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Neto’s Musical Journey

Neto is a member of the #LMMAlumni. During his work experience placement in the LMM office, Neto wrote a blog about what inspires him as a musician, and what it’s like to be a member of the #LMMAlumni.

Music has changed my life in so many ways. It helps you calm down when you’re mad, it helps you prove a point to someone, it helps spread a message and it makes everyone happy. There have been countless times where people’s lives changed for the better because of music. For example Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Elvis Presley, Mick Jagger and more. It is so important to give everyone a chance to play music, because the world wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t for the music people have made around the world!
Music is one of the greatest things to ever be invented. It is used everywhere and all the time. You could be listening to music if you were going somewhere, or if you’re in a church, or watching a movie or in a play, or if you’re in a shop and even when you’re doing yoga!

Before I came to LMM for work experience, I didn’t really know what they actually did apart from organising events and paying teachers to teach kids how to play violin! However, I have now realised how much work and effort goes on behind the scenes, and I am really grateful for the amount of opportunities they have given me.
LMM is a charity organisation that gives children opportunities to learn an instrument. They also work with famous artists, and give kids the chance to perform flash-mobs and see orchestras play in well known places. LMM even gives children a chance to play in those places like the Royal Festival Hall. They have helped me to develop new skills which allowed me to learn loads of new instruments. For example, before I joined LMM, I could only sing and play drums which I had been doing since I was 2 ½ in Portugal. But then when I came to England aged 6, I managed to catch up on the things other students learned in Year 1, 2 and 3 in just four months, thanks to their great teaching and the extra hours they put in.

Neto playing the drums in the #SaveOurMusic King’s Cross performance

After I left primary school, the new skills I learned with LMM helped me to learn how to play piano, bass, guitar, steel pans and most of the percussion instruments on my own. And they didn’t forget about me after I left, they actually called me to join the #LMMAlumni which has given me so many opportunities, like playing in parliament!
When I was diagnosed with epilepsy I struggled to do so many basic things like reading and even just staying awake the whole day because of the amount of medicine I take. Music has been one of the main things that kept me strong through all of the problems and my epilepsy isn’t the usual photosensitive epilepsy. Because of the type of epilepsy I was diagnosed with, it is impossible to know when I’ll have a seizure. I’m proud to be going through this and still be the person I am today, but I don’t get brought down by my condition. Music is something everyone can be involved in.
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Neto’s social media takeover!
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