Brentwood drummer’s delight at National Jazz Orchestra call up

Brentwood School demon drummer Sebastian Bloom has been selected for the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) Academy – a fantastic achievement for any musician.

Sixteen-year-old Sebastian, a Lower Sixth student, will now be a key member of the NYJO Academy’s flagship band, rehearsing with them every Saturday and performing at concerts both at home and abroad.

Sebastian started playing the drums at the tender age of seven and his hard work is paying off. He practises for a couple of hours every single day, with jazz his favourite genre. He also has lessons with Brentwood School’s Percussion Teacher, Mr Marc Cecil.

The ‘relaxed’ NYJO Academy audition saw Sebastian both playing with a band and demonstrating his sight-reading skills. The very modest youngster, who also consistently wows audiences in the Brentwood School Big Band, said he was ‘really happy’ to be picked from so many musical hopefuls.

‘I was very happy to find out that I had been given a place in the band and I feel it is a big step for me,’ he said.

After his A levels, Sebastian will look to audition for some of London’s prestigious music colleges as he continues to fulfil his ambition of becoming a full-time professional drummer.

Brentwood School’s ‘very proud’ Director of Music, Mr Florian Cooper, said: ‘Seb’s appointment is testament to his hard work and a true passion for jazz music. I invited Seb to play for my own big band, The Seven Steps Big Band, to cover a rehearsal in the summer. The whole band were so impressed with his level of performance that he was subsequently invited to perform one track with us at a sold-out gig at the Soho Pizza Express Jazz club – needless to say, he performed with true technical assurance and musical flare. This is another major step on Seb’s journey to become a professional musician and we are truly delighted for him.’

The National Youth Jazz Orchestra is a charity whose mission is to promote jazz as an exciting, engaging and inspirational art form through world-class performances and education work. It has helped launch the careers of many of the UK’s most renowned musicians.