Success Beyond The Score

It may sound like an empty inspirational quote, but it's true: music is part of the human experience, and because of this, it's never too late (or too early) to start playing, writing or even recording.

Mama Kay is a brilliant example of this. This Japanese woman released her first song, titled ‘36 hours’, one day after her 59th birthday. This age is outstanding on its own, but considering the East Asian music ecosystem, in which pop idols tend to fade into obscurity before hitting 30, it becomes even more impressive. The song, a gentle example of Japanese city pop—which is a genre that hasn't been particularly popular since the 80s, although it's been doing a comeback in the last decade—has gathered thousands of hits across social media, and hundreds of thousands of people now follow Mama Kay, enjoying her subsequent releases.

Whilst we celebrate Mama Kay's success, let's not forget that internet numbers don't determine the worth of your music. Social media platforms are promotio...

No matter at what scale, life very rarely goes as planned. Some things are easier than we thought they'd be, many others are harder. Accidents and inconveniences dot our agendas, we get sudden ideas that we then have to fit in our day somehow. Mundanity gets in the way of greatness and viceversa. We're left juggling constantly while wishing there were more hours in the day.

For example, last year, my family and I finally got around to remodelling the kitchen. It was long overdue, and we were sure that the final result would be very good. However, doing it meant dust, noise, and a cramped house. My piano ended up blocked by a bunch of boxes. I had to keep an eye on what was going on during times I'd normally dedicate to practise. It hindered my creativity for some time, it made preparation for gigs more difficult, too. Yet life didn't stop. The expectations of my clients didn't change. I still had to show up and step firmly on the stage.

Although it was strenuous, discipline made it p...

Regardless of the location, stage, or the characteristics of your audience, everybody who attends a concert wants the same: to be entertained, wowed, soothed, and taken away.

For most artists, how to approach the audience starts as at impossible knot of anxious questions: 'am I doing this right?', 'will they like it?', 'what if I make a mistake?'. The key to improve your audience management skills isn't to find the answer to all those questions, but to realise that they don't matter, at least not as much as you might think.

You can look at it like this: what is under your control, like how well you learn your musical pieces, is under your control, so there's no need to worry. What is not under your control, like whether the grumpy looking person at the end of the fifth row is enjoying themselves, is not under your control, so why worry about it? Of course, you should think of your audience, what they want and expect, but not to the point that the thought interferes with your ability...

Let us use this great shot by GL360 Productions to introduce Asharp, the next star in the Time For My Music Evening Showcase’s line-up.

Asharp is a versatile saxophonist who plays all three alto, tenor and soprano sax. She has recently broadened her talents by branching out as a solo artist, and is now a regular performer at the ‘Wednesday Mic Fever’ happening at the Legacy Centre.

This is what she told the audience about her experience with Time For My Music:

I joined Time For My Music—it wasn’t at the beginning, but probably after they’d had about two or three sessions […] What I found has helped me most is learning about technology, because I’m the world’s worst when it comes to computers and technology. Millicent, I don’t know how she has managed to do it. She’s just so patient when I can’t log in or pick up the password. She doesn’t shout at all, she just talks calmly, which is good for me, ’cause I’ll panic at it even more [otherwise]. 

It’s the meetings, the fellowship. Yo

...

Today, it’s Melody’s turn to be under the spotlight. She’s a featured vocalist with the Notebenders big band, whose voice has been praised for being smooth and angelic on the high notes when singing classical songs and jazz.

During the Evening Showcase last year, she had this to say about Time For My Music:

[…] Time For My Music is like a sisterhood, a fellowship. It’s togetherness, a way to put ourselves out in the world as musicians together. 

[…] Millicent has a wonderful gift, a very open heart. She’s very patient with us. I can see that she gives, she goes beyond the mile, many more times than that. I’m truly grateful, also, for the support that she receives in doing this from the family, and for the support of the group. It’s one of the reasons I’m standing here, and I’d like to thank Patricia because, when I started to meet up with the community bands and the Notebenders, it was Patricia who told me about Cafemnee, which was a forerunner to Time For My Music. So thank you a

...

Everything in life entails a risk, even not doing anything at all. Assessing and managing risks is part of life, but it becomes critical in professions that involve large numbers of people, like live music.

Preceded by two online performances, the ‘Time For My Music’ Evening Showcase was the first live concert offered by the women of the Time For My Music programme. The venue was the MAC Theatre of Birmingham, and the date, 29 October 2024.

For those who couldn't attend, and also those who attended and want to relive the experience, the full concert will be made available on Millicent's YouTube channel. Part 1 is already out, so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy 50 minutes of music by the talented Angela, Angie Lee, Asharp, Melody, Michelle, Patricia and Tiny Sax:

Part 2 comes out on 23 March, just three weeks from now.

Many thanks to GL 360 Productions (@gl360media) for making a full coverage of the evening showcase, making it possible to share the art of these women with people all around the world. Be sure to play the video in full HD to get the best experience, and if you like it, let us know in a comment or by sharing with your friends!

No matter how experienced or learned someone is, how many resources they have, how many measures they take, accidents and mistakes are inescapable. What defines a good musician isn't the absence of hiccups or errors, but rather, how they react to them.

Take as an example this rendition of Queen's quintessential song, Bohemian Rhapsody, played during a concert in Caracas, Venezuela, back in 1981.

Even if you aren't a fervent fan of Queen, it's highly likely that you've listened to this song enough times to tell something goes wrong at the 01:40 mark. Brian May works around the issue to play the solo for that part, but by 02:04, he changes the melody completely. The image isn't that clear, but apparently he missed his cue and broke one of his strings immediately after.

Observe how he doesn't freeze, doesn't stop or reacts in a visibly panicked way. His fellow band members do look slightly confused while they understand what happened, but this doesn't prevent them from playing their...

Creative endeavours are, at the same time, energising and draining. Gigging musicians thrive on stage, but once they get off, they are hit with the exhaustion of having given their all to their audience, their clients and their craft. If, on top of performing, they are in charge of logistics, finances and/or organisation, as it was the case for the women who put together the Time For My Music's evening showcase last October, this fatigue gets dialled up to eleven.

If you plan to become a professional gigging musician, it's essential that you come up with mechanisms to rejuvenate after shows. There's only so much your body and mind can endure with no support, and if you force yourself to move forward despite signs of alarm like pain, sleep issues, and anxiety, you're going to burn out.

On one hand, there's the physical side of things: take care of your health and cultivate your endurance with an appropriate diet, physical activity and good sleep. Allot time specifically to rest, both ...

Happy holidays! Regardless of how you spend this time of the year, we hope you've enjoyed it to the fullest, and that you've also caught some well deserved rest. 2024 was quite hectic for many, so let's give ourselves a moment to breathe and maybe give ourselves a pat in the back for the challenges that we overcame.

This is also a good time to remember the big, good moments. For example, the first live concert of Time For My Music at the end of October was a massive achievement for our community. We can't wait to post the professional footage in the upcoming months, but in the meantime—and to add some good vibes to your New Year's Eve preparations—here are two clips from Millicent's performance at the end of that evening:

Count on us for resources and support in your music journey this and every new year. We are dying to hear about what you've got in mind!