For Lenny, taking part in The Key to Find Your Spark has been an opportunity to explore his passion for music, express his creativity and discover where his interests could take him in the future.
As a member of Antiquity, a band that meets at Sunday Band Club at The Bunker, Lenny joined his bandmates in taking their shared love of music beyond their regular rehearsals. Find Your Spark encourages young people to explore the things they are passionate about through projects that give them the chance to try new experiences, develop skills and discover new possibilities.
Through their first Find Your Spark project, Lenny and his group attended local gigs and music events across the North East, meeting musicians, discovering new venues and building connections within the local music scene. For Lenny, this was one of his favourite parts of his experience – he said one of the best parts was seeing “live bands for free.”
But it wasn’t just about enjoying the music. Getting out into the wider music scene helped Lenny discover more about the opportunities available to him and think differently about his future. When asked whether his Find Your Spark journey had changed how he thought about what comes next, he said: “Yes, a lot.”
Lenny also had the opportunity to put his creativity into practice. As part of the group, he took on the role of creating promotional materials and merchandise, something he particularly enjoyed because it gave him the freedom to bring his own ideas to life. He said: “I drew promotion and merchandise. I enjoyed it as I had a lot of creative freedom.”
Having the freedom to explore his creative ideas also helped Lenny develop his skills and gain practical experience in promoting an event and creating merchandise. It also gave him the chance to discover new aspects of the music industry that he might not otherwise have explored.
But trying something new wasn’t without its challenges. When thinking about the group’s second-stage project (a weekend long festival), Lenny admitted that the “amount of tickets sold” was something he felt nervous about. He also found working with different people challenging but he managed this by keeping calm: “Dealing with different people [was a challenge]. To handle this I kept calm.”
Through these experiences, Lenny developed skills that extend beyond his interests. One skill he recognised was communication through networking. Meeting new people and making connections within the music scene gave him valuable connections, experience and the confidence to engage with others.
Perhaps most importantly, Lenny can see how the experience has helped him prepare for what comes next. When asked whether Find Your Spark has helped him feel more prepared for work life or future goals, he answered: “Yes!”
And his advice to other young people considering taking part in KEY+ or Find Your Spark was “it’s a great opportunity.”
For Lenny, Find Your Spark has been about more than just playing music. It has given him the chance to explore an interest he loves, discover his creative abilities, build connections and challenge himself through new experiences. His journey shows how following a passion can open doors, develop valuable skills and help young people discover what they might achieve next.
Read about Lenny's projects here:
About the author
The Key