News, Suffolk
A teenager who played the drums alongside A-list artists is featured in a new documentary.
Suffolk musician Nandi Bushell, who lives in Ipswich, appeared in an episode of ‘My Life’ on C, which follows children with extraordinary lives.
Nandi said: “When I watched the documentary back, I was like yeah ‘I have had some pretty incredible experiences’.”
The 14-year-old began drumming at the age of five and recently released her first single with her band. Having performed alongside global stars including the Foo Fighters and Lenny Kravitz, Nandi said: “I am just a normal kid. I practice a lot. I have been really lucky.”
“I just get along with my day. I go to school and meet up with my friends and practice- and on the weekends I do extraordinary stuff,” she added.
At five years old Nandi received her first drumkit, with her father documenting her skills and posting them on social media for their extended family to see.
Famous musicians became aware of the young drummer and started to reach out to the family.
At just nine years old Nandi got the chance to jam with Lenny Kravitz before his gig at London’s O2 Arena.
‘I was just me’
Her profile was taken to another level when she turned 11 after proposing a drum-off with rock star Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters.
Accepting her offer, Nandi went on to win the online battle that led her to performing with the band at the LA Forum in the US.
Nandi said in the documentary: “The music takes over me, I just let it all out. I was not afraid, I was just me.”
From there on, Nandi’s profile went through the roof, and she performed at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and Wembley Stadium.
She also made appearances on US TV, including The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Good Morning America and CBS Mornings.
John Bushell, Nandi’s father, said: “She is extremely relaxed and doesn’t get nervous.”
Her talents were not limited to music and Nandi was honing another of her passions and acting as Emerald in C’s Andy and the Band.
With hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, she was now focusing on filming content and making a music video.
The 14-year-old’s career in music was featured in a C episode of ‘My Life’ on Friday.
Mr Bushell said: “The first edit I saw, I could not keep myself from crying.
“Seeing it condensed into 30 minutes was quite an amazing experience.”
Nandi added: “I am excited for what is to come. I would love to write more songs and perform gigs with my band and go with the flow.”
