Live Concert Series: Sehyogue Aulakh
Today, as part of the Jeanie Moore concert series, we welcomed Sehyogue Aulakh to The Duke of Cornwall Hotel. This 14 year old girl (yes 14!) is a student at Wells Cathedral School studying as a specialist percussionist. Music is a great passion of hers and having played piano from a young age she has recently turned to percussion; with a particular love of tuned percussion.
We had 10 minutes with her over a cup of tea before her performance to say good luck and get to know this astonishingly talented girl;
The Marimba is such a beautiful instrument but there are so many percussion instruments to choose from, why this one?
It’s a long story…when I was younger I played the piano and then Viola. I went to a BBC Orchestra workshop to play the Viola and 
enjoyed it but I wanted to do something else. I saw a few people playing Jembe’s at the back and I wanted to go and do that, I also saw someone else next to a Marimba and I was intrigued by it but played the Jembe instead during the week long workshop.
I really enjoyed myself so when I heard the BBC were coming back to do some more workshops I wanted to go back and play percussion and that’s where it started. I gradually went to more workshops that they were doing and by the 4th workshop I was really interested in tuned percussion, through people who were there and contacts they had I was introduced to Molly Lopresti (who played marimba at BBC introducing). She gave me some introductory exercises and told me about Matt Griffiths who played percussion near me, he gave me a few exercises where I played a top line of a piano piece on the marimba and that’s where it took off. Molly’s teacher became my teacher and the rest is history.
Do you have a favourite instrument?
Not really, it depends on my mood. If I’m feeling angry or energetic I go for the Timps (Tympani drums for us non-musical lot) as they have a lovely resonant, heavy sound. I can’t choose just one, they are all brilliant, I love them all!
Do you have a favourite piece of music or composer to perform?
I don’t think I do, there are lots of up and coming composers as well as a lot of contemporary pieces so I can’t pin point my favourite. I love them all so again it will depend on my mood.
Do you play any other instruments?
I still play the piano and also now percussion (yes all percussion!)
After chatting with Sehyogue, it is clear to see her passion and enthusiasm for the instruments and music she plays. It is so wonderful to have had her at The Duke today wowing audience members.
The Jeanie Moore concert series are a regular occurrence here at The Duke of Cornwall Hotel so don’t worry about missing this one – you can find all her upcoming concerts on our events page or you can contact her directly to be on the mailing list via jeanie@jeaniemooremvo.co.uk.