to the studio!

 

Whilst in france, I began writing some songs, the guys from 'dreamchaser' took me to their studio to show me where I'd be working and we recorded one of my songs. This was just a rough structure recording which we will later be producing properly. :)

Stoke mandeville Hospital Radio

Paul understands that I want to learn as much as possible about the music scene, so when the Dream Chaser team were invited down to Stoke Mandeville hospital radio, they took me along to see how the interviews ran, and how the radio station operates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then...

As I said before, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights I've been heading down to shoot pool, helping set up, most nights singing a few songs and providing backing vocals for anyone who might like them. Monday and Wednesday I went to the green man and sang at their open mics, and now they know me better they just call me up if they think I might know a song. Which is very kool. And Tuesday night Is stars bar open mic. That's a lot of singing!!!
Just take a second to realise how much progress this is for me, who hadn't sung in about a year before I started all this!!

As I get to know the people on the scene, I've been invited to do backing vocals for a band named, who I need to get in touch with, as they saw me sing at an open mic.

And Paul has invited me to Pinewood studios this Thursday where some of the 'DreamChaser' artists will be performing, and we will be having a mingle with some record company people I believe. But I'll let you know how that goes.

Paul Adams, and Glyn have both offered me the opportunity to act in their music videos, and I have hopefully to perform backing vocals for Paul, Glyn and Seb at the Westcott 'RADIO ROCKS' festival  (that link is for tickets), which should be great fun, and will head lined by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. As well as possible backing vocals for them for 'Hobble on the cobbles' Aylesbury.  But again that's only a possible, so I'll keep you updated.

As you can see, though this is all local stuff, it is escalating quite quickly, and it's all fantastic experience within music and networking.

TOBY AND I play JAM JAR at shoot pool

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=373703376081914&set=vb.100003267655196&type=3&theatre

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=373703376081914&set=vb.100003267655196&type=3&theatre

OFFICE/ DREAMCHASER

I've got so much to tell you!  I knew what I needed. Now how to get it....

My mum has a part time job in a small office, and to be honest, she doesn't really need to do it, so I basically asked if I could do it instead.

BANGIN'! - My first office job in the bag. Yes its dull and I just answer phones, but it is the first run of the ladder (of rubbish jobs) before I can get the job I want in a record company.

NEXT PLEASE.

Toby ( who we've all now come to know as my new guitarist) and I went to do a cheeky little 'open mic' night at a venue called 'Shoot Pool'.  It was great fun, and we were well received. It was the first time I'd sung there. After we played, I was approached by the guy running the night (Mr Paul Adams), who basically said 'well done, nice voice, come down more often and we can try and get you working with some of our musicians and writing'. !!! Well great! That's what we want isn't it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCx6cNso3J8

I added Paul on Facebook. And decided to ask him, in a bid to become the more self sufficient version lof myself, if he need a hand setting up before the open mic nights, i.e 'a bit of free manual labour, in return for him teaching me how to set up and use the PA system etc'.

His reply was fate. I'm sure!

MR. PAUL ADAMS

Little did I know when I messaged Paul, that not the open mic night, or 'JAM JAR' as it's called was just the tip of the iceberg.  Amongst the musicians at shoot pool, a company had emerged, named 'DreamChaser Entertainment '. A company set up to promote and work with new artists to help get them started. Not only did Paul say yes, he then offered me the opportunity to be some what of an 'apprentice' to the company. I go to shoot pool Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, where I help and get taught to set up for the Jam Jar and gig nights. I occasionally guest host the evenings and am being taught to sound check and tech the events.

STEVE RICHMOND

'We've also got a studio, if you'd be interested in learning how to record people...?' said Paul. UMMMMMMMMMM yes!! I, obviously, want as much experience as possible, in as many areas of music as possible.

Well, Steve Richmond, of DreamChaser Entertainment, has a small studio in the back of his house, where he records the artists and they have kindly offered to take me in and teach me how to record others, and record my music as well. 'Oh by the way he also does video editing as well if your interested in getting involved with that...'

SEB JAMES & GRAHAM IDDON

I'll be 'mentored' by Seb, who is also a guitar teacher and has agreed to give me guitar lessons each Monday, who along with Graham, will teach me all the tech-ing I need to know. If Seb needs promoting of an artist done, he comes to me and I will crack on with social networking.

