This academic year, Otto Jacovides & Jacob Deegan began studying at the Purcell School of Music, one of the country’s finest musical education institutions which boasts alumni such as Jacob Collier and Yiruma. Both students are long-term members of the Saturday Programme, starting their journeys in CYMH classes – Otto in Green and Jacob in Jazz Blues -before advancing through to the Julian Joseph Jazz Academy.

Both students are incredibly talented instrumentalists; Otto excels in saxophone and clarinet; and Jacob is a self-taught drummer who reached grade 8 in only two years, alongside playing trumpet and piano. Jacob and Otto both highlight the importance of attending JJJA on their success, with Jacob stating that “JJJA has shown me the career that I want; the faculty have not only pushed and inspired me but supported and taught me to recognise the downside of being a musician, where it is not always an upward trajectory”. Otto also expressed that JJJA is his ‘musical family” and stated, “the teachers at JJJA are amazingly supportive and helped to develop my confidence by teaching me to play in different groups, as well as encouraging me to play in front of people when I didn’t want to, which I now don’t have a problem with!”.

JJJA tutor, Alex Thomas-French, who has supported both Otto and Jacob throughout their jazz journey, stated:

“At JJJA we work hard to cultivate an inclusive community of jazz-minded people where students of all ages and abilities collaborate and grow together. Here, students get to know and play alongside many other highly talented and inspiring young musicians, and it continues to humble us to see that bright young people like Jacob and Otto reach greater heights because of this environment. We are immensely proud of both of them for all their various achievements and the challenges they have both had to overcome to get to this point. We also applaud the hard work we know their parents have put into supporting Jacob and Otto’s musical passions. Well done all!”

All of us here at HMDT Music and JJJA wish Otto and Jacob the best in their new venture and we look forward to watching them flourish as musicians in the coming years!

To commemorate the 75th Anniversary of VE Day, our I Can Sing! students have been rehearsing We’ll Meet Again, a show of music from several of our commissions commemorating different aspects of the Second World War.