Young Jamaican violinist seeks support to follow his dreams
24-year-old Gabriel Walters was introduced to music at the tender age of three, starting with the piano, as most of his family members either played a musical instrument or sang. It would be a dream come true if he can pursue a postgraduate degree at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, United Kingdom.
The Excelsior High School alumnus is currently a music educator at Jamaica College and teaches violin lessons privately.
At seven years old, he began violin lessons. He went on to work with some of Jamaica’s best teachers, including Steven Woodham, for 10 years, with whom he did several Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music exams.
“My mother had a violin in her room that I would often go to look at and try to play. She also bought a CD that had Dvorak’s New World Symphony, and I listened to it so often as a child. To this day, it is one of my favourite pieces of music,” he pointed out.
The young violinist says he lives and breathes music and considers the instrument as an extension of himself. He also spends a great deal of time arranging and composing music.
He was also instructed by Peter Ashbourne when he was at The University of the West Indies (UWI) and by Paulette Bellamy. He said his family has been very supportive, as they provided the resources and made sacrifices in his pursuit of music.
Walters said being a violinist in Jamaica also has its challenges, as there are limited opportunities to further one’s education and get the violin repaired.
He has created a crowdfunding account to secure funds to assist him in pursuing education in the United Kingdom.
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