The Music Works has almost become a second creative home for me now.
Real Triggz has been making music since secondary school. Long before performing on stages or building an audience online, he was the young person carrying a lyric book everywhere he went. Writing bars during break times, finding quiet corners in the library, and developing his sound one page at a time.
By the time he joined Upsurge, our free 10-month artist development programme, Real Triggz had already released music independently and was steadily building his online presence as an artist, rapper and producer. But while his music was reaching people digitally, performing live was something he intentionally avoided.
At that stage in his journey, Real Triggz wanted to focus on sharpening his artistry behind the scenes. He wanted to develop music with depth and substance, creating work that would last and mean something over time. Rather than chasing quick attention, he was thinking long-term about the kind of artist he wanted to become.
Through Upsurge, Real Triggz found himself surrounded by mentors, producers and other artists who challenged and supported him creatively. The programme gave him space to experiment, grow in confidence and connect with a wider creative community.
Being surrounded by mentors who could guide and give me feedback in ways I could better myself helped me to be able to really just train, go to the music mountain and zen up there so I can just smash it…absolutely smash it out the park.
As his confidence grew, so did his ambitions. Upsurge helped Real Triggz strengthen his networking skills, form new creative partnerships and start thinking bigger about his future releases and live performances.
After years of turning performances down, Real Triggz is now ready to say yes to new opportunities, show up on stage and connect directly with audiences.
“The next step for me after this is really to just showcase what I’ve learnt, put myself out there a bit more, actually say yes to performances, shelling down shows and doing what I do best.”
Today, The Music Works remains a huge part of his creative journey somewhere he feels supported, challenged and understood as an artist. He says:
I’m going to be here. I’m going to be present. The Music Works has almost become a second creative home for me now.
Real Triggz’s story shows what can happen when young artists are given the space to develop creatively, build confidence, and connect with the right people around them. From writing lyrics in school to stepping forward as a live performer, he has grown into an artist ready to take his music onto new stages.
We believe that talent is everywhere, however, opportunity isn’t.
In Gloucestershire, young people with creative passions often face limited pathways into creative careers. We’re changing that.
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