Joy as teenage jazz trumpet player Alexandra picks up BBC musician award

Alexandra Ridout, 17, who lives in Bedgrove began playing the trumpet aged nine.

She fell in love with jazz at a young age too, and recently won a place at the Purcell School to join the Sixth Form.

The former Aylesbury High School pupil gained a place at the junior department of The Royal Academy of Music, aged 14, and a year later she also gained a place on the Junior Jazz at The Royal Academy of Music.

She has also successfully auditioned for the National Youth Jazz Collective Summer School for the last four years and last summer was one of two UK 16-19 year olds chosen to attend the Brubeck Institute Summer Jazz Colony in Stockton, California.

Speaking about the award, which she received at a ceremony at the Royal Welsh 
College of Music and Drama in Cardiff on March 12, she 
said: “The whole thing has been quite overwhelming, I’m going from doing lessons to doing media interviews like this.

“My parents are musicians and I got into playing the trumpet at school.

“When I found out I’d won I could really believe it. I entered the competition because I go to the Junior Royal College of Music and lots of my friends were going for it.

“Last year I knew most of the finalists so I decided to go for it too.”

And Alexandra described just why she loves jazz music so much.

She said:”I think jazz music is the only way that musicians properly interact with each other, it’s unique in that way and you learn so much from the other people.

“One of the highlights of the competition was getting to play with a trio, they were such good musicians and I learned so much.”

And looking to the future Alexandra has high hopes.

She said: “I hope to go to music college and then after that do as much as I can with 
it.

“I love jazz and would really like to have my own band, and do my own music.

“I also enjoy pop and classical music, a bit of everything really, doing session work might be an option.”