On Sunday, 8 June, I took part in the Leamington Spa Competitive Festival, where I played my clarinet in two different classes.

Before the competition started, I felt quite nervous because I had to go up on stage and play all by myself in front of an audience and two judges!

In my first class (Under 11 Years), I was really happy to be awarded runner-up. By the time my second class (Grade 3–4) started, I was feeling a bit more confident - and I was so excited to win first place!

One of the best parts of the afternoon was getting to listen to other clarinet players. Some of them were all the way up to Grade 8. It was so inspiring, and it made me want to keep practising so I can play like that one day too.

At the end of the session, something amazing happened - I was awarded the Peter Jarvis Trophy for the 'most promising clarinettist'! I couldn’t believe it, especially because there were some amazing players in the Grade 7–8 category. I can keep the trophy until next year and can get my name engraved on it too! It was such a big surprise and made me feel really proud and excited for the future.

By George 5S