Success Beyond The Score

Stress, stress, stress, and more stress.  We are living in a stressful world. When I was younger, it didn’t feel like that. I don’t know if it was because there were less stressful things, or because I was less aware, less connected with the state of society. In any case, I feel there is so much stress nowadays, with the social and political unrest, the rising cost of living, and the need to balance that with the challenges of relationships and other factors of life.

On top of all that, I’ve learned that menopause makes us more susceptible to stress. This happens due to the changes in our hormonal levels. For example, the reduction of estrogen in our bodies gives way for cortisol, a hormone produced as a stress response, to shoot up quicker and more drastically. Before taking Pamela’s course, I didn’t even suspect that what I considered overthinking and worry could actually be a natural response caused by menopause. That said, the fact that I understood why I was so stressed didn’t me...

This is the last, but in no way least, post about the stars who shone in the Time For My Music Evening Showcase at the MAC theatre of Birmingham in October last year. Sign-ups for the programme will open very, very soon, and we have a lot in store. Join the mailing list to be the first to know when recruitment starts.

So, here's Tiny Sax. She’s an alto saxophonist with a deep appreciation of Blues, Soul, Jazz and Funk. She fell in love with the sound of the saxophone after hearing the soundtrack to the film ‘Alfie’, played by saxophone legend Sonny Rollins. As well as solo appearances, she also performs regularly with soul band As One Collective.

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

I came upon the group quite by accident. When I was invited, I thought, “great, I’ll go along.” I said, “saxophonists? It’s only me and Millicent who are saxophonists, I better represent!” I opted in really, really confident, and then there were seven of them.

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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...

We’re almost at the end of this series of posts made to introduce—or reintroduce—the stars of the Time For My Music’s Evening Showcase to you. We're also about to open the doors of the programme for new members. If you’re interested, be sure to join the mailing list to stay up to date.

Today is Angela’s turn to shine. She’s an alto saxophonist known for creating a soulful atmosphere in genres like reggae, ballads, and gospel, and praised for her mesmerizing presence at prestigious venues including The Holiday Inn at Birmingham Airport.

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

If you have a gift or have a talent, don’t sit on it.

In Time For My Music, we are with Millicent Stephenson. If you have a gift, women—because, as you can see, it’s just women— you can come and try anything. [If] you feel like you want to stay, you can stay. 

Time For My Music has been really good for me.

It hasn’t been just Millicent. She’s really good with bringing other people in. [F

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Whilst the vibrant red of the women’s clothes was a staple of the Time For My Music Evening Showcase, sometimes removing the colours from a photo brings the emotion up. That’s the case with this wonderful shot by GL360 Productions of Angie, the star we want to highlight today.

Angie is a singer-songwriter who stirs hearts with her soulful blend of Gospel and Inspirational music. Her voice, described as “soulful, melodic, and vibrant” by renowned artists like Bunny Melody (UK) and Luciano (International Reggae Artist), carries a message of hope and faith.

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

I was at a point in my life where I felt minimized and not seen for the gift and telling that the Lord has given to me. And so, one day, Millicent said to me: “Angie, I’ve got a woman’s group.” She didn’t know where I was at, but I was at the point of giving up. I was at the point of, “what’s going on?” […] And she said to me, “we’ve got Cafemnee, a wo

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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

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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

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Today, we want to share the words that Patricia had to say about her experience in Time For My Music during the Evening Showcase last year.

Patricia is a quiet person, rather on the shy side, but the deep rich tones on her tenor sax speak volumes. It’s always a delight to watch her play! Although there were two online concerts before the Evening Showcase, this is the first time she appears on camera, captured wonderfully by the team of GL360 Productions in video and photos like the one you see above.

This is what she said to the audience:

On the second half of the show, we’re supposed to say a little bit about Time For My Music and what it means for us. I’m sure we’re going to be repetitive, so don’t be surprised. But as Michelle says, Millicent is a wonderful person. She’s been blessed with a gift and a talent for playing music. But not only does she bless people with her own music, she has put this group together, which has been going for a good few years now, before lockdown, a

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During the second part of the Time For My Music Evening Showcase, the women addressed the audience to tell them a little about their aspirations, and how the work with the online programme has supported them in their journey. We will share transcriptions of selected fragments, so you can get a better idea of how Time For My Music can support you or someone you know achieve their goals in the music industry.

Let’s start with Michelle, a saxophonist who regularly enchants audiences with the Notebenders at Birmingham Symphony Hall and other prestigious venues, She aspires to become a sought-after studio session saxophonist, and this is what she had to say about Time For My Music:

I’ve been in Time For My Music for some time now, and I never ever thought that I’d actually perform in a setting like this.

What we do is: we meet up in person and online, and we share ideas. We talk about what things have gone wrong. We talk about our ambitions, and about songs we want to learn. [...] With

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