Vijay Prakash | Artists Masters

Leverhulme Arts Scholar

Why did you choose to come to the Guildhall School?

Guildhall has a reputation for being a world class college with a fantastic teaching faculty and state of the art facilities as well as being in the centre of London close to so many great venues.

What’s the best thing about studying here?

Being surrounded by such incredible musicians and inspiring teachers as well as the opportunity to hear from the world-class visiting artists have been invaluable to my development. Guildhall also has great practice facilities which are easily available and open long hours, allowing me to practice in a focussed environment without worrying about making noise or disturbing my neighbours!

What do you plan to go on to do?  And how will your time at the Guildhall School prepare you for that?

I plan on pursuing my career as both a professional jazz musician and a teacher. The experiences I am having at Guildhall both through playing with other students as well as the one-to-one lessons with world-class teachers are giving me the skills and knowledge I need to continue studying and developing. Being taught by interesting and insightful musicians has had a real impact on my own teaching and has helped show me new perspectives and techniques which I can now use myself.

How has being awarded a scholarship helped you during your time at the Guildhall School?

I am incredibly grateful for the scholarship money I received last year, which went towards my tuition fees. Having some financial support has meant that I have been able to take on less additional employment which has allowed me to spend more time focusing on developing as a musician and implementing the knowledge and skills I am learning at Guildhall.