Millfield drummer Tom offered scholarship to Berklee College of Music

Millfield Upper Sixth musician Tom Bradley has accepted a scholarship to study at the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world, Berklee College of Music in Boston. Notable alumni of Berklee include American indie/pop artist John Mayer and singer/songwriter Charlie Puth.

Alongside his offer from Berklee College of Music, Tom also received places at University of Nottingham (Music and Music Technology), University of Liverpool (Popular Music) and a coveted place on the Popular Music Course at Royal Northern College of Music, one of only six places with Drum Kit as a specialist instrument.

The eighteen-year-old from Hong Kong is an outstanding talent, having achieved his Grade 8 Distinction over four years ago while attending leading independent school, Millfield. He has since been an integral part in the growth of contemporary music at the school, working with several bands that have performed at numerous high-profile events to large audiences. At Millfield, Tom is studying BTEC Music and A levels in Art and English and has been named as Captain of School for the 2021 spring term.

The talented student is a self-taught pianist and producer whilst also taking guitar lessons at the school in Somerset. As part of the music programme, Tom has enjoyed a balance of both traditional and contemporary styles, incorporating his studies into his Music Production, a discipline Tom is exceptionally passionate about, with Tom most recently designing his own synthetic sounds to utilise in his original House music.

The contemporary music programme at Millfield is thriving. Within a purpose-built Music School, students have full use of a 350-seat Concert Hall, two professional standard recording studios and four fully equipped Mac suites, with Logic Pro X standard on each. With a programme of events tailored to contemporary music-making, students can embrace wholly their passion for performance, production and song writing through a series of session-styled showcases, multiple festivals, and a dedicated Contemporary Musician of the Year competition. Within the programme, students are encouraged to join or create their own bands, being mentored by several of Millfield’s outstanding professional musicians, before being offered significant performance opportunities, including events that often have 1000s in attendance. They are also able to record and produce their own music, working with specialist Music Production staff, and have recently gone on to perform at world-renowned music festivals including Glastonbury.

Tom joins a long list of Millfield music scholars who have gone on to study at some of the finest conservatoires and universities in the world. In recent years, Millfield musicians have gone on to study at institutions including Curtis Institute, Royal College of Music, Royal Academy of Music, Royal Northern College of Music and Trinity Laban Conservatoire.

Tom says, “I have been extremely lucky to have been a part of Millfield School. I want to thank all the teachers, especially in the Music School, such as Mr Cook, Mrs Barry, and Mrs Graves to name just a few, the supporting staff and everybody else that I’ve had the pleasure to study beside. I'm not sure where my career and university life will take me, but I hope to take the lessons from Millfield with me and continue my growth in the music industry.”

Director of Music, Matthew Cook, says, “Tom has gone from strength to strength since joining us. An outstanding drummer, Tom boasts a technical aptitude that sets him aside from many – alongside an exceptional dedication to his instrument, Tom continues to make progress that astounds us all. He has the motivation and musical potential to achieve brilliantly in this highly competitive field and there is no better establishment in the world for him to continue his training than Berklee. We are all immensely proud of Tom’s achievements and wish him the best of luck as he enters the next chapter of his music education.”