Shaqcoy Fox’s fascination with music started a decade ago when he saw a pianist perform at his church.

The 17-year-old credited Corville Hylton, his Big Brother with Big Brothers Big Sisters Bermuda, for pushing him to pursue his passion.

Now the deputy head boy at CedarBridge Academy plays the clarinet, the saxophone and the piano, and enjoys performing with his band, Brothers in Music.

He said: “I have always had an interest in performing and I enjoy performing by myself very much.

“It has given me more of a thrill, though, performing with other people that I know and other people that I can move to.”

Shaqcoy, from Sandys, joined the band last summer.

He added: “We will play some functions at the school but we mostly play outside of school, playing for primary schools, at community service events and playing for elders.”

The band also performed at the Bermuda Festival last Tuesday.

Shaqcoy joined the BBBS programme 11 years ago because his grandmother decided it was time he had a mentor to help him with school work and give him career advice.

He was matched with Mr Hylton about seven years ago after his first big brother left the island.

Shaqcoy said: “It’s made a huge difference. My big brother has been able to teach me a lot of moral lessons, a lot of lessons about life and even lessons about music.

“He’s the one who persuaded me to pursue my love of music. He told me to keep pushing and make sure I played different instruments so I had a variety of instruments to play.”

Shaqcoy explained he was inspired to take up the piano aged seven after he saw it played in church.

He asked his grandmother if he could take lessons but later stopped. He has since restarted classes and is teaching himself the basics.

He said music is a big part of his life but that he wants to work in hospitality when he leaves school.

Shaqcoy is in his last year at CedarBridge Academy and juggles his school work with his duties as deputy head boy.

He said: “I’ve been able to schedule my time where I have enough time to do my school work and homework, and also commit to my responsibilities as deputy head boy.”

Shaqcoy was one of the winners of the Bermuda Police Service’s Commissioner’s Vision Awards last year.

He said: “It was an award presented to students who showed the characteristics of responsibility, respect towards their peers and who had the courage to speak out and just had confidence in what they do.”

Shaqcoy added the award felt like one of his “grand accomplishments because I didn’t really expect to get such a momentous award”.

He said he planned to go to Bermuda College after he finished school and aimed to go to an overseas college for further study.

Shaqcoy added: “I aim to work in hospitality management. I would actually like to work at the Fairmont Southampton because I’ve been told multiple times that working with Fairmont can let you travel the world.

“That’s something I would love to do because I’ve always had an interest in going to different countries ever since my first trip to France in middle school.”

The youngster’s other interests include helping out at his church, Allen Temple AME, where he also performed at the Christmas Eve and new year services.