The award is at the heart of the partnership between the two music education organisations, both of whom have pledged to support each other to ensure diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility within jazz education.
Trinity Laban and NYJO will also work together to design and implement a range of activities and projects to benefit all age groups in the surrounding local communities of Greenwich, Lewisham, and Woolwich.
Announced today is the inaugural recipient of the award, first year Jazz student David Ijishakin from South London.
Having joined Trinity Laban’s BA (hons) Music Performance programme in September 2020, the 19-year-old singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, also known as Akin Soul, is the founder of 12-piece band Akin Soul and The Soul Tribe. The band has performed at BBC Music Day at Pop Brixton and All Points East Festival.
Ijishakin, whose second single Burning Fire was released in November, said: ‘I feel very privileged to receive the NYJO-Trinity Laban Award. I'm excited for what is to come within these next few years of growth as a musician and an individual. I'm very appreciative of the support I'm receiving from both NYJO and Trinity Laban on this journey.’
Principal of Trinity Laban Anthony Bowne said, ‘We are proud to be working with NYJO to further our commitment to widening access for talented and dedicated jazz stars of the future like David Ijishakin.
‘With the support of NYJO and their inspirational nationwide educational work, we are excited to build on our reputation as a future-focussed and socially engaged conservatoire and explore the ways in which our newly formed strategic relationship will continue to promote the exciting, engaging and inspirational musical genre of jazz.’
Nigel Tully, NYJO executive chair, added, ‘I have long admired Trinity Laban’s approach to jazz education, and the conservatoire’s Head of Jazz Hans Koller has added a unique dimension to it with his thoughtful approach, so I was absolutely delighted when the idea of this scholarship emerged in conversation between us while discussing ways that NYJO and TL could collaborate more closely.’
