Allegra is making waves on the pop music scene, so we find out more about her career to date, her Newbury home and why she has become a patron of Strength and Learning Through Horses
When did you first come across Strength and Learning Through Horses?
I think it was back in April. My team got approached with the idea and I just knew I had to get involved! It’s such a good cause, it’s something I really believe in and it also resonated with my own personal experiences.
How does the charity’s work chime with your own personal experiences?
When I was at school, I got diagnosed with Dyslexia. It was a really difficult time for me, especially when the school couldn’t really help or offer me the support that I needed. This then just ended up having a big impact on my mental health. But, in the end I found music, it came into my life and offered me the escape that I needed.
They use horses to help children that struggle at school and let them develop another skill away from the classroom, which I believe in heavily; not everyone can work within a classroom, everyone’s mind works differently. I understand how much activities outside of the classroom can help a child’s mental wellbeing and the support it offers. I hope that by supporting this charity I can help children find the support they need and deserve.
Why were you keen on being a patron?
I think firstly it was for how much it resonated with me and my own personal experiences growing up, coming from a place of understanding felt like I could really help out. I also love animals, especially horses. They’re incredible creatures and they are so good at being able to read emotions. It can offer so much help for children that need a hand in showing, expressing and understanding their own emotions and horses are amazing at offering that.
I’ve also always loved supporting charity work, ever since I was a little girl. When I was young, I would get together with all my cousins and siblings for the holidays. We would always put on these little performances for our parents and aunts, we would make them pay to watch so we could give it all to charity.
So, I’ve always been into charity work, I guess, and I’ve always said to my team that I’m up for it if there’s opportunity for me to help a charity and I’m really excited about it.
When did you first discover you had a talent for music?
Well, my earliest musical memories were from those performances in front of all our family. I was always the bossy one, organising everything and making sure they went ahead. These performances weren’t short two-minute things… they were hours long! Then at 14, I started creating and recording my own music.
How do you reflect on your music career so far?
Personally, I am just so grateful that I have been able to follow my passion and have carved out what I hope will continue to be a long a fruitful career in music. Music is everything to me, I just want to continue to grow as an artist and to connect with my audience and be relevant. I have been overwhelmed by the support that has been shown to me, and I have never taken this for granted.
What has been the highlight?
It’s so hard to single any one highlight out as I am literally living out all my dreams and fantasies, but I think it had to be performing with Leona Lewis a couple of years back, when I was still so young. She is an incredible artist and someone I aspire to, so having that opportunity was incredible.
Do you have plans for where you’d like to take your musical direction in the future?
The next part of my journey is live performance, so I am busy preparing myself for that. I have done a number of performances already, and they have all been so exciting. These have all fed my hunger and I cannot wait to get out there and do more. I am also ready to release an EP, which I hope will give a more broader insight into where I am going with my music. I started with pop/dance, but I have also grown up since I first started and this has naturally reflected in my music which has started to cross over a bit.
What are your connections to Newbury?
My family have a house in Newbury, which we spend a lot of time at. I also live in London, but I just love jumping in the car and leaving the big smoke and heading out to the countryside for a bit of R&R.
What do you love about the area?
It’s just beautiful countryside, and scenery, and the country air is so clean. I can literally feel my shoulders drop as I travel out of London to the house in Newbury. We live in a village and everyone is so friendly and happy to just chat in the street, it’s the perfect remedy to a stressful, busy week in London.
What are your hopes for the end of 2022?
The last two years were very challenging years due to the pandemic and the restrictions that brought. This year has been about getting back on the horse and gaining confidence and growth again, so to speak. I am just so grateful to be out there doing what I love. By the end of 2022 I hope to have regained momentum and ready for an exciting bumper year next year.
Follow on Instagram @allegraworld and for more on Strength and Learning Through Horses, visit strengthandlearningthroughhorses.org
