The call of music led a group of young musicians from South Ayrshire all the way to London’s West End.

Kids from Colmonell, Girvan, Ayr, Troon, Pinwherry and Prestwick- members of the South Ayrshire Percussion Ensemble- went all the way to London to be given a masterclass in percussion instruments, where, incidentally, two out of the three musicians giving the class turned out to be from Ayrshire themselves. John Blease from Prestwick, now a recording artist and session drummer, and Alan Dale from Kilmarnock, now a theatre and session drummer, were nearly as thrilled to teach their young charges as they were to be taught by them.

They appreciated the enthusiasm of the budding young talents, two of whom even got to see their tutors at work. For both Xavier Aubad from Colmonell and Marco Sisi from Girvan, the experience of was simply unforgettable.

The kids learned about different music styles, including rock, pop, and jazz, and about exactly what the life of a professional drummer consists of. The group also attended two of London’s biggest shows – Stomp and Wicked – to see exactly what life was like on a West End stage. For all of them, it has been something of a life changing experience, and they are fired up to make it big in the music world themselves in the future.

Their trip was made possibly courtesy of Youth Music Initiative.