Inspiring schoolboy’s talent on violin being nurtured at community orchestra

West Bromwich schoolboy Aman Gill is only 13, but his passion and talent for the violin is inspiring. In just four years he has gone from a complete beginner to Grade 8.

Using his pocket money to buy his first violin, Aman was drawn to the instrument as a nine-year-old. Within a few years, his dedication saw him progress faster than anyone imagined.

Yet as a talented 11-year-old, he struggled to find a community orchestra that would allow him to play alongside adults and fine-tune his musical ability. That’s when he discovered The People’s Orchestra (TPO).

The West Bromwich-based amateur orchestra that rehearses in Birmingham every week is open to anyone who has reached Grade 7 and above, whatever age.

In fact, it has a history for nurturing young talent including tenor saxophonist Xhosa Cole, the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year in 2018. When he was an enthusiastic teenager, Xhosa was a member of TPO and is now a renowned name in Jazz with Stoney Lane Records as he turns 30. More recently, cellist Aurora Chin-Chan was the youngest musician in TPO, playing Grade 7 level music with the orchestra at just eight-years-old. She played with TPO from 2022-24, before enrolling full-time to perform in the Junior branch of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

A young Xhosa Cole (pictured right) with John Altman in Birmingham © 2015

Aurora Chin-Chan played the cello with her adult contemporaries from 2022-24.

As soon as TPO came across Aman and his gift, they wanted to help. Help the youngster be challenged beyond playing in the two orchestras at his school and give him another outlet to play and widen his knowledge and opportunities.

Aman has become a regular at TPO’s weekly rehearsals with his mum Joanna Gill as he works towards his goal of playing with Birmingham Conservatoire and becoming a professional violinist.

Being a TPO member has also given him the chance to perform at world-class venues like Birmingham’s Symphony Hall in its mass concerts.

Aman’s natural talent for the violin

It was in February 2022 at the age of nine that he decided to save his pocket money to buy his first violin from Amazon. Despite only picking up a violin for the first time four years ago, Aman has already sailed through his exam grades.

“I really wanted a musical instrument to practise and my mum got me a guitar,” recalls Aman, “But that didn’t feel right and I wanted a violin.

“When my mum said ‘no’, I saved up and bought it myself and learned how to play by watching videos on YouTube. Two weeks later, mum got me a tutor.”

His mum noticed how much Aman was enjoying his new hobby and he quickly progressed, playing in junior orchestras at school.

Aman adds: “When I was 11, my mum and I were looking for an orchestra outside school and we came across TPO. I got to try it out for two weeks first and wanted to carry on.

“I do enjoy being part of TPO as it’s a very friendly orchestra and not intimidating. If anyone needs help, they support them.

“As everyone isn’t the same age as me, I get advice and feel that I’m learning from other people. I really like the music too, it’s different from the classical I play elsewhere, as we play film soundtracks and pop songs.”

Women in the violin section have particularly taken Aman under their wing and there’s a friendly camaraderie that greets the youngster at every rehearsal. He’s also cherished the chance to experience performing at special concerts at his tender age.

“The first time I played in the main Symphony Hall in Birmingham was with TPO and it felt good to be in there,” says Aman. “I’d been on a school trip to visit it when I was nine and always wanted to play on that stage.

“I was 13 and my mum was there watching me. That’s not a memory you can recreate, so you have to cherish every moment.”

Laser-focused on becoming a musician, Aman is now a pupil at Shireland CBSO Academy in West Bromwich, which is affiliated with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra(CBSO).

He’s about to choose his GCSEs and knows that Music will be the first subject on his list.

“I play every day at home but normally have a day off on Saturdays,” explains Aman. “I’ve been playing the violin so long that it’s become normal to play all the time.

“I enjoy playing classical music the most and want to be part of CBSO, that’s my aim.”

Aman is already getting noticed and although Aman isn’t allowed to become a member of the adult Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra until he is 16, he has started playing with them as a guest.

Proud mum Joanna Gill explains that Aman has achieved his goals through his dedication and a lot of self-study at home.

“Aman is incredibly driven,” Joanna says. “To progress further in the ABRSM system, he needed to pass the compulsory Grade 5 Music Theory exam. He completely self-taught this complex syllabus at home on his own initiative, managed his own registration, and passed it independently to unlock his path to higher grades.

“Even Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra has now made a special, rare exception for Aman to start playing with them as a regular guest violinist at just 13 after he successfully passed internal testing and assessments during live orchestra rehearsals.”

Orchestra charity that supports all ages

National charity TPO has a history of welcoming and nurturing children in its ranks, especially as it was created in the first place for that reason.

Its first member when it launched in 2012 was 14-year-old French horn player Amy Marshall. For Amy had inspired her mum Sarah Marshall to launch the orchestra so she had an opportunity to play live with others.

It wasn’t long before pro-amateur musicians and other youngsters like Xhosa were playing with TPO and it was blossoming into the UK-wide family of choirs, bands and orchestras seen today.

Amy, who is now TPO Orchestra Manager says: “What happened with Aman is occasionally something that pops up and we do what we can to make it work.

“TPO is now something that Aman really enjoys and it has opened doors for him.

“It’s wonderful to see him grow in confidence and have access to opportunities he wouldn’t have had if not for being in TPO.

“We have had children in the orchestra before, including Aurora Chin Chan, who was a cellist who moved from Hong Kong to England. She was only eight. We also have many students, who are aged around 18 and 19.

“We like to see people coming at different levels and stages of their life and are open to anyone who’s reached Grade 7 or above to coming along and enjoy playing music with us.”

The People’s Orchestra rehearses every Sunday in term time in Birmingham city centre from 4pm to 7pm. They welcome anyone who has reached Grade 7 and above. New members can sign up for two free taster sessions before they make a decision. Find out more at TPO website here.