Community gives me a level of support which makes me feel like I’m not completely alone. Through the newsletter, I found out about an opportunity to create a vinyl and song for a Black British Music event at the British Library. I was even showed the process of cutting vinyl, and the music is now in the archive! AE also helped me out with a voucher to buy some guitar equipment. I’ve been to meet-ups with other Young Community members, it’s so nice to have a space to chat and also speak to some more experienced people too.
I’ve been to meet-ups with other Young Community members, it’s so nice to have a space to chat and also speak to some more experienced people too.
I’m at LIPA now which is one of the best universities in the UK for what I want to do. Having a mentor that took my ambitions seriously, getting real work experience and my first album credit made it feel like working in music is more than just a hobby or passion, it’s something I can actually do as a career.