St James’s 2008 Leaver

I always enjoyed Music and Performing Arts at School and the opportunities available at St James’s were fantastic. During my time at school I was a founder girl chorister at Worcester Cathedral. I was inspired to read Music at Durham University and then to complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Vocal Performance at The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. During both my courses I enjoyed singing in opera ensembles and chamber choirs.

Since graduating I have been lucky to sing with organisations such as The Royal Shakespeare Company (in both Stratford-upon-Avon and The Barbican, London), Ex Cathedra, Armonico Consort and Birmingham Cathedral Choir. This has included several collaborations with The Birmingham Royal Ballet taking me to The Coliseum and Sadlers Wells in London; Alhambra Palace, Granada and Birmingham Hippodrome. I also enjoy education projects, and have worked with children’s choirs in venues such as The Royal Albert Hall and Symphony Hall Birmingham.

Being a self employed freelance musician can be daunting but the variety of my work is so exciting it is worth the determination and hard work. I am also privileged to teach the boy and girl choristers at Birmingham Cathedral and run the music library there. Teaching singing and music theory to young children is exciting because they have such energy to learn and succeed.

Sometimes I am a soloist with an orchestra, sometimes a choir member working with other singers as an ensemble, and I enjoy both equally. Music really is about collaborating with others to create something beautiful at the end of it. I’ve been in CD recordings of both sacred and secular choral music and met some truly fantastic musicians along the way, in addition to radio and TV broadcasts. It really is extremely varied.

What does success look like?

Success is being happy with the work you produce, the projects you take part in and the way you choose to live your life. Your dream job may not be someone else’s, so don’t be put off! It’s important to be happy and not put pressure on yourself to fit into a particular mould.

What is your best piece of advice?

Take advantage of all the extra curricular activities available to you and don’t give up on your aspirations. If you need extra tutoring or to do some extra work to achieve your goals, it will all be worth it in the end.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help or some guidance, there are lots of important decisions to be made in preparation for leaving school. The music industry can be very competitive, like all jobs, but keep going!