Nandi Bushell and her family have announced their plans to open their own music school in her hometown of Ipswich.
The musical prodigy gained fame by uploading popular drumming covers and other instrumental renditions of iconic songs. These videos have led to her performing on stage with the Foo Fighters and Lenny Kravitz before, this year, being featured in the latest series of Rebel Girls Rock books in honour of International Women’s Month.
It has been reported that Bushell, her family and the family of her drumming tutor Ashley Howard are all involved in the opening of the Stairways Music School. Based at Burlington Baptist Church on London Road, the school will bring together those of different ages and abilities.
Those able to attend can participate in two-hour sessions to learn either drums, guitar, bass, keyboards or vocals before coming together and performing on stage. Talking about what the goals for the school are, Bushell said, “Friends, fun and performing on stage.”
She continued: “I really want my students to be inspired to start learning an instrument and to know the journey is really exciting. It can take them places they never thought they were going to go to.”
Bushell’s father tells the BBC that his taking her to pub jams since the age of seven “has been critical to her success as a musician” because it meant “she had no fear of getting on stage.” He also said music lessons could be expensive and the team wanted to keep them affordable. The school has partnered with Fender and Roland and the brands have donated materials and instruments to the school.
Stairways Music School will launch in September ahead of the 13-year-old’s upcoming 28-stop arena tour next year. The South Africa-born multi-instrumentalist is billed as a special guest on the Young Voices tour, performing alongside up to 8,000 children singing in the choir. The first gig starts on January 8 in Sheffield and ends on February 2 in London’s Wembley Arena.
In March, Nandi Bushell paid tribute to her “hero” Meg White by covering The White Stripes’ ‘Seven Nation Army’.