Despite what some might think, working in music can be quite physically demanding. As a gigging musician, I have to travel to the venues where I’ll perform, often carrying my instrument and PA system with me. I bend, lift, shift and go up and down to set up my equipment. I move around the stage (sometimes off it and through the crowd, even) while performing. As a saxophonist, I really put my lungs to work every time I play, and I can’t run out of breath mid-concert!
Now, our bodies go through important changes during menopause that can have a huge impact on our energy levels and physical endurance. Menopausal people might experience changes in bone density, heart health, weight, body shape and mobility. This can affect our ability to keep working, so it’s important to exercise consciously and regularly in order to counter menopausal symptoms.
To be transparent, I didn’t struggle that much keeping up with physical activity prior to joining the SMART...
Originally, Millicent wasn't going to perform at the Time For My Music evening showcase. However, due to a suggestion by a member of the audience, and with the enthusiastic approval of the women who starred the night, she went on stage towards the end and played some fan favourites like "Ain't Nobody (Loves Me Better)" and "Bridge Over Troubled Waters".
After the show was over, one of the women told Millicent that she was glad to have counted with her performance that night, because she could see first hand how Millicent applied everything she has taught them through the years. Seeing the theory put into practise motivated her, and she could project herself owning the stage with more confidence and ease in the future.
Performing music live is much more than just making up your mind and doing it. Everybody starts somewhere, and Millicent is no exception. She remembers that, when she first started, she stood on a single spot in front of the mic, fixed her gaze somewhere on...
One of the most essential strengths a gigging musician must have is adaptability. Every gig comes with a new set of conditions: from the dimensions and design of the stage, to the size and position of the audience, to the PA system and the staff in charge of it.
Let's make an example out of the latter: for a certain gig some time ago, Millicent asked about the technical set up—as she always does—but a little later than usual. She got a reply through WhatsApp many hours later, and had to continue the conversation the next day. It became evident that the person answering to her wasn't tech-savvy, but rather followed instructions by the tech people at their organisation, which made the process slow. Thinking that this could cause problems down the line, Millicent decided to take her own PA system equipment to the venue, just in case.
When the day of the gig came, the sax mic didn't work, and there was no one among the staff who knew what to do. On top of...
As a musician, I work funny hours, and I don’t like eating right before performing. This means that, some days, I’ll eat in the morning and not at all in the afternoon, to then be famished in the evening and gobble as much as I possibly can. Or maybe I’ll have a hasty lunch and not eat again until after an evening gig, late at night, which as we all know, isn’t good for the midriff at all. I’d frequently eat whatever was at hand, too, without putting much thought into it.
Generally speaking, I’ve always known that such lack of consistency is detrimental to my health, but I kind of put my concerns aside in favour of getting things done, trusting that my body would somehow keep up—which it did, for many years. I’m sure many of you can relate.
But alas, there’s a limit to everything. As I mentioned in the previous article, I got diagnosed as pre-diabetic on December 2023. What does this mean, exactly, and why does it have so...
On her website, our director Millicent has started a series of blog entries about her experience participating in a 12 weeks programme to manage menopausal symptoms. These entries will cover what she learned, changed and improved in her life regarding nutrition, physical activity, stress levels and quality of sleep.
Here you can read the beginning of the introduction:
I’m a musician and someone going through menopause. The symptoms of this stage of life can be detrimental to both quality of life and work performance, making it difficult to stay atop of things. To counter that and get back a feeling of normality, I’ve been informing myself extensively, trying different ways to manage my circumstances, and I’m happy to say that I’ve been successful!
In particular, this year I’ve got excellent results in two areas: quality of sleep, about which I already wrote an article with some handy tips to achieve a good night of rest,...
The first ever in-person live concert by the women of Time For My Music has a date! Prepare for an evening of jazz, soul, reggae and gospel by the brilliant women who are part of this programme on Tuesday, 29th October 2024.
It has been many months of preparation, discussion, decisions and rehearsals. We're positive that the showcase will be worth all the effort! Please, stay tuned for more information coming very soon.
While you wait, you can watch the online concert that the women offered two years ago. The whole stream is available on YouTube:
You can also revisit the photographic exhibition that the members got at OLDP in Birmingham, UK, guided by our director Millicent in this short video:
Here is the transcription of episode 9 of season 3 of the podcast "Success Beyond The Score". Happy reading!
- Watch the video of the episode here: YouTube
- Listen to the audio of the episode here: Kajabi
INTRO:
Hi, how are you doing? Just checking my little things here. I think I've got everything ready. I hope you're having a lovely day and I hope you can hear me. Okie dokie. Then, today we've got a really, really interesting topic. Firstly, I just want to thank Phil, Angie Lee, Morgan Genus Sports, for dropping those questions in advance, because it got me thinking, and I'm looking forward to answering them.
So: we've got a really good session today. I'm Millicent Stephenson, your podcaster, your host, and I challenged myself to come onto YouTube Live to do my podcast because usually I pre record. I'm on the... What day am I on now? The 9th day. Tomorrow's the 10th and then next week, the 11th. So far, I've covered:
"The 7 stages of a gigging musician," that was my first...
Here is the transcription of episode 8 of season 3 of the podcast "Success Beyond The Score". Happy reading!
- Watch the video of the episode here: YouTube
- Listen to the audio of the episode here: Kajabi
INTRO:
Hello! I'm so pleased you're here with me again. It's a lovely day. It's cooler than it's been for a couple of days, I've got to admit. I'm still sweating, but hey-ho, that's the life of a gigging musician, menopausal musician, you name it.
Now, today I've really got a very interesting topic, and it might be one that you're already familiar with, but I think maybe I can put a twist on it. So: this is why you should video record your gigs.
There are a lot of benefits for video recording gigs, and it's something I have a lot of experience with, but it wasn't something that came easy. Maybe you're the type of musician that's thinking: "What? Video recording my gig? Nooo, wait, I ain't doing that!" You know, because you don't like the way you look, or maybe you're...
This is the era of streaming. There's no doubt about it. However, the radio, especially that from independent stations, still has a lot to offer. While algorithms risk to trap users in an echo chamber, radio programming is a human endeavour. Listeners are presented new sounds and information, they are questioned and challenged.
The radio is also important for musicians. Algorithms push everything that isn't already well known to the bottom of the playlist, while the social component of the radio allows for unknown artists to share space with big names of the industry. Topping the charts is still an important indicator of success, and achieving this feat remains very rewarding.
A radio station that has been very helpful to our director, Millicent Stephenson, is Affinity Xtra. Besides her music, they have also played different seasons of her podcast Success Beyond The Score through the years. Right now, they’re playing season 3 every Friday at noon, UK time. Theirs is an...
Here is the transcription of episode 7 of season 3 of the podcast "Success Beyond The Score". Happy reading!
- Watch the video of the episode here: YouTube
- Listen to the audio of the episode here: Kajabi
INTRO:
Hello, hello, hello. I hope you're well. I've changed my setup here. I've put my notes to this side. So if you see me looking that way, that's what I'm looking at instead of that way. And I had a nice iPad stand for my birthday yesterday. So I'm really excited. I'm trying it out today.
Really, really happy. So I'm hoping you can hear me okay. Um, it looks as though my volume might be a little bit too loud. So let me just turn that down one second. Yeah, that seems a bit better, not peaking.
Okay, so today is about: "Do you have a music hobby or a music business?" And I think this is a really good topic. When I started off, many moons ago, at school, I did some music, left school, did some part-time studies. Music was my hobby, and eventually I moved it into a music...