Last Tuesday was one of those long yet fulfilling days in my musical life. The morning started at 8.30am where I ran my fingers over the songs for the day. 10am, the second day of recording where I laid down the backing vocals and lead Sax lines for tracks on my up coming CD. I decided that this time I would lay down the background vocals myself. I have to admit that I did under estimate the time…and my patience…to lay down the harmonies with attention to matching dynamics, articulation and rhythms across each part. Not for the faint hearted! 🙂 I really enjoyed collaborating with Ruben and Noval (Kingship Music) recording, taking, retaking, listening back, evaluating, editing…
The day had not yet finished, I left the Studio at 3pm, dashed home, quick late lunch and prep for the evening gig. Also completing some pressing admin for Not Just Jazz III (my show with Live Band on Friday 8th July, 7.30pm Crescent Theatre, Birmingham – see Not Just Jazz Page for more details). Then taught 4.45pm until 6pm after which I got ready and arrived at the The Drum (7.50pm). Here I performed a couple of numbers in the farewell evening hosted by the Association of Jamaican Nationals (Birmingham) chaired by Beverly Lindsay OBE, OD, and attended by representatives from across the City, for Her Excellency, The Honourable Aloun Ndombet-Assamba the outgoing High Commissioner of Jamaica.
All told I was not home until after 11pm, a day in my life ending. Shattered but fulfilled. Not every day in the life of Millicent Stephenson is this intense but they are very packed and varied. I would not swop my work as a professional musician for anything, too enjoyable!
Pictures below by Poppy Brady (Reporter for The Voice, Newspaper) taken at the farewell evening for Her Excellency, The Honourable Aloun Ndombet-Assamba the outgoing High Commissioner of Jamaica. Tues 26th April 2016:
