My name is Ruby-Rose, and I am a Year 8 Music scholar. I have been at Blackheath High since Reception – at the Junior School, I learned the violin and the piano (now both at Grade 8 level) and when I joined the Senior school, I started to play the cello. As well as my lessons, I also do a lot of co-curricular music including Sinfonia, String Quartet, and Clara Schumann. 

Seeing my musical life progress through the years within school has been truly wonderful - we get such a huge range of musical opportunities, and it is a privilege to have so much choice. I particularly love all the performance opportunities, from Tea-Time concerts and House Music to competitions, Term concerts, and the Music Scholars Concert (see our photos below). Another unforgettable opportunity was taking part in the GDST String Day with the London Mozart Players and other string players across the GDST. 

I am just as busy outside of school! Every Saturday I go to Trinity Laban Conservatoire where I take part in orchestras, quartets, and choirs. Last year I was fortunate to be selected to play with the Orchestra of St-Martin-in-the-Fields where I learned some fascinating techniques and music. I am also part of the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain. This year, I am really looking forward to an orchestral residential where we will be playing pieces composed by Holst, Britten and Auturo Márquez in a wonderful venue, the Bristol Beacon. 

Beyond music, I have all sorts of other interests. This year, I entered the Cybersecurity Competition, and my team secured first place in our year group. I was a semi-finalist of the Greeman Public Speaking Competition with the topic ‘Social media should be banned for young people’. Last year I was also one of the finalists of the Blackheath High Poetry By Heart competition where I recited ‘The Sky is Black Tonight’ by Berlie Doherty. One more exciting opportunity this term is the Condover Netball residential, were we get to play netball tournaments against other GDST schools!