Symon’s story is truly inspirational. A graduate from the Royal College of Music, Symon had decided against taking his music any further, due to the sense that he felt he hadn’t fully grasped the depth of the artform, and was making his way in the corporate world, as an accounts executive at Thomson Reuters. Although, he occasionally performed the gig for fun.
Sadly disaster struck, when Symon’s son, Andre was diagnosed with the very rare condition Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM). Forced to give up his job to become his son’s full time carer, Symon turned to busking for a few hours a day, to keep his family afloat. The flexibility of busking allowed him to earn money, but it also offered him respite and helped him maintain human contact outside his own family bubble.
Symon soon started testing his own material in front of an ever-changing audience, organically developing his skills as a performer and a songwriter. By lucky chance, Symon’s music career suddenly took a turn for the better, when he was spotted busking outside the offices of acclaimed ex-Polygram CEO, David Hockman, who was blown away!
With Andre now in remission, Symon is now excitedly building towards the release of his debut single, ‘Cherry Tree’, which was composed on the London Underground, as a soulful metaphor for the moment couples meet at a specific time and place. Whether they continue to meet year after year, or if their liaison proved fleeting, that moment of waiting in that special place will always remain cherished.
Symon continues to busk as his main source of income, choosing a life of happiness and creativity over the high income his life in the city once gave him.
‘Cherry Tree’ will be out on 25 September.
