TheIntellectualMagazine - Issue 7
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TM<br />
T h e I n t e l l e c t u a l<br />
Music M<br />
To T The T<br />
EarsE<br />
Sameer Alladin pursued his BSc. in<br />
Psychology at The University of the<br />
West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine<br />
Campus, graduating in 2012. He then<br />
completed his Masters in Music Theory<br />
at the University of Bristol, United<br />
Kingdom, alongside private lessons in<br />
violin which allowed him to complete the<br />
Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music<br />
(LRSM) in violin performance. He is<br />
currently a part-time lecturer in music<br />
at UWI, teaching violin and conducting<br />
the newly formed UWI Arts Sinfonia.<br />
He also teaches at the Charles Brunner<br />
Music School and privately. Significant<br />
achievements for him were being named<br />
Faculty Valedictorian when graduating<br />
from UWI, and being the National Youth<br />
Award for Performing Arts in 2012.<br />
When did you first get interested in music and decided you<br />
would pursue this as a career?<br />
I had music classes since I was in Primary school but I was never particularly interested.<br />
I started to take music seriously when I chose it as a subject in Form 4. It’s interesting that soon after<br />
starting to take music seriously, a part of me just knew this was what I wanted to do, but I often felt<br />
behind because I started it quite late (age 15 years) and I thought of classical music as something<br />
you need to start much earlier. It wasn’t until I completed my BSc. in Psychology that I decided that<br />
I was going to pursue music as my main career. Until this point, I was somewhat undecided, but<br />
then I couldn’t deny that music is really what made me happiest. I vacillated for a while between<br />
becoming an academic/research oriented musician or someone engaged in practical musicmaking,<br />
but now I’m very much determined to become a professional orchestral conductor.<br />
What are some of the personal highlights of your career?<br />
There are several things that stand out for me so far. I recently attended a Conducting<br />
Masterclass in London, which was an incredible experience and made me feel a lot more<br />
confident as a Conductor. There are a few moments that I have seen some of my students,<br />
particularly children, really enjoy learning music – knowing that you have done something to<br />
make them enjoy what they are doing and see them smile is incredibly rewarding!<br />
Did you find it difficult pursuing classical<br />
music in the land of Carnival and Soca?<br />
In my earlier days of studying music, I<br />
didn’t feel it was that difficult. I found my niche and<br />
I was largely in a supportive environment for music<br />
in my secondary school as well as my orchestral<br />
experience with the Trinidad and Tobago Youth<br />
Philharmonic. Right now, as I’m on the other side<br />
being the teacher, there are some difficulties, but it’s<br />
not specific to being in the land of Carnival and Soca.<br />
I think the challenges faced as a classical musician<br />
here are the same as anyone doing something that’s<br />
different from the cultural norm, especially when<br />
the global context leads more to commercialization<br />
and what can make money, rather than quality.<br />
However, one big challenge that is idiosyncratic to<br />
classical music is that we have to raise awareness that<br />
classical music in the 21st century is not a mark of<br />
elitism nor is it related to European imperialism (as<br />
some people think) – it’s something for everyone!<br />
20 www.the-intellectual-magazine.com<br />
The Intellectual Magazine (<strong>Issue</strong> 7).indd 20<br />
6/15/2017 10:36:01 PM
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