So that's the team, along with a few other assistants etc. a bit like myself.

STARS Bar

By this point I had been getting up and singing at open mics at shoot pool and the green man, (where I did the first gig I told you about, where I met guitarist Toby). But 2 isn't enough. I had a night to myself and decided to wander down to 'Stars' another bar in town which had an open mic on. While I was there I bumped into Graham. Now, hosting this was a guy called GLYN DEVEY. don't worry, it's not essential you remember all of these names I'm just trying to give you an idea of what's happening and all the people I am creating a network with.

Glyn, and insane guitar player, had a good old chat with me after the open mic night and I explained to him that I'm not working for DreamChaser entertainment. Turns out he is also involved with the company. So that's good. Glyn is happy to do some songs with me at the next open mic. I also met another musician, Mark Scobey, who I sang with at the open mic at stars and then again at shoot pool.

None of that would have happened had I not gone down and 'got myself out there' as it were.

Back out of the bubble,

When I returned from my three weeks in the Disney 'bubble', I was itching to get back into it. Whilst in Paris, I began writing my own songs (though I'd done this before, I think these ones have a far more appropriate to the sort of sound I want to be associated with). I began to think about the 'next step'.

The questions that came to mind were, 'What do I need to do next?' and 'What is holding me back?'

• Obvious things to me were that when I play gigs I literally turn up, sing, and leave. I don't have the knowledge to set up or use a PA system to sort the sound levels or qualities, nor am I capable of rigging up all the gear such as drum kit, mics, guitars etc. And it dawned on me that when I go back to London, wanted to kick start my new career, I will be held back by this. I need to be as self sufficient as possible!!!

• I also rely on a guitarist, unless I was to rock up with backing tracks, (which I personally hate doing) I always have to find myself a guitarist if I want to accept a gig which is no good.  Yes, it is do-able but it is far from ideal. So again I WANT TO BE SELF SUFFICIENT!!    I need guitar lessons.... ! (I've owned a guitar for 2 years, picked it occasionally, tried to learn a few songs,but nothing's ever come of it)

• I also decided, that what brought my moral down last year was not having a career. I do not want to wake up 30 and poor and as a struggling waitress on minimum wage. Its just not for me. So now I am clear that singing is 100% what I want to do, and my head is back on straight, I need to ensure that money is coming in so that I can keep justifying singing gigs even if they may not be paid. However, as I know I am completely unsatisfied in a flat, un-progressive job, I tried to imagine what I wouldn't mind doing if singing for a living doesn't work out or just takes a bit longer than I hope.        I  would quite like to work for a record company. It'd be perfect, as I could keep networking and learning about the industry as I work my way up through the company however the 9-5 formality of the job would allow me to keep doing my music in the evenings and at the weekends. PERFECT. So I would need to go into that, I would think, through the admin side, perhaps work as a receptionist or PA for someone. Except, I have no experience in office work. So I need to find a easy to get office job, to get some experience, to get a better office job, or maybe a personal assistant job, and so on and so forth until I have enough experience to apply for one with a record company.

then...

"Arghhh so what happened next??" I hear you cry, in anticipation of my crazy story. haha.

So after a very well received gig, toby and I have continued to duet, covering each other for harmonies and so on and so forth. I decided next that one open mic night a week is clearly not enough, as that's just one venue, one venue in Aylesbury I hasten to add. BUT I also had a brief 3 week interlude where I popped back to Disneyland Paris...

 

And don't ask... coz I cant answer that!

 

 

videos from the gig in bicester

Toby and I cover 'be mine' by Robyn.

 

And 'use somebody' by the kings of leon

 

 

Black horse and a cherry tree, by KT Tunstall

 

amongst a few others... :p

What's going on!

Ok, so module 2 has been completed, and we're all on the edge of our seats waiting to hear back if 1- we've passed, and 2- our proposed inquiries have been accepted.
Luckily for me, whether mine has or hasn't, my inquiry has become so relevant to my current life that I'm going to keep you updated anyway :)

So, what on earth has been going on?!
Since my last blog, I believe I was about to do a gig in Bicester with my new guitarist, who I began to work with after we met (networked) at my first gig in a long time.
The gig went fantastically well, we were very pleased with the out come and I managed to get some videos of some of the songs, just for you :p

 

'I'm yours' by Jason Mraz