We were thrilled that our opening talk of this academic year was given by Alex Bazalgette, Music Logistics Manager at the National Theatre.
Alex has been in post for under a year and has already worked on some amazing productions including Inter Alia, London Road, and Here We Are. His role includes designing orchestra pits, managing live bands and maintaining and managing the extensive National Theatre instrument library.
With three very different theatres, the National Theatre stages provide different challenges when planning live music. Alex did Music, English and Maths for A level and played the piano, oboe and guitar. He went on to study Music at Sheffield University and always loved theatre. Must of his peer group on the course went on to teach or perform which didn’t feel the right fit for Alex. He had various jobs as a waiter, teaching as a music graduate in a school and working at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
After moving to London, Alex spent three years looking for the right job and stressed the importance of being resilient about rejections. The game changer for him personally was sailing across the Atlantic, during which time he learnt new skills and the experience helped him realise how he wanted to spend his time. He knew that he wanted to work in the Arts and so signed up for short courses in Technical Theatre in order to fill gaps in his knowledge.
The role of Music Logistics Manager was not one he had heard of, but Alex loves not only the job but also working alongside passionate people who are driven to produce the very best outcomes.
One top tip Alex gave which we can all take away, is the importance of reflecting on each chapter of your life and evaluating what you have enjoyed and what you have learnt.
We are so grateful to Alex for sharing his inspiring journey.
Categories: Careers General News Senior School
