2020 Awardee: Jacqueline Wheeler

Jacqueline Wheeler

"The Dewar Arts Award has made it possible for me to accomplish my dream of studying at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. I will forever be grateful for this amazing opportunity."

Biography

Jacqueline Wheeler is a multi-instrumentalist from Lanarkshire. Growing up in a musical family, Jacqueline began taking guitar lessons at an early age, later progressing onto other instruments including the bass guitar and piano when in her early teens. Discovering a strong affinity to jazz piano, at the age of 16 she began studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Junior Department where she had the opportunity to study with outstanding jazz musicians such as Paul Towndrow, Tom Gibbs, Pete Johnston, and John Lowery. Her studies here enhanced her musicianship and confidence through participation in piano lessons, jazz ensembles, big band, jazz harmony classes, composition, and regular public performances.

As well as regularly performing and jamming with other like-minded young jazz musicians, Jacqueline takes her performance skills and musicianship outside of jazz genre. She plays regular rock and pop gigs for large audiences, including North Lanarkshire’s prestigious ‘Rockfest’ competition in Motherwell Concert Hall, where she received an award for ‘Best Individual Performance’ in 2020.

Jacqueline has a strong interest in other genres outside of jazz, especially R&B, hip-hop, soul, and house. She takes influence from these genres and incorporates them into her own music. Her hard work, talent and passion for music paid off in 2020 when she was offered a place to study jazz piano at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. Jacqueline had dreamed of studying at this world class institution, to equip her with the skills and connections to guide her in her musical development and into the world of professional music.

Jacqueline hopes to inspire the next generation of musicians through her work and her journey to success.  She is a keen composer and music-producer and hopes to release her own original music.

How the Award Helped

Jacqueline’s Dewar Arts Award enabled her to study jazz piano at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance in London.

Jacqueline Wheeler

"The Dewar Arts Award has made it possible for me to accomplish my dream of studying at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. I will forever be grateful for this amazing opportunity."