A thread in celebration of @BBCYoungMus. I think we can all agree that last night’s final really showcased the best of what it means to be a young musician. Creativity, imaginative programming, commitment & the sheer joy of music-making were all present in abundance. The 3 finalists deserve every ounce of praise we can give them. Playing a televised concerto with a professional orchestra is a big ask at the best of times, let alone following a year of lockdown. To see them treat the music with such respect was unbelievably moving.

THREAD: I’ve had a lot of messages about practice over the last couple of days - it seems pretty universal that musicians are struggling with motivation & focus at the moment. ME. TOO. So I thought I would share some things I’ve found helpful in case they help you too: 1: At the start of your day, take 15 mins to write a couple of pages in a notebook - just a stream of consciousness, getting rid of all the thoughts whizzing around your head. I do this last thing at night too.

THREAD: I've just had the most extraordinary morning. I was waiting to get on the train to work & an elderly man asked me if the train was going to Cambridge. I said it was, & we got chatting - his name is JJ. He had been shielding for 5 1/2 months & said his mental health had hit rock bottom. He dropped his phone 1 week in while cleaning it & the screen smashed, but he had no way of contacting anyone to arrange a replacement so he just didn't speak to anyone that whole time.